Keanu Reeves’ Art & Speed book overview (part 1)

Here is a more detailed description of the book on request from readers and followers.
I was looking for a book about Keanu Reeves like this, but I couldn’t find one, so I had to write one that emphasises Keanu’s diversity. Novelty and originality of this book is that it is not a biography, but it reveals relationships between the actor’s films and other activities and some art forms, such as literature, music, fine arts or martial arts.

Keanu is primarily an actor

As Keanu is primarily an actor, I had to start with film, although I would have liked to have emphasized his connection to Shakespeare. But my friends dissuaded me, saying that for such a big film star, it was only natural that the first part of your book should be about his films. This made things a bit complicated, but some films I write about at the beginning of the book, others I just mention, highlighting which art genre they are related to, so where I discuss them later. For each film, I mention the name of the director, the main actors, the release date and a short synopsis. This is important for me because it gives a good overview and I quote extracts from film reviews, articles by well-known critics such as Peter Bradshaw, Roger Ebert and others. These reviews help to understand more deeply the mood of the films and the actors’ performances.

Keanu Reeves and the Company Films

The next chapter looks at films made under the Company Films banner, making it clear what genres Keanu Reeves chooses to work in.
I dedicated a whole chapter to the digital revolution and Side by Side documentary. In particular, SBS highlights the advantages and disadvantages of both digital filmmaking and traditional filmmaking. SBS is so outstanding that it definitely deserved a gold statuette at the 2013 Oscars.

The cinematography part also mentions a fascinating film retrospective of Keanu Reeves’ movies, entitled Whoa. The Films of Keanu Reeves, organized in Toronto, 2013.

Keanu and some famous artists

The book Keanu Reeves’ Art & Speed includes in-depth encyclopedic information about famous artists such as the following actors: Klaus Kinski, Peter O’Toole, Christopher Walken, Gary Cooper
directors: Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Lana and Lilly Wachowski
musicians: John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson etc., bands: Joy Division, Nine Inch Nails
fine artists: Robert Longo, Ed Shay Raymond Pettibon
martial artists: Bruce Lee and Jet Li

It was important to list their works as well as cultural events that were spiritually linked to Keanu, bringing the different arts closer to a wide readership. For some, this information may seem dry, but it is important in order to get a better understanding of Keanu Reeves’ artistic world.
I intended it to be a popular knowledge book which is also a specialist book.

Keanu Reeves and William Shakespeare

The second section focuses on literature. The first full chapter is about the relationship between Keanu Reeves and William Shakespeare. Keanu’s number one writer is Shakespeare. He has acted in several Shakespeare plays and starred in a theatre production of Hamlet on stage at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, in 1995.
Other plays and film adaptations are also credited to his name and are mentioned in detail. There were several festivals commemorating Shakespeare’s work that I felt were also worth mentioning. For those who haven’t heard of the commemorations around the world, this book will tell you about them.

Keanu is close to Russian world literature

Keanu Reeves is not far from Russian world literature. Some of his films are associated with world-famous writers such as Chekhov and Dostoyevsky.
Which films and which literary works? Find out in the Keanu Reeves’ Art & Speed book.
There is also a chapter about the great American playwright Arthur Miller and his daughter Rebecca Miller. Rebecca wrote and directed The Private Life of Pippa Lee, in which Keanu played Chris, who has to help Pippa to assume control of her own life.

What are the other chapters about?
I will continue in the next post entitled Keanu Reeves’ Art & Speed book overview 2/2.