Category Archives: Film

Raindance Filmmakers’ Charity Ball | Events

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Host of film talent attend inaugural filmmakers’ ball

– Sadie Frost, Helen George and Tamer Hassan attended Raindance Film Festival’s charity party –

 

 A host of celebrities and film industry talent attended Raindance Film Festival’s inaugural Independent Filmmakers’ Ball last night to raise funds for The Independent Film Trust (IFT), the UK charity whose activities include the provision of film-making courses for disadvantaged adults and children. Guests included Sadie Frost, Helen George, Tamer Hassan, Nick Broomfield, Alan Parker, Matt Kernard and Kitty Brucknell.

alanparker elliotgrove geraldmccarthy helengeorge nickbroomfield sadiefrost

Entertainment on the night came from soul band ‘The Indies’ as well as a ‘filmmaker’s dream raffle’, with prizes including a Canon EOS C100 camera and screening-room hire from Motion Picture Solutions handed out to lucky winners.

 

Raindance and British Independent Film Award founder Elliot Grove comments: “It was a pleasure to see the crème de la crème of British indie filmmaking come together under one roof for such a great cause and to celebrate their work. Away from the glamour of tinsel town, these guys work incredibly hard to deliver thought-provoking, disruptive and consistently entertaining material for our viewing pleasure and I can’t wait for the chance to showcase their work when the 22nd annual Raindance Film Festival returns this autumn.”

 

 

Fruitvale Station Film Review | Sundance 2014

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One of the most praised dramas at Sundance USA last year and early Oscar contender to boot, Fruitvale Station finally got it’s UK bow at this year’s festival. The true story drama has been hoovering up acclaim and awards over the last year and it is very easy to see why. Over the course of December 31st, 08 and January 1st, 09 we track Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a young father and resident of Hayward, California who begins his day determined to turn his life around. Following a spell of recent criminal convictions and prison spells, Oscar is resolved to get his house in order; get a new job, cut off bad habits and treat his family right including his adoring yet straight talking mother (Octavia Spencer). However, this search for redemption is to have a tragic end as a New Year’s Party in the city culminates in a cruel, needless tragedy that leaves the community -and America- in shock.

Fruitvale Station sundance 2014

Having an entire movie rest largely on a single performance is a risky business indeed. If your lead is underwhelming or just flat out doesn’t convince then you and your movie are dead in the water. Debut writer/director Ryan Coogler was surely aware of this going into production on Fruitvale Station. But he must also have been aware when he cast Michael B. Jordan that he really didn’t have to worry much. Still perhaps best known for playing the young, doomed drug dealer Wallace in the exceptional TV series The Wire, Jordan is an absolute flat out revelation here, a breakout role if ever there was one. Throughout Grant’s trials and tribulations over the course of the film, there is the feeling of raw anger and frustration at his surroundings and even many of those who surround him. Yet Jordan never feels like he’s showing off on a soap box like a lot of other ‘awards worthy’ performances have a habit of doing. Every beat, glance and observation feels real and lived in. The story of of fallen man going straight could easily fall into cliche yet the sheer humanity of the performance is more than enough to steer clear of any pitfalls. As mesmerizing as Jordan is it would be unfair to dismiss other cast members especially, Octavia Spencer on blinding form as Oscar’s rock steady mother. Her crumbling composure at the film’s climax is going to break hearts.

As a director, Coogler keeps a steady hand on incendiary material. Make no mistake, this is an angry film and rightly so. Rather than letting that anger disrupt the story and tone, he keeps everything on an even keel. There’s no fuss or confusion to the film’s beautiful and precise shooting. There’s even a touch of playfulness with Oscar’s text messages popping up on screen à la BBC’s Sherlock (don’t worry; it’s nowhere near as gimmicky or intrusive as it could be). We witness actual phone footage of the Fruitvale incident in the films opening act so there’s no surprise to the terrible outcome yet we feel all the gut-wrenching tension and heartbreak as Oscar goes about his daily grind and moves steadily towards his fate. It’s almost unbearably upsetting yet Coogler has managed to find the beauty and tenderness in the frank observations of an individual in his last moments. It’s a paean to life in America in all its wonder – and indeed its horror – and it deserves every bit of your attention.

