Category Archives: Film

CANNES 2012 PREVIEW

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The most prestigious and coveted film festival on the planet is upon us as filmmakers, stars and journalists descend on the southern French seaside resort to view and critique some of the most anticipated films of the year. Of course I cannot be going myself; the rigour of the festival is said to drive even the most dedicated of film journalists to the edge let alone a beginner. But I can definitely cast my eye over the selection and pick ten of them that have caught my and other cinefiles eyes. Some of these have confirmed UK release dates, others do not. Either way the calibre of these titles should see them generating plenty of buzz before their arrival on these shores.

MOONRISE KINGDOM

The seventh feature from the king of idiosyncratic American indie cinema Wes Anderson is a period piece set in the mid sixties following two runaway teenagers in love and the haphazard search party that sets out after them. Anderson stalwarts Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman are joined by newcomers Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand to name a few. Anderson’s exceptionally detailed, designed and witty directorial style may not be to all tastes but for fans of his work this is set to tick all the boxes.

LOVE

Austrian master of discomfort Michael Haneke returns to France for a tale of a couple who must care for the wife’s elderly parents. French acting legend Isabelle Huppert appears alongside William Shimmel of the magnificent Certified Copy in what would appear to be a more gentle approach for Haneke. Those familiar with his work however, will be prepared for terrible things to happen.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY

The Assassination of Jesse James was one of the most criminally underrated films of recent years so hopes are high for director Andrew Dominik and star Brad Pitt’s reunion in this gritty crime thriller about an underworld investigation into a card game heist co starring Sam Shepard, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta. Pitt appeared in last year’s big Cannes winner The Tree Of Life. Can he make it two in a row?

COSMOPOLIS

Robert Pattinson has the hearts of millions of Twilight fans and now we find out if he can win critical acclaim in Canadian maestro David Cronenberg’s twisted thriller about a young elitist yuppie travelling across New York City for a designer haircut and getting caught up in a dystopian, cultural revolution. Imagine a science-fiction take on American Psycho.

GRANDMASTERS

Wong Kar- wai has had glory at Cannes before with his visually lush and unconventional takes on traditional genre features with In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express. Now he turns his fine eye to a classic martial arts tale (based on the Ip Man series) with Asian superstar Tony Leung pulling all the moves.

RUST AND BONE

Jacques Audiard is known for his poetic yet brutal dramas such as A Prophet and The Beat My Heart Skipped. Hopes are high for this dramatic tale of a marine park worker crippled in an accident who finds solace with an immigrant bouncer. The magnificent Marion Cotillard plays the lead and after being sadly relegated in recent American roles she may have to clear space next to her first Oscar for La Vie En Rose…

LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE

Abbas Kiarostami is a master of blurring the line between fiction and cinematic construct and recently had glory at Cannes with Certified Copy. Here he heads to Japan, focusing on the relationship between an aging academic and a student side-lining as a prostitute. Whatever the context of their relationship the director’s previous work dictates that appearances can be deceiving.

ON THE ROAD

Jack Kerouac’s seminal road journey novel has been rolling around studios for years and now Walter Salles of the excellent road movie The Motorcycle Diaries turns his attention to the tale of two young men making their way across fifties America. Sam Riley of the the brilliant Control appears alongside Kirsten Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Elisabeth Moss and Steve Buscemi. For the cast alone this is a must see.

LAWLESS

Reminiscent of his gritty western The Proposition, Australian director John Hillcot’s latest is another tale of outlaw brothers (here in prohibition era America) whose familial bonds are pushed to the limit by the pursuing lawmen and each other. Again this is a stellar cast; Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Gary Oldman to name just a few.

THE ANGEL’S SHARE

Britain’s poet of the people Ken Loach is another Cannes stalwart and this appears to balance the mix between gentle humour and gritty realism of his previous work and concerns a young tearaway who finds a chance at redemption and success in the surprisingly sophisticated world of whisky brewing and selling.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from 16 May to 27 May.

The Amazing Spider-Man New Trailer Revealed

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The much anticipated new trailer for Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man has just been released to intense acclaim.

Hot on the heels of Marvel’s Avengers Assembled movie it seems there will be no let up to Marvel’s success this year.

I have personally seen the trailer and all I can say is wow. The first trailer looked intriguing, the second one…well it was just more of the same but this one seems to go a long way to perhaps showing what is in store for Spider-man and Marvel fans.

