Brett Ratner's Conveniently Timed Sequel to 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired'
Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy
The New York Post is reporting that Brett Ratner wants to make a sequel to Marina Zenovich's documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. The Rush Hour 3 director was talking about the project on "Movie Geeks United" before Polanski was arrested in Switzerland so we can just chalk it up to really serendipitous timing (for Ratner, at least). Ratner and Polanski have worked together before; besides casting Polanski in a small role in Rush Hour 3, the directors went on a road trip that culminated in a visit to Auschwitz for the Notorious Issue of Heeb Magazine, which Ratner guest-edited. Ratner told Contact Music he didn't realize they were headed for the concentration camps; "Little did I know Roman was going to take me to Auschwitz on an incursion through his Jewish history. Roman's mother perished at Auschwitz."
Ratner told Movie Geeks United, "The family has forgiven [Polanski]. The victim has forgiven him. The rest of the world has forgiven him... "The LA judicial system is corrupt. It's horrible."
Ratner also says Polanski has expressed interest in participating in his documentary -- something he didn't do with Zenovich's doc, which was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2008.
As of this writing, there's no news about the doc since Polanski's arrest.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-29-2009 @ 12:14PM
FKAC said...
I'm torn on this one but ultimately I feel that justice hasn't been served on this one. It isn't just a matter of being "forgiven" for the crime he committed in the first place but also the fact that he left the country and has never done any time. I don't consider self-imposed exile the same. I have no respect for him for running and the fact that so many people are just willing to say "oh well" about him having sex with a 13 year old girl disturbs me. Would these people as easily forgive the priests who have gotten in trouble for pedophilia?
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9-29-2009 @ 12:42PM
Kevin said...
Agreed. The man broke the law. I just don't see why people are so upset that he's going to have to pay for his crime. Are there extenuating circumtances? Certainly, which may warrant a lighter sentence, not a total commutation. He undeniably had sex with a 13 year old girl. That is against the law. He should answer for the crime he committed. People that support him seem to create this argument whereby they assume that those who want him to serve time are saying that he should be executed, or serve life in prison, and the vast majority of reasonable people don't agree with that. But saying that I don't think he should serve 20 years is not the same as saying that the judicial system is corrupt for demanding that he serve some time, or some significant punishment.
9-29-2009 @ 2:33PM
Batzarro said...
Depends on what films the Priest has made.
Seriously, there's a lot people are willing to forgive of celebrities, but I think it stops right at pedophilia.
9-29-2009 @ 2:52PM
Eric H said...
Hollywood has no problems with pedophiles... http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0759207/
9-29-2009 @ 12:28PM
Jonathan Kuhn said...
My thoughts on all of this were well summed up here: http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/09/28/polanski_arrest/index.html
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9-29-2009 @ 5:43PM
Adam said...
Repeating 'Roman Polanski raped a child' over and over again isn't an argument. I'd have liked your article better if you explained *why* the fact that he committed this crime is the only fact we should acknowledge.
9-29-2009 @ 5:51PM
Jonathan Kuhn said...
It's not my article; I just happen to agree with it.
The article certainly does not say the fact that he committed this crime is the only fact we should acknowledge. It also mentions how we should acknowledge that he admitted committing it, fled the country, never served any time for it, etc.
9-29-2009 @ 12:40PM
Stan Winsome said...
It's like George Bush making a movie about George Washington in terms of talents compared...
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9-29-2009 @ 3:17PM
Jeff K. said...
If forgiveness can solve every problem, we wouldn't need a legal system, won't we?
In addition, call me biased, but I don't really want to hear celebrities (?) bitching about the justice system, when it often looks like they are given with easier punishment compared to the general public.
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9-29-2009 @ 4:55PM
The_Avon said...
Artistic merits and past personal hardships should not excuse someone from raping a child. Quit apologizing, film industry. He deserves to be punished. He's been running away from it for over 30 years and no Oscar or Lifetime Achievement Award can make up for that.
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9-29-2009 @ 10:07PM
dean said...
personally i blame the mother that left her underage daughter in the hands of a man whose fondness of fornication had been well documented by hollywood
Granted I despise rapists and Roman should feel ashamed of himself for the rest of his days but there is many guilty parties to count in this case such as the judge who wanted publicity and the countries that couldn't find it in their hearts to extradite a statuatory rapist because it is America
I also struggle to see what good can from sentencing what is essentially a man who spent thirty years attempting to better himself and not the sexual deviant of the seventies
Isn't the purpose of the jail time to incapacitate and rehabilitate those that prove to be a danger to others
where is the sense in bestowing punishment on a man who hasn't been a danger to anyone in the last thirty years
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9-30-2009 @ 12:08AM
The_Avon said...
Should we give that opportunity to every person who commits a crime? Oh, if you promise to 'better' yourself, you won't go to jail. It's called have a legal system and that system has punishment for crimes. Should we let someone off just because he happens to make really good films? No. His artistic contributions to the film industry should not even come into the equation of whether or not he should be imprisoned. In my mind, they're unrelated to the crime.
Sure, the mom shouldn't have left her daughter alone with him, but who ultimately committed the crime? Polanski. Plus, I'd hardly call fleeing the country to avoid serving time, an honorable thing to do.
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
9-30-2009 @ 2:09AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Ratner is a fool. Polanski pled guilty and needs to serve his time. It's that clear.
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9-30-2009 @ 3:18AM
Jothie said...
Doesnt matter if the family has forgiven you, doesnt matter if the "people" have forgiven you(thanks Brett, didnt realize we elected you as our voice and you were allowed to speak for EVERYONE in existence.. can you please now tell me what my favorite color is? I wish to know 'cause without you telling me what I think I just don't know.) Matters a little more that the victim forgives you, but still doesnt mean you don't have to face up to what you did. The law is the law. Its not up to the family, the world or the victim to dismiss it. Its up to a court of law to do it. Law isnt about emotions.
I just lost alot of respect for Brett.. not that I had that much for him before or any of his shitty movies, but the little respect I did have just went down the toilet drain. I hope Brett has a 13 yr old daughter, and I hope he lets his good friend Roman babysit one night.
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9-30-2009 @ 8:39AM
morphs said...
The man raped a 13 year old. Let me say that again for everyone that doesn't really understand that for some reason.
ROMAN POLANSKI ANALLY RAPED A 13 YEAR OLD CHILD AND ADMITTED TO IT.
The mother didn't hold the girl down while he did it. The girl didn't get some baby oil to lube herself up.
Then you got the people saying that he's served his time by not being allowed to come back to the US. He choose to flea from justice just like he choose to violate a kid.
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10-01-2009 @ 4:25PM
nader paul kucinich gravel said...
Single-Payer GRAYSON Single-Payer
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As the 9/12 Tea Party looks into the events of 9/11 they have many questions concerning the Official Story.
They know not to trust the Government & Media.
Only the guilty fear inquiry.
An ill wind comes arising
Across the cities of the plain
There's no swimming in the heavy water
No singing in the acid rain
Red alert
Red alert
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