Little Accidents Film Review | Sundance 2014

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Recent news stories of industrial mining accidents across the world linger in the background of this stark, character based drama from debut feature director Sara Colangelo. Expanded from her short film of the same name and assisted via the Sundance Institute’s Writers Lab, the story focuses on a rural Appalachian community devastated by a disaster at the local coal mine which has claimed ten lives. Already people are looking for someone to blame from a legal angle and pressure steadily mounts on the sole survivor of the disaster; Amos Jenkins (Boyd Holbrook) whose testimony could seal some hefty compensation. Meanwhile, one of the kids (Jacob Loflland) of the dead miners struggles with his own grief and sets off a chain of consequences that envelope Bill and Diana Doyle (Josh Lucas and Elizabeth Banks). The former is one of the managers of the coal mine and is a figure of rising blame and anger amongst the locals…

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Steeped in an authentic style and filmed entirely on location with no sets, Little Accidents doesn’t have to work hard to convince in its portrayal of an America that’s seldom seen along with those inhabiting it. It’s a place which would probably spring up on Google if you typed ‘small town America’; everyone knows each other and each others business whatever their background and class. The town is presented as its own internal universe. It’s a simmering cauldron of mistrust and quiet rage that boils over in the wake of tragedy and boy does it ever boil over. The films earthy and natural tone perfectly encapsulate this, as well as the authentic environment that includes what appear to be genuine residents appearing as themselves. It’s also bolstered by some really superb performances, most notably from Boyd Holbrook as the haunted Amos. Hindered via a limp and with a thousand yard piercing stare, Amos could prove too sheltered and quiet to engage with the audience, but Holbrook makes it connect finding the perfect manners for a deeply wounded yet profoundly decent everyman.

Where the film does seem a little less sure footed is in later developments. Characters meet and interact in ways that at first seems natural, but as events unfold grow increasingly cliched or even unbelieveable. A subplot which see’s Amos and Diana embark on an affair seems almost redundant; a cheap device to bring their characters and desires closer together and intertwine. Josh Lucas does the best he can (actually the best he’s ever been) as the put upon yet unshakable husband, but even his character’s arc seems very deliberately placed and dropped off without much thought. Performance wise the film is nearly stolen by Jacob Lofland (of Mud fame) who perfectly captures the innocence, anger and uncertainty of youth here compounded by tragic events. A lingering close up of his weary face late in the story provides the film with one its most striking images. It’s he and his fellow actors who hold Little Accidents steady even as it hits occasional rocky ground.

Lupita Nyong’o Is People’s Most Beautiful. A Win For Diversity

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This is definitely the year of Lupita. The Oscar-winning actress has been names People’s Most Beautiful. A win not only for Lupita, but also for diversity.

Lupita Nyong'o Named People's Most Beautiful

Do you think People made the right choice?

A Thousand Times Good Night | Film Review By Leslie Shaip

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Erik Poppe’s latest film, A Thousand Times Good Night (Tusen ganger god natt) (2013) begins with funeral rites for a woman who is still alive. Minutes later, she straps a bomb to her chest and say tearful goodbyes to her relatives. This imagery that straddles the line between life and death is both beautiful and tragic. It is repeated in different forms throughout the film as war photographer Rebecca (the incomparable Juliette Binoche) tries to capture the essence of these desperate acts.

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Rebecca puts herself through hell on earth to share the stories of people about whom the world would like to forget. The disregard for her own safety, however, puts a significant strain on both her marriage and her family life. When she is nearly killed tailing a suicide bomber, Rebecca’s husband, Marcus (Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) gives her an ultimatum. She must choose between her life’s work and the family she loves.

A Thousand Times Good Night is not the story of a working mother trying to balance her job with her family. It’s a look at the life of a woman who must make an impossible choice between the essence of her self and those she loves most. I’m sure an academic paper could deconstruct this as a feminist work, but I’ll just say I appreciated that the main character is a woman, but more importantly, she is a human being, and who better to give such a raw performance than Juliette Binoche? I’ve never seen her in a role she didn’t seem born to play, and as usual, she gives the audience all of herself. She is unafraid to show a woman the way she really looks, acts, and feels. Though, let’s be honest, even when her character is supposed to look unkempt and harried, Binoche still exudes natural beauty.

This film was a seamlessly powerful look at both the world most of us are guilty of ignoring and what it can do emotionally to those who dare to watch. The screenplay (written by director Erik Poppe, Harald Rosenløw-Eeg and Kirsten Sheridan) does an excellent job of providing a balance between the two worlds. When the story jumps between the war zone of Afghanistan and Kenya and Rebecca’s more peaceful home in Ireland, the scenes shift naturally.

The images throughout the film also serve the balance between the world of the living and that of the dead. From several incidences of white, flowy barriers between characters and the ocean that Rebecca treads during her near-death experiences, we watch Rebecca drift between the two worlds. In fact, one of the most open conversations in the entire film occurs when Rebecca and her daughter, Steph (Lauryn Canny) sit on opposite beds, separated by white mosquito netting. This physical barrier somehow makes it easier to share their feelings, as if the netting will keep those freshly exposed words safe.

