← Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein
Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein
Himesh Patel • Rewind Classic (Tenet / Station 11 / Yesterday)
01:05:06
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- [00:00]
Himesh Patel
Protein is now at Starbucks and it's
- [00:02]
Brett Goldstein
never tasted so good.
- [00:04]
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- [00:10]
Brett Goldstein
Try it today at Starbucks.
- [00:15]
Himesh Patel
Ugh.
- [00:16]
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- [00:33]
Himesh Patel
Hey, still got my hoodie?
- [00:34]
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- [00:45]
Producer Buddy Peace
Look out. It's Only Films to Be Buried with this Is a Rewind Classic.
- [00:59]
Himesh Patel
Sa.
- [01:31]
Producer Buddy Peace
Dearest Films to Be Buried With Crew, I trust you're all doing extremely well. This is producer Buddy Peace chiming in for this week's intro. Just to let you know that this week is a glimpse into the not too distant past by way of a Rewind episode. We have new episodes on the way, so stay tuned for those. This Rewind edition is with One of the UK's finest acting talents, the great Himesh Patel. This was originally episode 246 back in May 2023, but has aged perfectly and is still a shop favorite episode. You'll likely know him, Ash, but If not, avid EastEnders viewers will know him in a past life as Tamwa. Otherwise you will have seen him in Danny Boyle's Yesterday, Chris Nolan's tenet, or on the smaller screen by way of Station 11 or Avenue 5. It's a lovely one. So if you didn't catch this the first time, you're in for a treat, and if you did, by all means treat yourself again. Let me take this opportunity to also remind you that Brett has a Patreon page for the podcast upon which you get a bonus section on every episode with a secret from each guest, more questions, and a video of each episode. So if you are of a supporting nature and feel like some of the extras from the show, you'll find them all there. Catch you at the end for a brief sign off, but for now, enjoy this film's To Be Buried With Rewind Classic.
- [02:46]
Brett Goldstein
Hello and welcome to Films to Be Buried With. It is I, Brett Goldstein, and I am joined today by an actor, a superstar, a film star, a an Eastender, a station elevener, an Avenue fiver, a tenant no numberer, a legend, a Hero, a husband, a father and a lover at least three times a week, according to the news. Please welcome. He's here. Can we believe it? An Emmy nominee, an award winner, a beautiful man. Here he is. I can't believe it. He's right in front of me. It's Mr. Himesh Patel.
- [03:29]
Himesh Patel
Hello. Thanks for having me.
- [03:31]
Brett Goldstein
Hi.
- [03:33]
Himesh Patel
What's the. According to the news, three times a week I'm a lover. Is that.
- [03:38]
Brett Goldstein
I think it was just a headline in the news that comes out every week that three times a week, at least three times a week, you make love. I don't know what papers you read,
- [03:47]
Himesh Patel
but I personally make love.
- [03:49]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [03:49]
Himesh Patel
Wow.
- [03:50]
Brett Goldstein
It was like in the. You know, often in this. Sort of. In other news, like, it's a positive thing. It's not.
- [03:55]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, no, it's. It's still a very interesting insight into my. My. My personal life, PR people. Yeah. But look, I mean, it's. I'll just. No comment. That one.
- [04:06]
Brett Goldstein
He best. Thank you for doing this. You're in England right now, in your attic. Is that true?
- [04:10]
Himesh Patel
I'm in my attic, yeah. Yeah. It's. It's where I have my. My little office. It's not like I've been consigned to the attic to do this.
- [04:18]
Brett Goldstein
You haven't been banished?
- [04:19]
Himesh Patel
No.
- [04:20]
Brett Goldstein
Himesh, can I ask you a few questions about your life and career?
- [04:24]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [04:25]
Brett Goldstein
You are a movie star and a legend. You started in EastEnders. I didn't realize how long you were in EastEnders. You were in EastEnders for how long? Nine years.
- [04:33]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. Nine years, yeah. Basically, yeah.
- [04:36]
Brett Goldstein
Can you, in one sentence, summarise what that's like?
- [04:41]
Himesh Patel
One sentence. Did you say or. Word. Sentence.
- [04:44]
Brett Goldstein
No. You could have more sentences that actually quite a bit better.
- [04:47]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, it was. I mean, I'd have nothing without it, you know, I was 16, sort of plucked from obscurity in a little village. And. Yeah. Right time, right place and definitely the right role, because I'll be honest, I was basically playing myself when I first started.
- [05:04]
Brett Goldstein
Right.
- [05:04]
Himesh Patel
You know, to some degree, and some may argue I'm doing it to this day, but I couldn't have imagined anything more at the beginning, you know, so it's quite overwhelming, really, looking back on. On that was half my life ago. And, yeah, it is. It's an odd thing for me to think that I was there for nearly a decade.
- [05:21]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [05:21]
Himesh Patel
Because it feels like a lot has happened since, obviously, but I did so much growing up there as a person, as an actor. I learned so much. I was so lucky to work with a lot of Very, very good actors who were there to work, you know, and make it all as good as it could be, you know, because there's a huge workload, so many episodes every week.
- [05:42]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [05:42]
Himesh Patel
And there's a danger that you're also an office job.
- [05:44]
Brett Goldstein
You go every day, right? Every day, nine to five, basically.
- [05:48]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, there's a danger that you can start sort of spreading yourself thin. But I was just lucky that I was surrounded by people who. They loved what they. They do, they love being actors, and they wanted to turn up to work every day and make it great. And so I learned a lot about being an actor and my craft and actually the fact that it's hard work, you know, it's not about fame, it's about doing good work. And as I say, it instills a hard work ethic. The areas I work in now of, like, you know, tv, different types of TV and film, the time you have is just such a luxury, you know, It'll always feel like a luxury to me, though, that you're like, okay, well, we've got to light the scene now, so I'll see you in an hour. I'm like, wow, that's incredible that we get to see.
- [06:33]
Brett Goldstein
We'd have done an episode.
- [06:34]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
- [06:36]
Brett Goldstein
So this side of it, it's interesting. You say it's not about favor, and I agree, and I believe with you, but I also am aware of these sort of side effects of being in EastEnders in particular. I think it's a certain type of fame, Right. You're. You're very, very, very famous in England. If you're in EastEnders and you're famous in a way. I remember I made a short film with someone who was in EastEnders. We're trying to get a shot with him outside in the morning, and we couldn't. We just couldn't, because people just kept walking by going, eastenders. Yeah, we couldn't shoot. And I remember thinking, God, this is a certain type of fame. That's actually quite, I imagine, must be quite difficult because not only are you very, very familiar to people, you're in the home all the time. You're like. It seemed in a way that maybe is different to if someone sees Brad Pitt, they might be like, oh, my God, Brad Pitt. If someone sees someone from EastEnders, they feel like their family or their friend or there's something very, very familiar where they go, like, bloody hell. Hey, how you doing, mate? Like, how was that for nine years?
- [07:32]
Himesh Patel
I think it's that. It's. Yeah, the familiarity is one thing. But they're not familiar with you, the person. They're exclusively familiar with the character. So, you know. Yes, no one knew my name. They didn't know who Himesh was. They knew Tamwa, and so they were just. That's what they'd say. As time wore on, I got quite lucky in that I looked very different to my character. As a concerted effort, I was like, you know, I'm not going to wear glasses in real life and I'm going to, you know, dress differently. And in a way, it was calculated. In a way, it was just me growing into my own person, but it just meant that I didn't, as much as other friends of mine who were on the show hit who, you know, even friends of mine who left the show years ago who still feel a bit sort of insecure in the times because it is really exposed and people. It's a type of fame, a type of sort of way that people approach you that is just different to what I've experienced since doing something like yesterday or whatever, where. What I have with that, with being in films and that sort of thing now is I don't notice it because people aren't so ready to sort of come up to you and be quite informal, which people always will be with soap actors because of that familiarity thing and that. They think. Yeah, a lot of them genuinely think you're your character, they understand you're an actor, but they also don't. They're not drawing enough of a line between the two things. And that's a very odd thing to experience. And I still. I'd say over here, I largely get recognized for EastEnders still more than anything, in terms of people approaching me.