The film stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-man with supporting turns coming from Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

The Amazing Spider-Man will hit 2D and 3D theatres from July 3rd, 2012 and is a fully-fledged reboot of the web-slinging franchise which promises a new story to be told from the previous Sam Raimi trilogy.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theatres everywhere in 3D.

For those of you who don’t know – The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today and is troubled by all those angst’s that young people face.

Peter is also dealing with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. An elusive spider bite sets Peter on a different path exposing abilities he never knew he had and as he becomes a hero in the alter-ego of Spider-Man he is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Fans have already commented on the fact that this iteration of their comic book hero has the fabled web-shooters as opposed to ‘organic’ webbing that used to secrete from the wrists of Sam Rami’s creation. Indicating that the Peter Parker of this generation is perhaps more  of a genius in the making. Personally I prefer the web-shooters to..erm anything organic and the suit looks better now too.

The Amazing Spider-Man will hit 2D and 3D theatres from July 3rd, 2012.

Have a look at the trailer below and don’t forget to give us your comments.

Sundance London Film Festival 2012 Highlights

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Sundance London Film Festival 2012 Highlights

 

This year Sundance came to London with resounding success. Frost went along and has picked out some highlights.

Extranjero by Daniel Lumb & Crinan Campbell. This won the first ever Sundance London short film award, and rightly so. Well worth a watch.

The Return (Kthimi)

An amazing short film set in Kosovo. Everyone thought he died during the war but a man returns from being a prisoner of war and his wife, who he hasn’t seen in four years along with their son, has to tell him that she kept her rapists baby. Powerful and haunting.

Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.

Weird but kind of wonderful.

Tooty’s Wedding

This short film is hilarious. Especially when the lead actress tells her husband “Yesterday a man said my breasts were a 7, which is actually quite high”.

Under African Skies by Joel Berlinger

Highly acclaimed at the festival. Paul Simon’s historic Graceland album sold millions of copies and united cultures, yet divided world opinion on the boundaries of art, politics, and commerce. On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Graceland’s release, Simon returns to South Africa for a reunion concert that unearths the turbulent birth of the album. Despite its huge success as a popular fusion of American and African musical styles, Graceland spawned intense political crossfire. Simon was accused of breaking the United Nations’ cultural boycott of South Africa, which was designed to end apartheid.

 

I really liked this film. Very well-made and interesting story.


The Queen of Versailles
The Queen of Versailles premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and received the U.S. Directing Award for Documentary. Sundance Institute  provided creative support for the film at the 2011 Creative Producing Summit.

 

A very good documentary. Worth watching.


 

Did you go to Sundance London? What did you think?

 

The Avengers Assemble – Movie Review

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It’s become almost traditional, if not formulaic, to kick off each summer blockbuster season with a superhero movie.

Over the years we have seen Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and even the Hulk take centre stage in their own films, so on paper at least, the coming together of these iconic super hero superstars in Avengers Assemble sounds like every comic book fanboy’s wet dream.

But does more necessarily mean more? Or have Marvel – who admittedly have done a terrific job so far in bringing their comic book pages to life – bitten off more than they can chew?

Well in one word, the answer is no. Like the childhood Christmas present that gets played with lovingly to near destruction once your get your eager hands on it, to see Marvel’s movie at long last is incredible, but at the same time is both brilliant in its script and in its execution. As such, just like that Christmas present, it keeps on giving and in the process provides ample reasons for fans of the comic books and films to rejoice.

A film nearly seven years in the making, fans have slowly, patiently, seen the formation of this film through the little clips that occurred at the end of the credits of each previous movie.

First you had Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jnr) being approached by Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), then the story of Captain America (Chris Evans) and how he ends up taken in by SHIELD. There’s even Thor’s film, (the main role played by Chris Hemsworth) which in many ways sets up the plot for this movie and even clever references made in the last Hulk film. Each provided subtle clues towards where the plot arcs were going to lead.

After such a wait, no way was Marvel and director Joss Whedon going to disappoint fans. A superb opening set-piece puts the storyline and reasons for these characters coming together firmly in place. ‘The Tesseract’ (last seen in Thor and Captain America) is a cube of immense power that both sides are trying to unlock. However, it has opened a door to another world, which Loki (played truly impressively by Tom Hiddleston) comes through with his original intention of ‘ruling us all’. But worse than that, he’s brought a whole bunch of bad boys with him. Who else are going to put a stop to his plan other than the Avengers?

