Category Archives: Film

Emma Dyson Interview: Acting Advice From Spotlight’s Career Expert

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acting tips, acting career, acting, advice, book, how to be a successful actor, quit, Catherine BalavageI interviewed a lot of great casting directors, actors, directors and experts in the acting industry for my book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. One of those interviews was with Emma Dyson who gives actors career advice for Spotlight, the main casting site for actors and casting directors. Spotlight is also the essential casting site for actors, if you are not in it, you are invisible. An extract from the interview is below. Read it and learn.

Emma Dyson works for the main casting website for actors in the United Kingdom, Spotlight. She also does one-on-one talks for Spotlight members to give them career advice.

So tell us about you.

I’ll tell you a bit about my background. I trained as an actor at the Guildford School of Acting in the 1990s and then, having got the training out of my system, I quickly realised I couldn’t be an actor. I probably didn’t have the talent or the perseverance or the backbone. Then I was an agent for six years. Then I left being an agent thinking that I would go into a different career, something entirely different, but every job that I was getting was pulling me back to the business so first of all I was working at my old drama school back at Guildford, I was the personal assistant for Peter Barlow who was the then assistant director, and then I left two weeks into the job because he was leaving. Subsequently a casting director put me in touch with Thea from United Agents, and I was temping at United Agents sort of off and on for about six months which is when I got the job here at Spotlight being the PR manager.

I used to do castings within the agencies and get the Spotlight breakdown and put roles and the actors that fit them together. It was interesting, having worked in an agency, because the first point of contact that you do in casting work is Spotlight. Now I am very happy here as PR manager and I go to the drama schools and talk about acting and Spotlight member benefits. How to get a good CV and photo, what type of letters to write to casting directors, agents. Time and time again they are incredibly green. They are in their final year of drama school and have hardly written any letters to agents or casting directors. They leave thinking ‘Here I am, come and get me!’ it just doesn’t work out like that. It’s really important and I empathise that it is very important to write letters, to hopefully reach your future employer, who will, across the course of your career, become your friends, and keep re-employing you.

acting, acting advice, acting book, how to be a successful actor, actorpreneur, auditions, castings, casting breakdown, how to be an actor, It is such a shock when people leave drama school. They don’t really know what to do.

I know and it is such a shame. They go to Central, LAMDA and RADA. Those are very central London schools. They get so spoilt for choice because it’s awash with agents and casting directors, it carries the kudos of being at the best drama school. Where I was at Guildford  we were terribly cut-off  despite the facts it’s only a twenty minute train journey, but, we felt very cut-off.  It’s a shame that schools that are not in central London get kind of left out and not thought of. There are some interesting actors in regional schools. The Welsh college is a very good school with a lot of good courses and a brilliant reputation. Conversely Rose Bruford has some really good students and that is in Kent.

I think you have got to train, you have got to workshops, you have got to keep classes going. Try to teach yourself as many skills and techniques as possible because the more skilled you are as an actor the more you should work. I always like the actors who go into musical theatre, straight theatre, film and do a bit of everything,  And what we are noticing is that there is more of a vogue for musical theatre and films are being made from those musicals. I know of a few film directors who are making films which are musicals. It is kind of a renaissance or a nod to the 1950s. The MGM sort of musicals. Musicals are very popular.

So learn to sing

Learn to sing if you can, and if you can dance then I think you will probably work all the time.

Daryl Eisenberg, an American casting director, told me two things when I met her: One, you are not special. Don’t think you are more special than anyone else and are just going to make it,  and two, whatever is stopping you from getting a job, remove it.  So if you can’t dance then learn to dance, etc.

I think that is just a roundabout response to what I just said. If you do just keep yourself as skilled and as tuned in as possible then you will get work. You have to do as much theatre as you can and as much film as you can. Not only that but I extend it to: if you are a London actor or a London based actor see as much art as you can, culturally exploit everything which is on your doorstep. Because I think that tunes you in to everything. It keeps you aware of what is current. You pick up on working trends and that reflects across the arts.