Finally, the score is simply breathtaking. It’s beautiful, haunting and ephemeral. As if some of the situations and images aren’t moving enough, the music comes in at just the right moments and in just the right key to push said emotions to the edge of your eyes and down your cheeks. The film premiered at the Montreal film festival last year and is currently making its way across the globe (look for it in the UK on May 2). So while this may seem like a fangirl post for this movie and Binoche in general (maybe just a bit), you really should give it a shot if comes your way.

A Thousand Times Good Night from director Erik Poppe and starring Juliette Binoche and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Premiered at the Montreal Film Festival last year and will be in UK cinemas on May 2nd.

http://gallimaufrylife.com/

By Leslie Shaip

50 Kisses at BAFTA for Guinness World Records

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I recently attended the 50 Kisses screening event at BAFTA. It was also to celebrate 50 Kisses getting into Guinness Book of Records as the film with the most co-writers. The writers of 50 Kisses gathered at BAFTA to celebrate the news that they had collectively entered the Guinness Book Of Records for the most co-writers on a feature film. The video, from 50 Kisses and director Chris Jones, is below. Congratulations all. It was a great event and we also caught up with British actor Jon Campling and film distributor David Wilkinson.

50 kisses BAFTA _chris jones, living spirit  50 Kisses World Record22 50 Kisses World Record108 Jon Campling
http://www.50kissesfilm.com/

 

 

Hunt vs Lauda DVD Review

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hunt vs laudaFor racing fans, Hunt Vs Lauda: Grand Prix’s Greatest Racing Rivals is a documentary between two legends. Even for those who are not, it is still fascinating.

The victory duel for the 1976 Formula 1 World Championship has become the stuff of legend. The spectacular battle for supremacy that raged between Austrian Niki Lauda and ‘True Brit’ James Hunt has never been equalled and now this amazing story is told in a fascinating new documentary Hunt Vs Lauda: Grand Prix’s Greatest Racing Rivals.

After almost burning to death in his car at the Nurburgring track, Lauda came back from the dead and fought Hunt all the way to the last race of the season…But this film is no simple tale of driver-versus-driver: both men had their demons, but the forces that threatened them most were bred from the insane circus that surrounded them.

This powerful documentary originally aired on BBC4 and is now out on DVD courtesy of Delta Leisure

Told through unseen footage and exclusive interviews with the team managers, families, journalists and friends who were in the front row it captures the heart of the 1970s and the season that changed Formula 1 forever.

This documentary is inspiring and breathtaking. We even felt emotional a few times. A truly stunning documentary with lots of great stuff we had never seen before. A must-watch.

 

‘I did not want to start the race at the Nurburgring…I did so out of loyalty towards my firm and my friends. It was not a good compromise for me’ Niki Lauda

‘Niki was the only bloke who could get half his face burnt off and come out better looking’ James Hunt

 

Title: Hunt Vs Lauda: Grand Prix’s Greatest Racing Rivals

Cert: 15 Cat.

Running time: 52 mins approx.

Hunt Vs Lauda: Grand Prix’s Greatest Racing Rivals (BBC Official) [DVD]

 

Interview With Kristen Bell, Voice Of “Anna” in Frozen

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Frozen is an epic tale of adventure and comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios. In the film, fearless optimist Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey to find her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna teams up with a rugged mountain man named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) to battle the elements in a frantic race to save the kingdom.

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With the award-winning film now released on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD, we chat with actress Kristen Bell to find out her thoughts on the magical movie.

What can you tell us about your character in Frozen?

I play a girl named Anna in the movie, and I’m so proud of this character. There are a lot of my characteristics in Anna, like her feistiness. I love the way she’s able to pick up a shovel, fend off wolves and save the day!

What is Anna’s biggest charm?

I think her charm is caught somewhere between her sincerity and her optimism. It’s really hard to dismiss someone who is genuine and sincere, especially when compounded with optimism. To me, those people are goofy. I think that’s exactly what Anna is like; she’s goofy, charming and fun.

How charismatic is Anna?

To me, eternally optimistic people are the most charismatic people because it’s attractive when someone can’t get you down. Being in a bad mood isn’t very attractive, but Anna is so positive and happy. She starts the movie without any friends, but she still smiles.

Why doesn’t Anna have any friends in the beginning of the story?

Her lifestyle hasn’t allowed her to have a full kingdom or household, which is why she now talks to the paintings and the statues. She runs around the palace and she probably spends too much time in the kitchen bugging the staff because she wants some real friends in her life. To me, that’s what makes her so cute and loveable.

What’s different and unique about Frozen?

Everything is different and unique in this movie! The love story is unique because it’s about siblings and the love of family. A lot of Disney movies are adventures, but I feel like this adventure is even bigger than anything you’ve seen before.