Indeed, as each of these superheroes could take on enemies of immense power, it has to be a near-on war to cause them to come together and Mr Whedon has no intention of holding back his vision of what a superhero movie should consist of.

Thankfully, Marvel did not go about this movie without getting the right funding in place, so nothing is watered down and all of the super powers, transformations and adversaries (of which there are hundreds) are embellished with as much attention to detail as if they were in their own movie. The end result is pretty much what you would expect from the comic book on screen and it has to be said some scenes are jaw-dropping. Avengers will probably set the standard for future superhero movies to come.

None of the special effects would work in isolation unless there were proper characterisations. Joss Whedon and the screen writers should be applauded for continuing to build upon each individual’s complexities; Tony Stark is still as brash and arrogant as he has ever been, Captain America still has the heart of someone who would sacrifice himself for others, but just follows orders. Only Mark Ruffalo’s interpretation of the David Banner / Hulk is different to his predecessors in that he is more edgy and unpredictable. I do have to say I preferred Ed Norton’s version, however Ruffalo does an excellent job nonetheless. New characters that open up in this movie are Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) which are both portrayed as brooding counterparts which hopefully further movies might build upon.

3D or 2D?

Watching this film in 3D provides just an average experience, which is a shame as they could really have done more to open up the experience and give it that extra wow factor. As it is, besides a few set pieces, I found it made little difference. 3D is a medium I feel should be pushed more, especially when it can really create some stand out moments for the audience when utilised well.

My Verdict

A great kick start to the summer blockbuster season and a fantastic movie in its own right. Cant wait to see what next is in store. Oh yes, that will be Spider-Man less than 8 weeks away. Don’t you just love summer?

9/10

 

Everything’s Coming Up Roses

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Time of Our Lives Music Theatre in association with All Star Productions presents When Movies Were Movies at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, Walthamstow.

The opening song set the tone for this mesmerising evening’s entertainment, as we were taken through the history of cinema from silent movies up to 1969 via the mediums of song, dance and comedy. Flo (Dympna Messenger), an usherette in the fictional Trocadero, is interviewed by Charlie (Raymond-Kym Suttle) about the cinema’s history as it faces its imminent demise (conversion to a bingo hall).

Dympna Messenger gave a very strong performance as Flo, and was a very effective anchor for the show. She also sang very well and had some great comedic moments: her imitation of Carmen Miranda springs to mind as combining both. The vocal standard throughout the show was extremely high, with some of the high points for me being Lullaby of Broadway (full cast), You Ought to Be in Pictures (Nerine Skinner and Robert Wilkes), Secret Love (Jessica Poole) and the Beatles medley delivered by the whole cast.

The musical numbers were interspersed with highly amusing comedy sketches, covering themes as varied as Frankenstein and James Bond, with my personal favourite being the “terribly” sketch (you’ll have to see the show to find out what I mean by that!) Other comedy highlights included the show’s take on silent movies – with Flo speaking the words while the rest of the cast mimed the actions, “My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies,” with Raymond-Kym Suttle and Robert Wilkes as the two brothers, and the scene with Flo and the cleaner, played by Nerine Skinner.

Raymond-Kym Suttle’s choreography was inspired, and his own dancing was marvellous – particularly during the Top Hat sequence – I would like to have seen more of his tapping! The musical direction (and playing) by Aaron Clingham was flawless, adding to the overall power of the performance. The costumes were fabulous, with very many quick changes which I’m sure must have required their own choreography!

I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil too many of the surprises. Suffice it to say that this is old-fashioned variety at its best with something for all the family to enjoy. Ably directed (and written) by Keith Myers, this captivating show is robust enough for a much larger space. Give yourself a night of nostalgia and catch it at Ye Olde Rose and Crown before it closes on 4 May.

When Movies were Movies is playing at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, 53 Hoe Street, Walthamstow Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm until 4 May, with matinees at 3.30 on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit http://www.roseandcrowntheatrepub.webeden.co.uk/

Win NEO Legend wristband worn by Tony Stark thanks to Avengers Assemble.

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Frost readers can win a NEO legend wristband.

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel Avengers Assemble” – the Super Hero line-up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Now you can win a Neo Legend.

Colantotte’s MagTitan Neo Legend bracelet combines a polished pure titanium core with an embellished, sleek, carbon fibre design, to deliver a stylised element of comfort and functionality. This striking bracelet epitomises the essence of fashion and craftsmanship which makes it the ideal accessory for casual, business, and superhero attire alike.