Tell me about Spotlight events,

Yeah, we do events. Being PR manager. ..We did one in October in conjunction with the London Film Festival. I got three casting directors. I got Karen Lindsay Stewart and Lucinda Syson. It was held at the British Film Institute and it was chaired by Pippa, my boss, and myself, it was just about how to become a working actor, keeping your CV up to date, how to get an audition, and also I do seminars where I talk a lot about being a working actor, how to network, all of those things, and at Spotlight offices on every Monday we have Spotlight Mondays where I operate 20 minutes chats with people who are stuck in their careers. They are incredibly popular. They always sell out very, very quickly. And the seminars are sometimes in conjunction with Actors Expo or other bodies. We just hold little seminars in house.

How do you break through?

I think it depends because some actors burn out very quickly, and other actors, they see an opportunity and they become very successful and popular when they are in their forties. So I think it just depends because there is so much reliance on good luck and you have to have a lot of charisma, a lot of talent. But then the rest of it is luck. I think you can make your own luck, but a lot of it is out of your control. Probably one of the reasons that I didn’t become an actor was because I couldn’t stand being in a career with no control.

To answer your question, I think it depends on many things. They have to have a good agent behind them and the rest of it I think is luck.

What is the most common mistakes actors make?

Not being proactive, not writing letters to casting directors. Even with a good agent you should still do your own work. Not looking after themselves, not working out, not eating well, not networking, I think all of these things, the actor has to do that. It is part of their homework.

How many actors are on Spotlight?

Just over 40,000

 

For the rest of the interview, and great interviews from our acting industry professionals get your hands on a copy of How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur now.

 

 

 

Five Things Aspiring Actors Should Do

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acting tips, acting career, acting, advice, book, how to be a successful actor, quit, Catherine BalavageTake Advantage of Your Novelty Value.

You are new and shiny. Take advantage of this. Casting directors will give you an audition just because they have never seen you before. Not so much after you have been auditioning for years. Getting noticed when you are new can really give you a foothold into the industry as every agent, producer and casting director wants to discover the Next Big Thing. You have about six months until the next wave of graduates enter the ring. Sounds brutal and unfair? That’s because it is.

Get An Accurate Headshot.

I cannot stress this enough. Get a headshot that looks like you. I have been on the other side of the casting divide and have always been shocked when an actor comes in with a headshot that is either ten years old or airbrushed into oblivion. You are an actor, not a supermodel. The key to a good headshot is to look like yourself, only better. Have spots and dark circles removed, nothing else. Actors are hired to play real people, not robots (usually). Not looking like your headshot is also the quickest way to upset a casting director. They will look bad in front of the producer or director. Many productions also cast from pictures and, if like the women who was hired to play 1980s era Madonna on a production I was also cast in, you now look completely different than you do in your picture that casting director will never hire you again.

Write To Every Casting Director Who Ever Lived.

Slight exaggeration but you get my point. Start your research. Watch TV and film and write down who the casting director is. Do the same for theatre. Do not just throw mud at the wall however, don’t contact casting directors who only do kids TV shows if you are 30. The key is to contact casting directors who cast your type. Be concise and to the point and remember to include your headshot and contact details. This brings me to my next point…

Know Your Type.

I know, I know. You are an actor dahling. You can play any role. But the acting industry does not work like that. Casting directors have to put you somewhere and the brutal truth is that the acting industry is probably the only industry that can actually discriminate on how you look. And it will. Catherine Zeta Jones may be a lass from the Welsh valley but she is frequently cast as Italian or Spanish because, in a superficial stereotypical world, that is what they think she looks like. I get cast in period roles a lot because I am slim and pale. So work out your type. Ask friends and family. Make a list of who you are and who you are not and market yourself accordingly. It is not all bad however, getting typecast means getting work, and you can always branch out into other roles later.

 

Catherine Balavage has been an actor for over ten years. Her book on acting, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, has gotten numerous five star reviews and has been called the ‘best advice available’ by numerous sources.

 

 

Halo: Nightfall – Interview with Mike Colter

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Halo-Nightfall-LayeredImages-SDCC Group 2 - 3Here’s a challenge, describe Halo: Nightfall in multiples of two words.

Hmmm let’s see how about “Bad Ass”, “Computer Game”, “Action Movie” “Special effects” or “Xbox Classic”? How about “Mike Colter”, the actor who plays the role of “Agent Locke”?

In case you didn’t know Halo: Nightfall is set between the events of Halo 4 and the eagerly anticipated Halo 5: Guardians and is the second full-length live-action feature for the Halo franchise.