- [08:57]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. And when you do extenders, is it all year? Is your contract a year or does it have gaps? I actually don't know.
- [09:04]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, it's all. Yeah, I think. I think if I. If I. Unless it's changed now. I had, like, about two weeks of holiday I could take. Wow. And I had to book that in well in advance because obviously they're storylining, like, you know, half a year more in advance. So they've already got, like a rough schedule out and they're like. And you could go to them and go, can I book a holiday in, you know, four months? And they're like, no, sorry, mate. Yeah, you're going to be. You're going to be in solid. There's a big storyline coming in, so, you know, it's a funny existence, but
- [09:33]
Brett Goldstein
you're about to cheat on someone. Oh, fuck, yeah.
- [09:35]
Himesh Patel
Damn was all I knew, of course. So then it's been funny sort of evolving away from that and going, oh, I can just. Just go on a holiday when I want to go on a holiday.
- [09:44]
Brett Goldstein
So when you. I don't know your story. So did you. Did you choose to leave? Were you. I said, like. Like nine years. How did it end?
- [09:52]
Himesh Patel
I chose. I chose to leave. Yeah. I. It was my choice. I was coming up, as I said, to about nine years. And I think, you know, there's a thing that happens on soaps where a lot of it gets. Becomes, like, sort of heightened, uber heightened, sort of melodrama of, like, buildings exploding and people killing each other and whatever. And the thing about my character on that show that I loved was that it just felt like he was sort of on the outside of the genre, as it were. It felt like he was on the outside of everything, sort of going, this is all a bit weird, isn't it? And so I thought, eventually, you know, his time will come. And I don't know if I want it to be that at the time, the character was in a relationship and the actress, my friend Maddie, had made the choice to leave. And I was like, well, I'm gonna leave too, because I want them to leave together and be happy. And so we left and we're happy. Since then. Maddy went back to the show on her own and it turned out we'd gotten divorced off screen, so that's a shame.
- [10:49]
Brett Goldstein
But what's it like. What's your goodbye like on eastenders when you've been there nine years, every single day. Except for.
- [10:59]
Himesh Patel
It was. It was the emotion sort of caught me by surprise, really. They threw this lovely big old party at the BBC Elstreet bar for me and Maddie, and they played like a. You know, as they do for everyone when they leave, like a montage of all your best bits.
- [11:14]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [11:15]
Himesh Patel
And, you know, my family were there and so many people showed up and, you know, from the crew and the cast and, yeah, I sort of went to do a speech to say thank you to everyone and it just got caught in my throat and I remember going, oh, dear. Oh, yeah, I'm not dead inside it. So, yeah, it was. It was an emotional goodbye and also, you know, scary. It was all. All I'd known and it was a leap of faith that I knew I had to take because I wanted to explore other things and thankfully it worked out.
- [11:46]
Brett Goldstein
How long was the gap before you were then a massive movie star? Wasn't long, was it?
- [11:51]
Himesh Patel
It was less than two Years that I was shooting yesterday. Yeah. And then it was, you know, amazing. About three years between leaving EastEnders and yesterday coming out. But yeah, it felt very quick, you know, less than two years between auditioning and getting the movie and going on that journey. Yeah, very lucky.
- [12:10]
Brett Goldstein
How was your mental health, if I may ask? You finish EastEnders, let's say, two weeks later, when you're so used to this constant work and this constant thing and now you're. You have a day free, what do you do?
- [12:24]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, some of it was sort of, it felt quite freeing, you know, after so long of, of just being able to go, I can just do what I like now. And. And again I got lucky that things sort of came my way. I think if I'd been less lucky, then maybe I would have had to sort of had to have those dark nights of the soul and gone. What am I going to do? How am I going to figure it out? So actually I kind of just got to enjoy it. But there were those moments of, you know, I remember the day I left, drove out the gates for the last time and parked up outside my flat and just thought, blimey, okay, here we go. You know, as an adult, I've never known this. I've never known it, you know, and there I was at 25, sort of first time, just sort of going, now I don't know what's going to happen. Hopefully I'll be okay.
- [13:06]
Brett Goldstein
I've just never, you know, hopefully I'll be a massive movie star. Yeah, don't worry about it.
- [13:12]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, if only I had that sort of phrase and confidence. You do see some people who sort of go, yeah, I'm probably going to make it. And some of them do. And you're just like, wow, that's amazing. Yeah, that's amazing.
- [13:25]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. Well, you're also very good.
- [13:27]
Himesh Patel
Thank you.
- [13:28]
Brett Goldstein
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- [14:26]
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- [14:56]
Brett Goldstein
Himesh. I've forgotten to tell you something and I feel like an absolute. Ugh.
- [15:02]
Himesh Patel
Go on.
- [15:03]
Brett Goldstein
I feel a wolf. Folk. I should have. I should have said it at the top, actually, because we've gone really far back into your past and should have said it. I'll say it.
- [15:11]
Himesh Patel
That's all right. Look.
- [15:12]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah, no, look, you've died. You're dead. Dead. You're dead. Dead.
- [15:19]
Himesh Patel
Typical. It's typical, isn't it?
- [15:21]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah, it is, yeah. Yeah.
- [15:25]
Himesh Patel
What? What?
- [15:26]
Brett Goldstein
How did you die? Yeah, I'm sorry.
- [15:29]
Himesh Patel
How did I die? Yeah, I. Look, it was actually quite banal. I have this thing where I sort of trip on. On the pavement or on my own foot at least once a day. At least once a day I'm walking down the street and I. I sort of lose my footing and so I think it's going to be something that boring. I'd like to think that I've lived, you know, to a ripe old age, so that my kids are, you know, what's the age? Let's go, you know, 87, maybe. There's nothing else wrong with me. I'm still. I'm still walking fine. And then I just sort of just. I just trip on. On a. As I do every day, except this day. Yeah, it was at the top of a flight of, you know, concrete steps and I just sort of go hurtling down them and. And break a few bones along the way and then smash my head on. On the bottom one and off. Off we go.
- [16:20]
Brett Goldstein
Jesus Christ.
- [16:21]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, I think it's loads of.
- [16:23]
Brett Goldstein
Loads of people around.
- [16:24]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. Yeah. A lot of people who just sort of go, who's that? What a loser.
- [16:31]
Brett Goldstein
Right?
- [16:32]
Himesh Patel
You Know what a crap way to die.
- [16:36]
Brett Goldstein
I think some of them are slightly traumatized. I'd like to think some of them at least have a sort of shock, maybe getting. They're like, oh, this seems funny. Until your face explodes and you're like a watermelon on them.
- [16:47]
Himesh Patel
And then they feel really bad. Yeah.
- [16:50]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. And then they go, oh, God, I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have laughed. And someone goes, does anyone know who that was? And they're like, I can't. I mean, there's no recognizable features. He's. It's like a watermelon. I don't know what.
- [17:00]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, that's really good as well. I'd like that to be the case that, you know, despite a lifetime, hopefully a lifetime at that point of being in movies and TV and I die
- [17:09]
Brett Goldstein
in such a way, the only time you were recognized.