What went through your mind when you discovered you were going to be the voice of a new Disney icon?

I’d always wanted to be part of a Disney animated movie, so I was full of glee when I found out I was going to play Anna. I grew up watching Disney musicals, and I was especially obsessed with The Little Mermaid and Aladdin when I was little. As a young girl, it was always my dream to be a Disney princess – but I wanted to be a very specific Disney princess. I wanted to be one that I wanted to see, which was a princess who was way more awkward than the Disney princesses I’d seen on screen.

Would you describe Anna as awkward?

That’s exactly what Anna’s like! Disney allowed me to mold Anna into the princess I dreamed about as a child, so I feel extremely lucky. You know what? I couldn’t be happier to be part of this amazing project.

What other input did you have into the character?

Another goal of mine was to have a princess without great posture. I never sat up straight when I was little, but the Disney princesses always did that. Thankfully, Anna hasn’t got amazing posture either – just like me.

You mentioned that your favorite childhood Disney movies were The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Is your favorite Disney princess Ariel or Jasmine?

Ariel is my favorite. I really loved Aladdin when I was growing up because I went through a whole tomboy phase, but I think I identified more with Aladdin than I did with Jasmine. Jasmine is great; I’ve got nothing against her – but Ariel is a fantastic princess. She’s awesome.

What were you like when you were growing up?

I was really awkward. I talked to myself a lot and I ate my dinner next to the dog. I was goofy and I was klutzy – and I was way too energetic. I often spoke before I thought, too – and I wanted to see someone like that in a Disney animated movie. I was really lucky that Disney let me add all of these extra, unique attributes to my character.

Did you ever struggle to make friends at school?

If I’m being honest, I didn’t struggle to make friends at school. I always had pretty decent social skills, but I always liked to be alone. I loved that alone time where I could talk to my dogs! I was always very outgoing, but I was a weird type of outgoing person.

Frozen is a fun and frosty fairy tale… Are you a fan of winter?

I’m a huge fan of winter. In fact, I prefer the winter to summer. I’m the only person who lives in California and doesn’t appreciate the warm weather there. I love the cold weather and I’m always trying to get back to the snow instead of a beach.

What’s your favorite winter memory?

I always had dogs when I was growing up, so my favorite winter memories are of dogs running in the snow. That always brings a smile to my face. They always used to make me laugh when they scampered through deep snow!

How good are you at building snowmen?

I’m pretty decent at creating snowmen. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I’ll get right in there. I grew up in Detroit, where it’s nice and cold in the winter. That means I’ve had a lot of practice.

What do you think of Olaf, the talking snowman in Frozen?

I love Olaf. He’s always happy and he never gets depressed, which is awesome. Olaf is the guy that everyone wants to carry around in their pocket. He’s hilarious. And his song, In Summer, is one of the best songs in a Disney movie since Under The Sea. It’s an amazing song. Olaf is so, so good!

What was it like to duet with Broadway star Idina Menzel in Frozen?

It was nerve-wracking. Idina is the most intimidating singer, but the most un-intimidating person. She’s so gentle in real life, but there’s a real ferocity behind her voice. She can really sing. I’ve seen her sing on stage numerous times and she’s got one of the best voices on the planet, but I was really, really nervous about the duet.

How did you get over your nerves?

It was very daunting to sing with her, but we used to rehearse at her house where she was so lovely and carefree. I’d sing my verse and she’d say, “You sound great.” Whenever I heard that, I’d get excited and happy. Idina is a wonderful person.

Do you enjoy a little Disney karaoke when you’re not working?

Definitely! A Whole New World is my go-to Disney karaoke song. I’m a duetter. I like to take the stage, but I don’t necessarily like to take the stage alone. A Whole New World is perfect for me because the range is great and it’s a duet. If I had to pick a solo song, it would be Part Of Your World from The Little Mermaid. That’s a beautiful song.

How often do you sing?

[Kirsten’s House Of Lies co-star] Don Cheadle and I sing A Whole New World on set almost every week, but we change the words depending on what we’re doing. We sing it back and forth in a scene with the dialogue we’ve been given. It’s a very popular song on the set of House Of Lies!

Your baby daughter, Lincoln, was born in 2013. How does it feel to know she’ll be watching Frozen in a few years?

I feel very nervous about her watching Frozen. What if she doesn’t like it? I would melt if that happened! I hope she likes it as much as I liked Disney movies when I was growing up. However, if she doesn’t, I don’t mind. Maybe she’ll be more into off-roading like her dad? It already feels like she’s showing signs of liking that. I’ll definitely show it to her and hopefully she will be proud of her mom. If she only wants to see it once, I won’t be offended.