From Executive Producer Ridley Scott (Prometheus, Blade Runner) and award-winning Director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Battlestar Galactica, The Pillars Of The Earth), Halo: Nightfall features an all-star cast including Mike Colter (The Good Wife), Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day), Steven Waddington (Sleepy Hollow) and Luke Neal (Final Prayer).

Halo: Nightfall tells the personal story of Jameson Locke, a legendary manhunter and agent with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), Earth’s most powerful and secretive military branch. The film provides the background to this pivotal new character in the Halo universe, who will play a key role in the next gaming instalment.

Whilst investigating terrorist “chatter” on the distant colony world of Sedra, Locke and his crew are caught in a horrific biological attack. Led by Locke, ONI agents are forced to coordinate with the local command who have a deep-rooted mistrust of ONI. As they unravel a plot that draws them to an ancient, hellish artefact, they are forced to fight for their survival and to make the ultimate choice between their loyalty and their lives.

I caught up with Mike to find out more about his experiences of playing a part in such a coveted franchise.

Halo-Nightfall-LayeredImages-SDCC COAS - 1How was the experience filming Halo: Nightfall?

Well, it wasn’t a glamorous shoot. One word that comes to mind is rigid. It was a rigid, rigid shoot. We were filming in Iceland for most of it so the location was beautiful, but it turned out that the weather was not like what we were expecting – it rained the whole time. We were up against the elements, and I think this added to the overall essence of what we were looking for in this film, being destitute on a foreign planet without a way home. In this sense it helped, but at times walking around in heavy armor for hours was tough.

What was it like filming in Iceland?

Iceland was really phenomenal; I’d love to go back on a leisure journey or holiday. I went to the Blue Lagoon – actually, I went  here about three times! It really helped my back. Soaking in that water is so wonderful and regenerative. Just sitting in there gave me so much energy and made me feel so relaxed. I definitely recommend it if you ever get a chance to visit Iceland – when you leave the airport get your driver to head straight for the Blue Lagoon, don’t even go to the hotels first. It’s a phenomenal experience with not that many tourists.

I like it here, there were times I’d be driving past waterfalls, volcanos and icecaps, its such wonderful scenery. It’s such a great place, I really like it a lot, the food is great and the people are very nice here.

Halo-Nightfall-LayeredImages-SDCC Halo Ring - 4What were your first thoughts when you were first presented with the role of Locke? And being part of the franchise. We’re you familiar with its huge global following?

Not really actually, just the basics, I knew that it was a popular game that people enjoyed which has a huge following; It’s a great brand that people are really dedicated to, and it always made me curious about it, to find out more. And so to be offered this part in Halo made me look deeper into what is was about. It gave me some opportunities to do things that I wanted to do, which was doing more action projects, like this, like sci-fi, to give me an opportunity to branch out and diversify and also get a chance to do a voice-over.

Did you prepare for the role by playing a lot of the Halo games and immersing yourself in that world, to help you become more familiar?

No, playing the game wouldn’t have helped me much, as my character, at that point, hasn’t been created or introduced in the video game. As far as the film, he was the only character who wasn’t a Spartan, and in the game it is primarily just Spartan super solders who can do these awesome things, that’s above everything humanly possible, and have these incredible suits on, I on the other hand, had to focus on my character’s journey and origin story, and what’s the fate of his team when he left the planet. It’s more of him only as a solder and not so much what he was going to be when he becomes a Spartan, which is where the video game picks up from. It’s more of a human story that we’re trying to tell. There are very little situations where I’m actually doing anything like the video game; it’s not very similar.

You started with getting the voice-over role in the game, which explicitly led to your role in the film, is that right?

It was actually the other way round. I signed up for the film and then that led to the video game and the motion caption character, which would then go into the video game. I was approached as an actor to audition for the role in the digital film, that was the first thing that happened, then we moved on to creating the character for the video game.

It must be quite a unique experience playing the same character in both the film and video game. Has their been much cross referencing and how have they correlated? 