- [17:12]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [17:13]
Brett Goldstein
Was it the point of your death at the top, as you felt someone went, is that. And then it got to the bottom and they went. There's no way of knowing. There's no way of knowing.
- [17:26]
Himesh Patel
That's ideal. That is. Yeah. That is my ideal death.
- [17:29]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. Do you worry about death?
- [17:32]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, I do. I mean, more so my own death, I worry about. Since I've had kids, I sort of. I worry that, you know, because I think death can. In the worst times, it can be so sudden. Now, my death has a real material effect on someone's life existentially. So, yeah, I do worry about that. And I've always had a sort of odd. Maybe an obsession, actually, with death because some of my earliest memories I was in. I was in. Are being at my granddad's funeral in. In India. I was three when I went out there.
- [18:04]
Brett Goldstein
And he.
- [18:05]
Himesh Patel
My mum took me out there because he knew he was gonna. He was gonna pass away, and he wanted to meet me and met me. I met him. And then, like, you know, it was very quick decline, and. And so I was out there for the. For that. And it was like, you know, a very traditional Hindu ceremony. And, you know, they had him sort of laid out in the house and stuff like that. So my earliest memories was very much about death. So I think I've often realized I've had this sort of understanding of mortality for almost all my life in a way that maybe other people. You know, it develops over time.
- [18:36]
Brett Goldstein
Do you happen to remember you're only free? So I don't know if you would. Do you remember seeing his body and all of that? Do you remember that being sort of scary or comforting or Apparently I was curious. Was there any version of it that was like a nice thing?
- [18:50]
Himesh Patel
I think I was apparent. My mum tells me I was curious. He'd. He donated his, his eyes and. But they, you know, he was laid out so that they'd. They put cotton in his, in his eye sockets. Such a grim thing to say. The meaning behind it. That's quite lovely. He donated his eyes. But. Yeah, so I remember obviously that was actually probably quite a traumatic thing for a three year old to be looking at.
- [19:15]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [19:16]
Himesh Patel
But my mum dresses it up.
- [19:19]
Brett Goldstein
Sorry to ask. Were the eyes open with like white cotton?
- [19:22]
Himesh Patel
I think, I think so. I think that's probably the only reason I would have asked otherwise. I would have just been like, he's got his eyes shut. Yeah. So, yes, safe to say death, it forms the baseline of perhaps all my trauma.
- [19:35]
Brett Goldstein
Then you are on. Perfect.
- [19:37]
Himesh Patel
This is it, isn't it? That's why I'm here.
- [19:39]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah, this is it. What do you think happens when you die?
- [19:42]
Himesh Patel
As I think about it a lot, but I'm also not. Spirituality has played a part in my life, but ultimately I'm not someone who necessarily believes in a genuine sort of physical afterlife where, where we're all actually, you know, present in some way. But I think maybe we don't necessarily understand the sort of parameters of sort of consciousness and what, you know, the way that people talk about sort of perceiving time and how that can change and depending on sort of how things are ticking along in, in your brain. My theory is that when one has that sort of final moment before you die, that maybe you actually perceive it as something really long. And so you, you create some sort of heaven in your head just before the lights go out. And it can last as long as you want it to last, you know, so to all of us outside of it, we're watching it going. They took their last breath and they're gone. But maybe in art, our experience of death, that before we take that last breath we actually get to, you know, have a sort of, you know, long, long, long time in this, in this world we create in our head with all the people we love or however. So you choose to sort of create something. That's what I like. That's, that's what I use to comfort myself when I think about death. Like a weird sort of bubble.
- [21:00]
Brett Goldstein
I've never, I've never heard that before. I really like that.
- [21:03]
Himesh Patel
Thank you.
- [21:04]
Brett Goldstein
That is a brand new theory. I really like it. But so then, so then my question is if that's the Case. And I do like that.
- [21:10]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [21:10]
Brett Goldstein
That it's this sort of dreamscape that you make last as long as you want. When that reaches its end, then what?
- [21:16]
Himesh Patel
Then. Then. But you'd. You'd be feeling more euphoric than you've ever felt before, so you'd feel accepting of it. You know what I mean?
- [21:25]
Brett Goldstein
But then it's like nothing. Avoid.
- [21:27]
Himesh Patel
Then it's a void. Then it's. Yeah, we're all. We're all done for at that point. Yeah. So it's kind of, on one hand, really lovely, on the other hand, completely
- [21:36]
Brett Goldstein
bleak, given your deep words about the perception of time and space and eternity. Do you understand? Tenet.
- [21:46]
Himesh Patel
I walked into that one, didn't I? Yeah, I do, actually.
- [21:52]
Brett Goldstein
Okay.
- [21:53]
Himesh Patel
To some degree.
- [21:53]
Brett Goldstein
Good.
- [21:54]
Himesh Patel
It actually did take. I did actually watch it twice, and in the cinema. But I think Chris's movies are designed to be that way, Especially that one.
- [22:02]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [22:02]
Himesh Patel
You have to.
- [22:04]
Brett Goldstein
I had to draw a map when I got home. So this was. This was. Okay. Yeah, Yeah, I get it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
- [22:09]
Himesh Patel
I wouldn't be surprised if he himself has. Has this map in a notebook somewhere, you know? But.
- [22:14]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [22:15]
Himesh Patel
It also seems to me that he just creates these concepts in it, and that's his genius. He just has it all.
- [22:20]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [22:20]
Himesh Patel
Mapped out in his head.
- [22:21]
Brett Goldstein
He's like. It's obvious, isn't it? Like, oh, God, yeah. I guess so. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I got news for you, buddy boy. There is a heaven.
- [22:30]
Himesh Patel
Okay.
- [22:30]
Brett Goldstein
For you, maybe. For you, it's one you've created in your dying seconds. Maybe. We'll see. And this heaven is filled with all your favorite things. It's filled with your favorite thing. What's your favorite thing?
- [22:41]
Himesh Patel
Beyond my children and my partner. I'd say chocolate.
- [22:45]
Brett Goldstein
So it's filled with chocolate. You know what? You know those, like, dairy, milk, those squares. That's what you sit on. But they're like, the right temperature, that they're just soft enough. They're not liquid, but they're just. You know what I mean?
- [22:57]
Himesh Patel
Perfect.
- [22:57]
Brett Goldstein
And the walls are like liquid chocolate that just is like a fountain the whole time, sort of China chocolate Factory style.
- [23:04]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [23:04]
Brett Goldstein
And there's a sort of flake that serves you. A giant flake, and it serves you trays of chocolate and dairy milk buttons and shit. And there's Toblerone mountains over there. And, I mean, it's great. And there's chunky KitKat says, like, cars. Anyway, they're delighted to see you in heaven. Great. And. And they. But they want to talk. They're big fans, they want to talk about your life. They want to talk about your life through the medium of film. And the first thing they ask you is what's the first film you remember seeing in Mesh Patel?
- [23:36]
Himesh Patel
My initial thought was that it was the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. And my lasting, my only lasting memory of going to see that movie is not watching it was being huddled into my mum from very early on. Something scared me. I was just basically refused to watch most of it and then turned around when they were winning at the end. So I can't really. I don't know if. But also that wasn't. It transpires that wasn't necessarily the first movie I remember watching or not watching in that case. Actually, the first movie I remember watching is a Bollywood movie called Hama Gehe Gone, which I think translates to who am I to you? Or some. I would say, which isn't necessarily a great title for a movie. Yeah, I've got a memory of sort of the curtains parting maybe during an intermission or something because Bollywood movies and I don't know if this is still the case, I've sort of lost track over the last ten odd years of Bollywood. But it was what we watched as a family growing up, they were all.