Entry is simple, go to www.facebook.com/ILoveTrionZ, click on the competition app, then submit your details as prompted. What’s more, you’ll be rewarded with an exclusive 15% off ALL Colantotte & Trion:Z products.

SUNDANCE LONDON TO HOST ROYAL PREMIERE OF HARMONY.

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SUNDANCE LONDON TO HOST ROYAL PREMIERE OF

HARMONY: A New Way of Looking at Our World

HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES TO INTRODUCE FILM INSPIRED BY HIS VISION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today announced that HRH The Prince of Wales will introduce the Worldwide Theatrical Premiere screening of the film HARMONY: A New Way of Looking at Our World at the first-ever Sundance London film and music festival on 28 April at The O2. HRH will be joined by Sundance Institute President & Founder Robert Redford.

HARMONY, by filmmakers Stuart Sender and Julie Bergman Sender, tells the story of how for more than three decades HRH The Prince of Wales has worked side by side with a surprising and dynamic array of environmental activists, government and business leaders, artists, architects and visionaries to address the global environmental and economic crisis and find solutions towards a more sustainable, spiritual and harmonious relationship with the planet. HARMONY is narrated by HRH and produced and directed by a team of filmmakers with Academy Award and Directors Guild nominations to their credit. The screening will be followed by an extended Q&A with the filmmakers as well as Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly, authors of the book that inspired the film.

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said: “HRH The Prince of Wales and I share a dedication to preserving the environment and to identifying innovative and yet realistic ways to do so. This important film showcases his diligence, passion and achievement which includes his efforts to amplify the work of social innovators on the front lines of change the world over. In this wonderful journey he shows us what can be an inspired future.”

The royal premiere of HARMONY will be one of a number of Special Events taking place at Sundance London, including: an intimate performance by Rufus and Martha Wainwright following the world premiere of Lian Lunson’s film about the music of their mother; The debut theatrical screening of Coming Up For Air, a documentary about Placebo; and the 25th anniversary screening of River’s Edge, which premiered at the 1987 Sundance Film Festival. Additional events and performances include the Opening Night event An Evening With Robert Redford And T Bone Burnett; Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performing Maxinquaye; and screenings of 14 feature-length and eight short films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

Sundance London takes place at The O2 from 26-29 April. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.sundance-london.com.

Get Lisbeth Salander Style

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The catwalk may be a sea of pastel colours and grown up, Mad-Men-style clothes, but, really, who wants to conform? Certainly not Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The piercings, the tattoos, the incredibly cool hair do; she certainly strikes out on her own. She wears a lot of black, vests, hoodies, black trousers. She has a touch of goth but she is very striking. If you are feeling daring in time for summer, get her look.

 

 

 

 

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is out on Blu-ray and DVD on 23rd April courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – the gripping, hard-edged thriller based on the first of Stieg Larsson’s suspenseful and spell-binding “Millennium” trilogy – arrives on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital Download on April 23. This highly anticipated motion picture from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings together an all-star ensemble cast led by Daniel Craig (James Bond franchise), Rooney Mara (The Social Network), Golden Globe® nominee Robin Wright (1994, Best Actress, Forrest Gump), Stellan Skarsgård (Thor), Golden Globe® winner Christopher Plummer (2012, Best Performance by an Actor In A SupportingRole, Beginners) and Joely Richardson (TV’s “Nip/Tuck”).

Earning $200 million in box office worldwide, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has received five Academy Award® nominations including Actress in a Leading Role (Rooney Mara), Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. The film adaptation was directed by David Fincher with screenplay by Academy Award® winner Steven Zaillian (2002, Writing (Original), Gangs of New York) who executive produced along with Mikael Wallen and Anni Faurbye Fernandez (both Headhunters). Original music is by Academy Award® winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (2011, Best Original Score, The Social Network).The two-disc Blu-ray™ includes nearly four hours of special features.

Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) accepts an invitation to surreptitiously investigate a forty year old unsolved murder on behalf of the victim’s uncle, Swedish industrialist Henrik Vanger (Plummer). Meanwhile, tattooed hacker Lisbeth Salander (Mara), hired to investigate Blomkvist, discovers the truth behind the conspiracy that led to his fall from grace. Thrown together by fate, the unlikely duo uncovers a secret history of murder and sexual abuse festering beneath the veneer of Sweden’s industrial past, all the while drawing close to a quiet evil waiting to engulf them both.