The first thing is that they are both so different, acting on film verses doing motion caption verses doing voice-over is all different medias, so it’s not the same as what your trying to convey. I’m used to acting, which relies on your total being in front of the camera trying to convey what the character is experiencing, but when your doing voiceover work you really have to get all that expression and emotion and everything through your voice and sometimes that can feel a little phony, because you’re trying to convey something that people can’t see and at times you feel like you’re doing too much, it was a bit weird at first but Amanda Wiseman, who directed the voice over sessions guided me through and you eventually get used to it. The motion caption was very technical thing and very subtle. You have to walk around in these funny suits with a camera right in your face, which can get a bit tedious at times. Watching it all back was surreal, the technology in these video games are incredible.

What can you tell us about your character in Halo: Nightfall?Halo-Nightfall-LayeredImages-SDCC COAS - 4

Locke is a ‘think first, act later’ kind of guy; always making a decision based on the fact that it can affect so many people, so that is something that he doesn’t take lightly. He’s a very logical methodical man, and even though there are lives at stake, he always understands and knows that this is what he signed up for.  I got in touch with my character, but I think it’s something that a lot of people would find hard to relate to – unless you’re in the military, people who put their lives on the line everyday – I’ve tried to understand that and try to feel what it would be like as a solider with nerves of steel and not be afraid.

What was it like working with the other cast members and crew?

We had a great time. They assembled a great tem – our production crew were some on the few that worked on the game, and in Iceland and some that had worked on The Game Of Thrones, so they were incredible, just used to working long hours and shooting in weird locations. They were very professional all the way through. The cast were great; a lot of the cast were actually from the UK, I got to meet a lot of people and still keep in touch with a few of them and formed some lifelong friends. We had a great time even though the elements were harsh, we still had a great time and a lot of laughs; it would be cold, raining and we’re stuck on a mountain, tired and sleepy but what can you do, it was great. We had a fun time.

You obviously enjoy energetic, action movie roles, but were you allowed to perform your own stunt & action scenes?

I’m getting quite a bit more ‘sign off’ to do more. Unless you could potentially die doing a scene or stunt then it’s usually ok. But I’ve never really been the type to throw myself in to do my own stunts, because stuntmen are trained and tend to be adrenaline junkies – they like it! One stunt guy wanted to fall from a large building, it was a huge fall. Huge! But he wanted to do it, but in the end we decided against it and used CGI. But that’s part of their job I guess, they love it. I do as much stunts as I can, when all the proper precautions are in place, because it’s not so much fun when you get hurt.

Do you think there are any pressures that come with a role in a film with the Halo brand, having such a huge fan base?

They’re trying to change a little bit of the narrative for Halo, and give it a story that would be able to connect to a reach a wider audience. One that would not have necessarily have been a fan of Halo video game series, and create a stand alone film that you could watch and connect to the characters and the story, and I guess generate an interest in the video game, regardless of who you are. I don’t think you have to just be a sc-fi fan or gamer to enjoy this.

Halo: Nightfall is released digitally on March 17 2015 and internationally on March 17th.  Check out the trailer below for a taste.

The Rise and Rise of Benedict Cumberbatch

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Benedict_Cumberbatch_SDCC_2014Since becoming a household name with his star-making turn as the iconic Sherlock Holmes, Benedict Cumberbatch has notched up an astoundingly impressive resume of film and TV roles. Considered one of the greatest actors of his generation, he’s demonstrated a remarkable range, and gained a hugely loyal fanbase in the process. Often cited for having a startling aptitude for playing geniuses, his latest character is no exception, as he takes on the role of war hero Alan Turing. To celebrate the release of The Imitation Game we take a look back at some of his most memorable roles.

The Imitation Game (2014)

Based on the true story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, this historical biopic recounts the nail-biting race against time by Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Bletchley Park during World War II. The film spans key periods in Turing’s life, from his unhappy years at boarding school and the triumph of his secret work on the revolutionary electro-mechanical ‘Bombe’, which broke the Enigma code, to the tragedy of his post-war decline following his conviction for a now outdated criminal offence. Cumberbatch garnered multiple leading actor nominations for his astounding performance, including for an Academy Award, BAFTA and SAG.

12 Years A Slave (2013)

This multi-award winning historical biopic of Solomon Northup, the free black man from upstate New York who was abducted and sold into slavery, is regarded as a modern classic and won the Academy Award for Best Picture on its release. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Northup, with Cumberbatch taking the supporting role of William Ford, a benevolent but weak-willed plantation owner who is impressed by Northup’s innovative ideas for running his plantation, but ultimately sells him on to sadistic plantation owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).