- [24:34]
Brett Goldstein
And where was.
- [24:36]
Himesh Patel
Well, so back then in the 90s, you know, now you could probably go and watch most Bollywood movies at your local multiplex. You know, it's got a pretty good distribution now, whereas back then it would be in those sort of metropolitan hubs where there was a big sort of South Asian community. So for us it was Leicester. We would drive to Leicester and go and watch movies there. And you know, it was, it was more often than not a really fun experience because you basically got this packed cinema full of everyone looks like you, they're more or less from the same background and you're all digesting this movie in roughly the same way. No one's got expectations of it being anything else. But also everyone's probably talking throughout it or whatever. If I, if I went into that situation now, I'd probably be driven up the wall. But back then it was again all you knew. So. Yeah, but this film was, you know, I've not watched it in years. Growing up watching Bollywood, it was almost more about the songs than it was about the film. The songs, the soundtracks were the things that ended up sort of making the movies the sort of all time classics that they have sort of since become. But this is also one of those movies and I think, you know, I Only just sort of read up on it, having realized it was probably the first movie I remember seeing. But I'm sure a lot of movies of that era you could look at now and go, it's just a bit off. It's a bit. That sort of the, the. The morality of this whole thing and the sort of gender stereotyping is. Is quite problematic. And this is sort of like. It's like this big family and it's all based around a wedding. They're a very rich family, it would seem, but, you know, and there's a young guy and he's. His brother's getting married, I think. But then his brother's wife dies. She falls down the stairs. And I scanned through it recently. I mean, her falling downstairs was. Yeah, yeah, weird that. Hey. But I'd like to think that when I fall down the stairs and die, it'll be slightly more dramatic and believable than. Than what was presented in this movie. Because I was openly laughing when I. When I sort of revisited it recently. It was beyond absurd. It was like, you know, something from Toast of London or something. It was just like, so this. There's something funny in watching it with a nostalgic eye going, this. This stuff is just absurd. I mean, the songs are kind of great from a Bollywood musical point of view, but the story's all over the place. And the sort of. The thing of going, families and duty and all this stuff, which, you know, on some level is a beautiful sort of bedrock of the culture in which I grew up. There's also an element of going, yeah, but also not. Not necessarily. Doesn't have to be so simplified. Like, they've got this thing where they're like. The female lead sort of talks about working in computers. It's as simple as that. She works in computers, but then she. You never see her do anything like that in the whole movie. In the whole movie, she's just like cooking and dancing, being a good woman of the house. And you're like, that's just rubbish.
- [27:34]
Brett Goldstein
When you say everyone's talking in the cinema, are they talking, like catching up or are they talking at the film? Are they like, also, like.
- [27:44]
Himesh Patel
Right, you're probably right that it is. I think that in my head it was just people sort of interacting with the film. And there is a bit of that, but you're right, probably some of them, they're just catching up. They're just having a little chat, talking about, you know, gossiping about. About family stuff or whatever. So I like that. Yeah, that's My. That's my earliest memory of being in a cinema.
- [28:05]
Brett Goldstein
I feel sorry for your mom at Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that you're not watching it. And she's like, so I've got to fucking sit through this.
- [28:11]
Himesh Patel
She's got to sit through it.
- [28:13]
Brett Goldstein
What do you think? We're here. What is the film that scared you the most? Other than Mighty Morphin Power Rangers?
- [28:20]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. Yeah, that was up there. I still think about it. I mean, the sort of predictable answer for this one would be the Shining. And I will give it a shout out. It is a phenomenal movie. I think I had. I had sort of had it sort of tarnished in my head because of the stories of sort of Kubrick and the way that he treated Shelley Duvall. And I thought was Jack Nicholson was part of that. But then I sort of. I think maybe recently Shelley Duvall kind of said that Jack Nicholson was actually really good to work with. So maybe the jury's out on that bit. It's still an amazing movie and it's still. It basically taught me what I love about the kind of horror that I like, which is that sort of drip feed of dread over. Over, you know.
- [29:00]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [29:00]
Himesh Patel
A period of time. I'm not really that big on jump scares. I prefer something that's just creepy. And so my choice is actually a film called It Follows.
- [29:10]
Brett Goldstein
It's a great film.
- [29:11]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. I mean, it still. I watched it about a year ago again and it's just. It has. It has got some jump scares, but married with that, it's just got this phenomenal concept of like, you know, that it's this sort of curse that gets passed on when you have sex with someone and then you basically. You see this, some. Someone basically slowly walking towards you. And when. If they get to you, they. They will sort of kill you in the most gruesome way. But you can outrun them. You can keep running away from them. They're never going to run after you. They're just going to keep. And only you can see them. It was such a genius concept for. For a horror movie, I thought. And, you know, since people have analyzed it and, you know, talked about how it's sort of an allegory for sort of STDs and whatever, that sort of thing. But I'm sure that there might be some truth to sort of that being the. The germ of the idea. But it just as. As a horror movie, it's really got just a brilliant concept cinematically. You know, you. A lot of these, like, panning shots. There's a shot in. In the school, I think they're at where the camera just sort of is on a revolve, I think. And you're sort of. Now you're aware of the concept. You're just watching everyone in the background going, is that. Is that? Is that? Is that? And actually one of them kind of is, I think. But you never. Then sometimes you don't. It cuts to another scene and you're like, was. It was. And so I really loved it. I thought it was fantastic. And it's oddly a horror film that I will happily watch again. Often with horror, you kind of don't want to go back to it because it's too disturbing. But, yeah, it's a really good one.
- [30:40]
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- [30:54]
Brett Goldstein
What about crying? Do you cry a lot? And what's the film that made you cry the most? You cry it.
- [30:59]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, I think there are some films that can really hit me. But the one that most recently I watched and knocked me for six was a film, an animated film called Song of the Sea. It's an Irish animated film. I know that the team behind it have made a film called the Book of Kells, I think it's called. But I haven't seen that, actually. I've still only seen Song of the Sea. It's a. This beautiful story about a family. The mothers died. I think the idea is she died giving birth to the. To their second child. And so this dad is sort of raising these two children and. And they end up going on this sort of adventure altogether. It's sort of based on sort of Gaelic sort of myths. And there was just that there's a point towards the end where, you know, the little boy has never met his mom and he gets to see her in this sort of spiritual form and they have this option of sort of bringing her back or something like that. And I just remember I haven't watched it since, and I certainly haven't watched it since having kids of my own, because I just think it's going to destroy me. Because even just thinking about it now, it's just like this. It's basically this idea that they have to. They have to accept their loss, that she's gone, you know, and that they'll be okay, they'll be okay without. And it's just. I mean, I just remember going, if I've. I've never sort of openly howled crying at a movie, but I was close with this, you know, And I was watching it at home. I could have if I wanted to.
- [32:27]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [32:27]
Himesh Patel
If I remember correctly, it was quite early on in my relationship and my partner had suggested watching this movie, and I think if I just sort of completely lost it, maybe I wouldn't be here today with two kids. But, yeah, it's. It's a beautiful, beautiful film. The animation's gorgeous, the music's stunning, and it's just so. So heartfelt. And I recommend. It's a beautiful movie. But I. Yeah, I was moments away from just.
- [32:53]
Brett Goldstein
He was a gunner.
- [32:54]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [32:55]
Brett Goldstein
Did you. Was your partner crying?
- [32:57]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, we. You know, but.
- [32:58]
Brett Goldstein
Okay.
