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A master stroke for Timothy Spall in ‘Mr. Turner’

By WTOP Staff

JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

CANNES, France (AP) — In Mike Leigh’s biopic of J.M.W. Turner, Timothy Spall brings the great British painter of stormy seas and fiery skies to life as a gruff, grunting genius.

Leigh’s “Mr. Turner” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday to excellent reviews and raves for Spall, the veteran 57-year-old British actor. Though recognized by many for playing Mr. Pettigrew in the “Harry Potter” films, “Mr. Turner” is a deserved leading man turn for Spall, one that made him the star of Cannes’ second day.

“What made us the perfect match, apart from anything, is he was a funny-looking, fat little man, and so am I,” said Spall. “But as far as his soul was concerned, that took a lot more research.”

As the 19th-century painter, Spall is single-minded in capturing the dramatic light that composed his landscape masterworks. But though his intellect and talent comes through, Spall’s Turner is little like the ideal of the great artist. With his fuzzy mutton chops and lumbering stride, he’s grubby, randy and curmudgeonly.

“It’s about how genius is not in always the most romantic of packages,” said Spall. “Most geniuses are strange.”

Sony Pictures Classics will release “Mr. Turner” in North America in December, positioning it for an awards season push. Right now, it’s in the hunt with 17 other films for Cannes’ top award, the Palme d’Or.

Leigh won the award in 1996 for “Secrets & Lies,” which co-starred Spall.

Leigh is famous for a filmmaking style that relies on improvisation-heavy rehearsals rather than a script. It’s an approach that’s often elicited acclaimed performances, including Sally Hawkins in “Happy-Go-Lucky,” Imelda Staunton in “Vera Drake” and David Thewlis in “Naked.”

The director had long desired to make a movie about Turner, and focused his meticulously researched film on the last 25 years of Turner’s life. The painter died in 1851.

Leigh said he was fascinated by “this very mortal and in some ways flawed” individual who was creating such epic works.

“He sees beyond the sea and the sky,” said Leigh. “He makes us see an experience that goes beyond the surface.”

Two years before beginning rehearsals, Leigh urged Spall to train his painting skills in preparation for the role. For Spall, Turner was “a painter of the sublime” who instinctually saw “the beauty and the horror of nature,” even if he appeared to be a humble, somewhat brutish working-class man.

More often than not in the 2 ½ hour film, Spall’s Turner expresses himself with nothing more than a grunt.

“The grunting grew organically out of this incredibly instinctive, emotional, autodidactic, intellectual man who had a billion — a zillion — things to say but never said it,” said Spall. “People who sneeze and can redecorate the room have a wonderful time. People do that (grunting sound) are repressing something.”

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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