August: Osage County (2013)

Based on the play by Tracy Letts, this darkly comic look at a family in turmoil boasts a star-studded cast, including Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Meryl Street, Julia Roberts, Ewan Macgregor and Margo Martindale. Cumberbatch plays Little Charles, the shy, awkward son of Mattie Fae (Martindale), summoned home by his grandmother (Streep) after his grandfather (Sam Shepard) goes missing- with the ensuing crisis unearthing long-buried secrets and resentments.

Parade’s End (2012)

This BBC mini-series based on Ford Madox Ford’s novels was adapted for the screen by Tom Stoppard and garnered five Emmy nominations. Cumberbatch stars as the protagonist Christopher Tietjens, a conservative, deeply honourable English aristocrat who finds himself in a love triangle between his cruel, calculating socialite wife (Rebecca Hall) and headstrong young suffragette Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens), all against the backdrop of WWI.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

This atmospheric spy drama based on John Le Carre’s novel boasts a star-studded cast which includes Cumberbatch alongside British acting stalwarts Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth and Kathy Burke. Nominated for three Oscars, and winning three BAFTAs, it follows ex-spy George Smiley (Oldman) as he is forced out of retirement to investigate an allegation by rogue agent Ricki Tarr (Hardy) that there is a Soviet spy operating within MI6. Cumberbatch plays Peter Guillam, one of several agents who are under suspicion.

War Horse (2011)

Cumberbatch stars alongside Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson and Tom Hiddleston in this war epic based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, and directed by Steven Spielberg. The acclaimed drama follows young Albert Narracott (Irvine), separated from his beloved horse Joey when he is sold to the British cavalry and shipped to France. Albert enlists in WWI and embarks on a hopeful, heartbreaking journey to reunite with him, as the war rages on around them. Cumberbatch plays Major Jamie Stewart, leader of the cavalry company and a fellow soldier of Albert’s.

Third Star (2010)

This moving drama stars Cumberbatch as James, a terminally ill young man who embarks on an ill-advised trip with his three closest friends, Davy (Tom Burke), Miles (JJ Feild) and Bill (Adam Robertson), to visit his favourite place on earth before he dies- Barafundle Bay in West Wales. As they make the trip, the bonds of their friendships are tested with comical, poignant results- and a wonderfully heartbreaking performance from Cumberbatch.

Sherlock (2010-2016)

Widely considered to be his breakout role, this BBC series created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss catapulted Cumberbatch into the mainstream, winning him legions of fans and launching him into the A-list. Taking on the titular role, he’s joined by an equally brilliant Martin Freeman as the consulting detective’s best friend and colleague, Dr John Watson, with supporting turns from Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves, Louise Brealey and Andrew Scott. Critically acclaimed and adored, Cumberbatch has won countless praise for his unique, fresh and pitch-perfect portrayal of the beloved literary character, and the show picked up three Emmys in 2014; leading actor for Cumberbatch, supporting actor for Freeman and writing for a miniseries for Moffat.

Atonement (2007)

This heartbreaking wartime drama based on Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel boasts a stellar cast, including Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave. When the budding romance between Cecilia Tallis (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (McAvoy) is cut brutally short following a lie told by Bryony Tallis (Ronan), the repercussions span several decades. Cumberbatch provides a brilliant, deeply unsettling and sinister supporting turn as confectioner Paul Marshall, a guest of the Tallis family whose actions reverberate across the lives of the entire household…

Starter for Ten (2006)

Based on the novel by David Nicholls, this British comedy follows the trials and tribulations of student Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working class student in 1985 who finds himself navigating the campus of Bristol University, and attempting to impress the object of his affections, Alice (Alice Eve), while finally succeeding in his lifelong ambition to win University Challenge. Cumberbatch steals every scene he’s in, demonstrating a brilliant knack for comedy as the socially inept and uptight captain of the team, Patrick Watts.