- [32:59]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. No, you were. She's dead inside. She's. Yeah. She couldn't care less.
- [33:04]
Brett Goldstein
She wasn't looking at you like, what.
- [33:06]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [33:07]
Brett Goldstein
What's wrong with you?
- [33:09]
Himesh Patel
She's just scrolling.
- [33:10]
Brett Goldstein
I said we should watch it because I like cartoons. What's the film that people don't like? It is not critically acclaimed, but you love it. You don't care what anyone says.
- [33:21]
Himesh Patel
I'm picking a film that was picked by our mutual friend James McNicholas. I'm going with Batman Forever. Yeah.
- [33:29]
Brett Goldstein
Batman Forever. Great, Great.
- [33:31]
Himesh Patel
My thing with that movie started because it came, I think, when I was 5, and I remember I had some cousins who came over from abroad and they. We all went to the cinema. They got to go and watch Batman Forever because it was like a 12 or something, and I wasn't allowed to go with them. So it kind of took on this sort of. Because I also loved Batman. I loved watching that sort of animated series as a kid, but I'd never seen a film of Batman at that point. So it kind of took on this sort of legendary status in my head of this is the Batman film that I'm going to watch at some point. Then eventually, I think we got it on video. And I watched it sort of maybe a few years later and was just obsessed with it as a kid. I was obsessed with it. Batman. And I loved it. And I thought it was genuinely great. And I was largely obsessed with Jim Carrey as the Riddler.
- [34:12]
Brett Goldstein
Right.
- [34:13]
Himesh Patel
But we watched it during lockdown as a sort of, you know, stick it on, why not? We haven't got anything else going on.
- [34:20]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [34:20]
Himesh Patel
And it'll be fun to revisit it. And it. In my head, actually, it stood. Obviously there's parts of it that just awful and make no sense, but I can't help but love it. I'll always love it. And I actually still really enjoy, like, Jim Carrey is like, I think In a way, it feels like he's the only one who knows what movie he's in to some degree. Or does it well enough?
- [34:42]
Brett Goldstein
I think the problem with it, it's got two face in that one, right?
- [34:45]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, that's Tommy Lee Jones as well.
- [34:47]
Brett Goldstein
Yes.
- [34:47]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [34:48]
Brett Goldstein
And Anuma Thurman. Poison Ivy.
- [34:50]
Himesh Patel
She's in the next one. Yeah, that was the next.
- [34:52]
Brett Goldstein
Oh, she's the next one. Oh, this is Nicole Kidman. Yeah, he's in this one. And this one's got a good soundtrack.
- [34:58]
Himesh Patel
Well, it's. Yeah, it's got Kiss From a Rose by Seal, which, Again, actually, James McNicholas told me this recently. He bit of tidbit of trivia. The Kiss from A Rose A was on Seals album from like, two years before that. And then was also on the soundtrack for Never Ending Story 3. But it didn't. Didn't, didn't pick up any attention from that. That movie. And then it's this odd sort of thing when you look back in the 90s and these huge blockbusters just had these, like, random soundtracks of assorted songs.
- [35:28]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. And they had Hold Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me, Thrill Me, but.
- [35:31]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. By you. Yeah, but it was so funny to me. Like, this era where Seal had already released this song on his album gained no traction twice. And then. Yeah. And then it came out with Batman Forever and it won him a Grammy. He won like three Grammys.
- [35:44]
Brett Goldstein
Wow.
- [35:45]
Himesh Patel
For that one song because of a Batman movie. Whereas now you just can't. There isn't. There isn't that same thing. There isn't a soundtrack album of pop songs for a Batman movie, is there?
- [35:55]
Brett Goldstein
It's weird, you're right.
- [35:57]
Himesh Patel
But, yeah, I sort of loved watching it. I believe Two Face gets defeated by some coins. I think Batman throws some coins at Two Face and he falls over. That's how he gets defeated.
- [36:08]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. I remember loving Batman Forever because I was young. But I think the issue with it. And it's worse in Batman and Robin, what Jim Carrey's doing is sort of very loud and fast and high energy and crazy, but so is everyone else in that film. Tommy Lee Jones is also doing that. Everyone's gone mad. There's no boundaries. There's no boundaries of performance. No one's going to. Maybe you could rein that back just a little bit. It's like they've all looked at Jim Carrey and gone, oh, we do that. We're going at that speed, are we? Tommy Lee Jones is off his nut in that film.
- [36:44]
Himesh Patel
He is. Yeah.
- [36:44]
Brett Goldstein
But he's he's really going for it.
- [36:47]
Himesh Patel
He's going for it, but he still just doesn't reach the height of Jim Carrey in my book. Like, this is something, but I think, I think I read that they didn't get on or something or Tommy Lee Jones had just didn't have time for Jim Carrey. And I think it was that thing of like. Because I think he, he was doing it but maybe not enjoying it, whereas maybe Jim Carrey was doing it and genuinely enjoying it. Just being.
- [37:08]
Brett Goldstein
I think that's, that's it. Yeah, I think that shows Interesting.
- [37:14]
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- [37:40]
Brett Goldstein
used to love but you've watched recently and you don't like it anymore? And I'm glad Batman Forever holds up for you.
- [37:45]
Himesh Patel
Thank you. Yes, for this. I've gone for a movie called the Party. I don't know if you're familiar with this Peter Sellers movie.
- [37:52]
Brett Goldstein
The Peter Sellers. Yeah.
- [37:54]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [37:55]
Brett Goldstein
I could, I could see why one might have an issue with this. Go On.
- [38:01]
Himesh Patel
So it's a movie about. Peter Sellers plays. Naturally. Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor by the name of.
- [38:09]
Brett Goldstein
Go On.
- [38:11]
Himesh Patel
By the name of. I think his name is Hundi V. Bakshi and he has come over to Hollywood by some sort of machination. I don't remember exactly why. And he's sort of, he ends up at this party and it's basically just 90 minutes or whatever, however long it is, of him just making an absolute fool of himself, you know. But ultimately, and I, I remember watching because it was one of those movies that my dad was fond of and it's so odd, sort of looking back on that and going, dad, why do you find this funny? I've actually not asked him this. I think I might ask him this now. What, what did you. Where's. What's the humor there? You know? But I think it's that thing of going, they can, you know, you can laugh at yourself, but it's where it's the people. It's like the reason Goodness Gracious Me works as a TV show is because it's made by four brown people and so they're allowed to do all the jokes about brown people. Whereas watching a movie like this, you're like, everyone involved in it is white for sure. There's absolutely no way there's a single brown person on that set in 1960, whatever. And so they're all just going, let's just, you know, brown face up Peter Sellers. Just make him out like in what we assume a stupid Indian man would be like if he came to Hollywood. And it was kind of odd sort of watching it again in prep for this. It was the first thing that sort of popped into my mind and I sort of scanned my way through it and just went, the gags on paper, great gags, you know, is. It is funny, but it's not, it's. None of it's okay, really. Ultimately, it's very, it's very misguided and to kind of imagine a bunch of people sort of going, this is great. This is so funny. What a great idea. We're brilliant, aren't we? Brilliant. You know?
- [39:49]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [39:50]
Himesh Patel
Then I read something really odd that apparently, like, I think like someone, I mean, maybe it might have even been like Satyajit Ray or something, like a very respected Indian filmmaker was a huge fan of it or something and just went and wanted to work with Peter Sellers. So there was an odd thing, I don't know, it kind of made me think about sort of the bar that. That one sets for oneself based on where you're sort of placed societally, you know, and you just kind of go, well, what can I expect? I'm just going to laugh. I guess I'm a joke or. I don't know, we're getting into sort of deep psychological stuff here. But like, it's funny to me that like generationally it's, you know, it maybe is accepted by generation who go. Who I guess in some twisted way feel represented.
- [40:33]
Brett Goldstein
Well, maybe, maybe if it's literally the only thing as well.
- [40:36]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, it must have been. Yeah. Back then. I mean, in that arena of on that side of the world, to even. For them, to even acknowledge that brown people exist, that South Asian brown people exist, would have been amazing. But it just doesn't leave a good taste anymore. So as much of a genius as Peter Sellers is.
- [40:54]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah, very good answer. What's the film that means the most to you? Not necessarily the film itself is good, but the experience you had seeing it will always make it meaningful to you. Patel, what is it?
- [41:06]
Himesh Patel
This is a sort of a bit of a wide ranging answer and I guess you'll probably make me pick one of them. But in my head, it's sort of the Lord of the Rings films, because in my. It was a real sort of turning point in my life on many levels. And so those early years of sort of transitioning from primary school to secondary school and everything, I didn't find it easy, I didn't enjoy it. But for those three years at Christmas, there was a promise of this massive movie that I was gonna love. And the first one I ended up seeing with my dad and a friend of mine, but because I didn't really know what it was, and then I was like, this is really good. And then I read the books and so the second one and the third one I went. I went and got to see with my sister, both of them. And I look back on them now and I think they're amazing movies. I think they were real game changers in terms of blockbuster cinema. But there's just. There was just something special about the security of it and the comfort that it gave me. And I guess if I pick one, I'll pick the last one, Return of the King. Because it was the first time I remember being so excited to go and see a movie, you know, just being like, this is it. It's all been building up to this one and the cinema is going to be packed and we're all just going to be like, how's it going to play out? It's going to be amazing. And, you know, I'm very close to my sister and so to have that sort of those memories of going to see those movies with her and just being so excited about it and it wasn't turning out to be incredible as well. They weren't a disappointment at all. They were quite something.
- [42:31]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. That it was this event every Christmas.
- [42:35]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [42:35]
Brett Goldstein
It was a real thing. Yeah. That's nice.
- [42:38]
Himesh Patel
So I'll go with Return of the King. Let's go with that third one.
- [42:42]
Brett Goldstein
I'm actually gonna let you have all three because.
- [42:45]
Himesh Patel
Thank you.
- [42:45]
Brett Goldstein
Because the point of your answer is all three, and I don't normally do that. I've let you have a different sort of heaven and this. I don't know what's going on here. I've gone soft in my old age. What is the film you most relate to?
- [42:58]
Himesh Patel
Film I most relate to. I'm going with Boyhood again. I was so excited to see this movie because I'm a huge fan of Richard. Link later. And I was. I'd actually, recently, within like a year, had seen the before trilogy and just fell. Fell in love with that, you know.
- [43:12]
Brett Goldstein
Amazing.
- [43:13]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. And I'd never seen someone do that with time, you know, tell a story over what was 18 years. And then to know that he had this movie sort of coming down, down the road where he'd been shooting over 12 years. And I was just so excited for it. It felt like the kind of thing that's done in huge budget filmmaking, except it wasn't that tall. And I knew it was going to be something really personal and special. What I wasn't expecting was just how personal it would feel to me because I was roughly the same age as the character in the movie, if maybe sort of five odd years off. But there was still a lot of the same sort of cultural touch points.
- [43:49]
Brett Goldstein
Well, at the end of the movie.
- [43:51]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, yeah, sort of, you know, yeah, the. So, you know, start shooting in 2002. And a lot of those sort of touch points just, they really. I was like. I remember like waiting in line to pick up a Harry Potter book and. And then the sort of the music he was listening to, like there was this one point where there was like this like Foo Fighters album track from like their 2004 album. It was just playing in the background of a scene. And I, on one hand, I just appreciated the sort of detail of the. The sort of timeline of it all, but I was just like, I used to listen. That's like one of those tracks that no one knows that I. That I know. And it's in this movie, you know, and then, you know, stuff like he had this at the end when he's like driving, I think, to college and he stops off to take a picture. And it was. He was using the same camera as the one that I had at the time, you know, Canon 7D, I think it was. I just remember going, this is really weird. And then the song that was actually then used in the trailer. And then at the end of the movie, this song called Hero by Family of the Year. I'd already heard it like two odd years before, a friend of mine and maybe like this long, like Spotify playlist. And it was on there and I remember going, beautiful song. That is. So there was this odd sort of confluence of stuff that was already sort of in my life and that wound up being in this movie. And obviously, naturally the movie is about. About life and those. Those teenage years and how difficult and tumultuous they can be emotionally. And yeah, I just. It was really moving and really masterfully done. I thought, you know, it could easily have been so gimmicky and so sentimental. And actually, you know, there's something about Richard Linklater's sort of tone. He never, he never gets to. I'm never annoyed by this sort of. He's sentimental, but it's, it's. It's such a truthful sentimentality, I find. It's.
- [45:29]
Brett Goldstein
Oh, yeah, it's amazing. He loves people. He loves people. And he. You're right, he's not sentimental. It isn't like, cheesy. I think the fact that he really, really gets time means that anything that's kind of moving is fully earned. Because it's like, yeah, time has happened.
- [45:47]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [45:47]
Brett Goldstein
You know what I mean? Like, it isn't sort of manipulative. It's. Yeah, it's amazing. That's a great answer. What's the sexiest film you've ever seen in hospital?
- [45:57]
Himesh Patel
I tell you, the truth is that I didn't have an answer for this 20 minutes before we started recording. And I was like. I was like, what is going on here? Why am I struggling to find a sexiest movie? And I realized it. Well, I haven't realized fully. My, My hunch is that, you know, growing up in a culture that more or less, it goes, well, sex doesn't exist. Doesn't exist. You know, every Bollywood movie will more or less either revolve around or end with a marriage. And it's romantic, there's love, but sexy. And sort of the sex part of it was never present. And so you're sort of led to sort of go, well, I guess sex is something that is. Is probably shameful. And I shouldn't, I should never. Yeah, I should never enjoy. So it took me a minute to go, sexiest film, because I think that's
- [46:48]
Brett Goldstein
why it's such big news. You have. You do it three times a week. I think that's why it became.
- [46:52]
Himesh Patel
I think that's what it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Still need to find out how that got out there. Yeah. So. But I had to sort of go, most recently, I think the sexiest film I saw was. Was Hustlers.
- [47:05]
Brett Goldstein
Fuck, yes.
- [47:07]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. It's just undeniably. You're never going to forget the first time JLo turns up in that movie. You're just never going to forget it, you know? And it's.
- [47:15]
Brett Goldstein
You never going to. You're never going to forget that. And you're never going to get over her hugging in a big old fur coat. Yeah. You're just never going to go over it.
- [47:25]
Himesh Patel
There's the initial thing of going, this is really sexy. Just on a primal level. It's just really sexy. And then you're like, what's really sexy is that she's really good at everything she does.
- [47:35]
Brett Goldstein
Very good.
- [47:36]
Himesh Patel
Just good. Pulls off this amazing performance in this movie, I think. And it just throws herself into this character. That is also a very sexy thing, I think. But yeah, it's a very sexy movie. So that's my answer.
- [47:48]
Brett Goldstein
I mean, it's a perfect answer. Can't believe it took you this long to get there. It's hustlers. It's obviously hustlers.
- [47:54]
Himesh Patel
Obviously it's hustlers.
- [47:55]
Brett Goldstein
There's a. Well, it's obviously hustlers. The subcategory to this question troubling boners, worrying why don'ts. Which may be all of your boners. I don't know.
- [48:05]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, that's.
- [48:06]
Brett Goldstein
What do you have it.
- [48:07]
Himesh Patel
It really led me down that road of going, every. Everything is a troubling boner in my life.
- [48:15]
Brett Goldstein
A film you found arousing that you weren't sure you should.
- [48:19]
Himesh Patel
What came to mind on this one was there's a film called Disclosure, Michael Douglas Moore film. And I. It was one of those that we. For some reason the DVD was lying around. My parents used to have a shop where they would rent out films, you know, latest blockbusters and like some old films and whatever. And then every now and then they'd be like, I'd sign up, some reason didn't get returned or whatever, to end up coming into the house and it would just be lying around. And this movie was there, this dvd. And I remember just kind of going, oh, I wonder what this is. And there's quite early on in the movie, the sort of. The crux of the whole thing is that Demi Moore's character sort of coerces quite forcefully, sort of coerces Michael Douglas character into sort of having sex. Although I think the whole point is that they never really have sex. But there's, you know, some sexy stuff happens. And I remember going, this is kind of. Because it's kind of hot. It's kind of like, you know. Because then he kind of does get into it and. And it's a bit angry and you're just like, oh, I think it's hot. But I don't think it should be. And it definitely shouldn't be because it's not really consensual, is it? And then the movie goes off on this weird tangent towards the end where he. Have you seen it? He sort of winds up in some sort of weird 90s.
- [49:31]
Brett Goldstein
I've seen it, but I've seen it in years. VR becomes like a corporate computer thriller or something.
- [49:36]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. Because it's basically, they're working for a tech company, and then he winds up in some VR space looking through files to prove that she did something or didn't do something. But it's like. It's like, you know, Windows 95 virtual reality. And it's. It's quite funny to look at now. There's like this very odd moment where, like, Demi Moore's face is, like, sort of superimposed onto this very blocky 3D figure. And it's just laughable. Maybe in 94, 95, whenever it came out, it was like the peak of technology. Wow. Yeah. They couldn't have imagined Avatar back then, but now it just looks like a terrible video game.
- [50:19]
Brett Goldstein
Well done. What is the greatest film of all time, objectively? The greatest film, Objectively, yeah.
- [50:27]
Himesh Patel
It's hard, isn't it?
- [50:28]
Brett Goldstein
Because we're saying objectively.
- [50:30]
Himesh Patel
Objectively, yes. I'm going with 2001 A Space Odyssey.
- [50:33]
Brett Goldstein
You can have it.
- [50:34]
Himesh Patel
I kept wanting to find something that might have a bit more sort of humor, but then I thought, when I think there is some humor, I think Hal. Hal is kind of funny.
- [50:42]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah. How's funny?
- [50:44]
Himesh Patel
You know, I feel like the Godfather sits alongside this in terms of films that changed Western cinema, at least, really worse shifts, you know, And I think Godfather becomes that because I think really it's about these actors. You know, for me, it was definitely like a game changer. But 2001, I was like, this is astounding. The scale of this is, in a way, more epic and tangible than anything I've grown up watching. Because it was literally. It was all miniatures.
- [51:10]
Producer Buddy Peace
And.
- [51:11]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, there's something about that that's just. You're not going to get it with cgi and just the confidence of it tonally, you know, to make a movie that breathes like that. I don't know if you'd be able to do it today, really, would you? I mean, it's. We're not used to that sort of movie that just sits on this sort of tone for that long. There's an element of what I was talking about with. With sort of what I like about horror, where it just sort of this dread, this little thing just running underneath the whole thing where you're like, what is happening? I'm not. And what I love about it is the mystery of it. You know, you don't really get any answers. So much is left up to interpretation. It's saying so much existentially and running through the whole thing. You have this sort of very gripping narrative, this robot that's. This sort of AI that's trying to sabotage everything. And so therefore, it's also very prescient in everything. But it got the year a bit wrong. We certainly weren't doing that in 2001. We wish.
- [52:05]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [52:06]
Himesh Patel
But, you know, everything else about it was so on point and. Yeah. And it's one I love revisiting.
- [52:13]
Brett Goldstein
It's amazing that it wasn't. That we hadn't been to the moon yet when that was made. And the way it shows, it's kind of amazing. It's amazing.
- [52:22]
Himesh Patel
I watched this documentary called Room 237. Yeah. And they were sort of. Apparently there was a theory that Kubrick shot 2001 as a sort of test run for faking the moon landings. That's sort of a conspiracy theory that goes around, which makes me laugh.
- [52:40]
Brett Goldstein
He's acknowledging it in the Shining because the carpet.
- [52:42]
Himesh Patel
The carpet, yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
- [52:45]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah, yeah. It makes sense.
- [52:47]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [52:47]
Brett Goldstein
What is the film you could or have watched the most over and over again?
- [52:53]
Himesh Patel
I avoided School of Rock. School Rock is kind of the genuine answer, but I'm going to leave that to one side because everyone says it. I'm going. I was also then going to go for Interstellar, but I think maybe that's a bit weird. I haven't watched it in a while. I feel like if I watch it next time, I'm going to be crying a lot because I now have children of my own. But I'm going for Michael Clayton.
- [53:13]
Brett Goldstein
Oh, wow.
- [53:14]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. I absolutely love this movie. I think it's a masterpiece. And the writing just. It's the kind of movie that I will watch over and over again. Just because I love to hear that dialog. It's just so.
- [53:25]
Brett Goldstein
Yeah.
- [53:26]
Himesh Patel
Brilliantly written. That opening monologue. I remember watching it for the first time and it was just in straight away. I was like, this is amazing. This is absolutely amazing. And Tom Wilkinson's performance is on another level.
- [53:37]
Brett Goldstein
And. Yeah.
- [53:38]
Himesh Patel
I mean, everyone's just operating at the highest level. And it's, Again, kind of continues to be so relevant. And it's. Yeah, it's got that sort of lovely sort of Hollywood button on the end. So George Clooney gets to do his sort of charming. Sort of got you at the end. But, yeah, it's. I just. I love it. I could watch it over and over again. That's a great movie, I think. Kind of underrated, maybe. Quite underrated. Or not as appreciated outside of sort
- [54:02]
Brett Goldstein
of maybe under scene. Yeah, people seen it. What's the. On the other end of the scale? And we don't like to be negative, so we won't stay too long.
- [54:10]
Himesh Patel
Yeah.
- [54:10]
Brett Goldstein
The worst film you ever seen, Gone
- [54:12]
Himesh Patel
here with Cowboys and Aliens. This is a. Yeah, I don't. It was like a 2010 movie. I think it's one of those that I went. Daniel Craig. But it was. It was. What got me was how. Yeah. How did. How did it go wrong? The people you've got involved in. I believe Damon Lindelof was involved somewhere down the line and writing it. But you've got Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Paul Dano's in it, Sam Rockwell's in it, and yeah, John Favreau, who, you know is one of the greats. It's. It's just an odd one. I like. It's really not good. And I'm still sort of trying to figure out how it. How it happened.
- [54:49]
Brett Goldstein
I think the issue with it is. I don't think it's bad necessarily. I think that it's a film called Cowboys and Aliens. And it's not fun.
- [54:57]
Himesh Patel
It's really serious, isn't it? Yeah, it's very serious. Yeah. Very earnest.
- [55:02]
Brett Goldstein
It's very serious and dramatic. And like, what if Cowboys and Aliens. And you're like, hang on, wait, wait, wait, it's called Cowboys and Aliens. That sounds like it's good. Sounds like fun. Yeah. Where's the fun? There's no fun in it. I'm still not sure about that. Siri. Siri. Still not sure about that.
- [55:18]
Himesh Patel
Siri. Yeah. Big fan actually of Cowboys and Aliens. Yeah.
- [55:24]
Brett Goldstein
My memory of it is. It's. Is it's a good film. As in it's well done. It's just odd because it's not fun. It's like a quite heavy drama about Cowboys and aliens.
- [55:34]
Himesh Patel
Yeah. No, I think you're right. I think that's what it is. I just couldn't take it seriously. But there are also like things in it that just make very little sense. And I mean, one of the things for me is I think the way that the people get abducted by the aliens isn't that they just sort of get lifted up by a, you know, invisible force. There's literally like lasso's that come down. So it's like, hang on, so the. Is it cowboys? Serious cowboys are aliens, Is that what you're saying? Yeah. So, yeah, Cowboys or aliens?
- [56:08]
Brett Goldstein
What's the funniest film you've ever seen? What's the film that made you laugh the most.
- [56:12]
Himesh Patel
I'm going with Blazing Saddles.
- [56:14]
Brett Goldstein
Excellent.
- [56:15]
Himesh Patel
It was one of those movies I think my dad introduced me to and I'd never seen anything like it at that point. It was just so anarchic. I'd never, I'd never seen anything so anarchic and so. But also watching it more recently and going, it made so many great points that continue to be relevant. There's the odd moment of going, okay, maybe now, if you make it now, there's bits and pieces that maybe need to shift here and there. I think Mel Brooks playing a Native American, maybe not a good move, but it's brilliant. It really makes me laugh and, and especially the way it sort of just falls apart at the end. I always enjoy it to some degree. It always catches me by surprise that they just sort of, they just.
- [56:57]
Brett Goldstein
It's because you're invested.
- [56:58]
Himesh Patel
Yeah, you are actually.
- [56:59]
Brett Goldstein
It's because you actually are invested. You're emotionally invested in it.
- [57:02]
Himesh Patel
But I just love the idea of someone just going, well, I'm not. I don't know how to finish this movie. So let's just, this is going to happen and just let, just let them do whatever they want to do and we'll just figure it out, you know,
- [57:17]
Brett Goldstein
just, we'll just run around a lot. Yeah, it's great. Yeah. Himesh Patel, you've been wonderful. However, when you were 87 years old and you went for a walk and you got to the top of some steps, concrete, by the way, and you and someone at the bottom of the steps looked up, they were fat, they were like, I think that's. Is that him I should tell? And their friends gathered. I think that's him. And then you tripped on your own on a little step and you fell down, down, Concrete, concrete. People giggled. Oh God, Oh God, they said. And then you fell the last six steps, landed on your head, your head exploded like a watermelon. And the people that were laughing went, oh God. I don't really laugh at it. I think he's dead. And then someone said, do you know who it was? And they looked over and it was just your particles, just blobs of blood. There's nothing to really say who you are at all. It's just the torso of an 87 year old man and blobs of blood and brains. And someone goes, I thought it was him as turning it. How can you tell? They say, anyway, I'm walking along with a coffin, you know, I'm like. And I see this Crowd going around. I go, who's that? And they go, he says, it was Himesh Patel. And they're going, it can't be that. How can you tell? And I go, well, there's no way of telling anyway, I said, give me a hand. We start stuffing your body. The thing. I'm like, can you see any bits of blob over there like that? We could. Any bit of him just grab it. People getting cheeky now. They're chucking in stones, all sorts of stuff as well. Anyway, coffin ends up rammed.
- [58:52]
Himesh Patel
Absolutely.
- [58:54]
Brett Goldstein
It's jammed in there. There's nothing. There's no room. There's only enough room for me to slip one DVD into the side for you to take across to the other side. And on the other side, it's movie night every night. What film are you taking to show the chocolate in heaven when it is your movie night, Mr. Himesh Patel?
- [59:10]
Himesh Patel
It's not one of the movies that I've picked so far. Is that okay?
- [59:13]
Brett Goldstein
Great. Even better.
- [59:14]
Himesh Patel
It's Amelie. I'm going with Amelie Goodine. Yeah. Because it's a life affirming movie, I think. Beautiful. The first time I saw it, someone had left film 4 on the telly and I was walking past and I just have a memory of walking past the guy up the stairs and then sitting down the sofa and not moving for two hours. You know, I was just so taken away by this movie, so. And it's just beautiful. You know, every time I watch it, I feel, you know, the world is a better place. You know, it's. It's wonderful. It's really gorgeous. So it'd be nice to share that at Heaven. Yeah.
- [59:48]
Brett Goldstein
What a lovely man. Himsh Patel. Is there anything people should look out for, listen to watch coming up?
- [59:54]
Himesh Patel
I mean, coming up. I don't. Everything I'm doing, I have no fixed date for when it's coming out, but I, you know, I did a series called Station 11. I'm very proud of it. It's in, in the UK. It's on, I think, what's now called Lionsgate plus, I believe that's where it's. You could watch that. I did, I did get nominated for an Emmy. I don't know if you've heard of the Emmys, Brad. They're pretty, they're pretty fun. It's a whole thing. You'll get maybe, maybe you'll get invited one day. But yeah, okay. Yeah, so I did that. That's good. But I've done a couple of short films that I'm I'm quite proud of. I did a short film called Enjoy which is available on Disney plus in the UK. I love that. I did a short film called Two Dosas which is on YouTube and a short film called the Fox which is also on YouTube. Three short films. You know we're on a film podcast. I think giving shout outs to short films is quite nice. So check those out.
- [60:48]
Brett Goldstein
That's very nice. Patel. Thank you for your time and for your excellent answers and for getting completely correct the greatest opening. You are brilliant.
- [60:58]
Himesh Patel
Thank you.
- [60:58]
Brett Goldstein
Thank you very much. Have a lovely death and good night to you.
- [61:03]
Himesh Patel
Thank you.
- [61:09]
Producer Buddy Peace
So that was a rewind classic with Himesh Patel. Be sure to check out the patreon page@patreon.com BrettGoldstein where you get extra chat and video and otherwise. If you fancy leaving a note on Apple Podcasts, that'd be lovely too. But make it a review of one of your favorite films. Much more fun and way more interesting to read for everyone involved. Thank you so much to Himesh for greatness and presence on the podcast. Thanks to Scrubby's Pippin and Distraction Pieces Network. Thanks to me for podcast mixing and editing. Thanks to Adam Richardson for the graphics and Lisa Lydon for the photography. But that is it for now, Brett and I and all of us at Film to be buried with. Hope you all very well and in the meantime, have a lovely week and now more than ever, be excellent to each other.
- [61:53]
Himesh Patel
Sam.
- [62:32]
Brett Goldstein
Martha listens to her favorite band all the time in the car, gym, even sleeping.
- [62:40]
Himesh Patel
So when they finally went on tour, Martha bundled her flight and hotel on
- [62:43]
Brett Goldstein
Expedia to see them live.
- [62:45]
Himesh Patel
She saved so much she got a
- [62:46]
Brett Goldstein
seat close enough to actually see and hear them.
- [62:50]
Himesh Patel
Saw it off.
- [62:51]
Brett Goldstein
You were made to scream from the front row. We were made to quietly save you More Expedia Made to Travel Savings vary
- [62:59]
Himesh Patel
and subject to availability.
- [63:00]
Brett Goldstein
Light inclusive packages are at all protected.
- [63:02]
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- [63:07]
Himesh Patel
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