The Imitation Game is available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download from the 9th March 2015, courtesy of StudioCanal

 

 

 

Keira Knightley’s Top Ten Films

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Keira Knightley , top ten, films, best filmsBritish actress Keira Knightley has accumulated a hugely impressive resume in her 29 years, showing incredible skill and development as an actress, as well as breathtaking movie star looks. With a wonderful aptitude for period pieces, she has a particular talent for portraying brilliant, conflicted and nuanced women- and her depiction of brilliant cryptanalyst Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game, is no exception. To celebrate the home entertainment release of The Imitation Game, we count down some of her most memorable roles.

 

The Imitation Game (2015)
Based on the true story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, this historical biopic recounts the nail-biting race against time by Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Bletchley Park during World War II. The film spans key periods in Turing’s life, from his unhappy years at boarding school and the triumph of his secret work on the revolutionary electro-mechanical ‘Bombe’, which broke the Enigma code, to the tragedy of his post-war decline following his conviction for a now outdated criminal offence. Knightley provides a superb Oscar-nominated supporting turn as Joan Clarke, a fellow cryptanalyst, and Turing’s close friend and confidante.

 

Begin Again (2013)
Knightley shows off some impressive singing talents in this enchanting romantic musical drama, based on the hit musical Once. It follows the repercussions after down-and-out music executive Dan (Mark Ruffallo) chances upon young singer-songwriter Gretta (Knightley) at an open-mic night. Gretta, still reeling from the break up with her rock-star ex Dave (Adam Levine), agrees to collaborate with Dan on an album- recording each of the songs in a different location in Manhattan.

 

Anna Karenina (2012)
The third collaboration between director Joe Wright and Knightley, this adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic novel offered an experimental approach to the source material. Wright chose to set the majority of scenes were shot on a rundown theatre built from scratch in Shepperton. The various locations in the film, such as the train station, and horse stables, were actually built on top of the stage. Knightley takes the lead as the tragic heroine, opposite a stellar cast that includes Jude Law, Domhnall Gleeson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emily Watson.

 

A Dangerous Method (2011)
Knightley takes on the daring role of Sabina Spielrein in this David Cronenberg- directed historical drama which focuses on the tense professional relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), as well as Jung’s relationship with Spielrein. Knightley gives a brilliant, sensitive portrayal of the psychologically disturbed Spielrein, who eventually went on to become a talented and respected psychoanalyst in her own right.

 

Last Night (2010)
This little-known ensemble piece, directed by Massy Tadjedin and starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet, offers a slow-burning and understated study on the nature of monogamy. Joanna (Knightley) and Michael Reed (Worthington) are seven years into a happy, stable marriage when he is sent on a business trip with a colleague he is fighting an attraction to (Mendes). That same evening, Joanna runs into an old flame and spends the evening considering how things might have been.

 

Never Let Me Go (2010)
This haunting, dystopian drama based on Kazuo Ishiguru’s novel of the same name stars Knightley alongside Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan, and recounts the lives of Ruth (Knightley), Kathy (Mulligan) and Tommy (Garfield), three friends who grow up together in an idyllic English boarding school. However, after they leave the school the horrific truth of their fate becomes apparent, and they are forced to confront the inevitable, while dealing with the ever-present love triangle hanging over them.

 

The Duchess (2008)
This biographical drama chronicles the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, played by Knightley. A celebrity of the time, Georgiana’s charm, kindness, activism and fashion bring her high regard everywhere she goes. But the oppressive restraints of her controlling husband (Ralph Fiennes) lead her into a passionate affair with the younger Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper) highlighting the stark, appalling differences in treatment between men and women in the aristocracy of the 18th century.

 

The Edge of Love (2008)
Written by Knightley’s mother, Sharman Macdonald, this historical drama is loosely based on real events, and focuses on the friendship between two married couples- the poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) and his wife Caitlin Thomas (Sienna Miller) and Thomas’s old flame Vera Phillips (Knightley) and her husband William Cillick (Cillian Murphy). Both Knightley and Miller garnered rave reviews for their nuanced portrayals of two women whose genuine, close friendship was built on a fragile foundation of suppressed feelings and suspicion.

 

Atonement (2007)
This heartbreaking wartime drama based on Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel boasts a stellar cast, including Knightley, James McAvoy, Saiorse Ronan, Benedict Cumberbatch and Vanessa Redgrave. When the budding romance between Cecilia Tallis (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (McAvoy) is cut brutally short following a lie told by Bryony Tallis (Ronan), the repercussions span several decades. Knightley provides a masterfully reserved and heartbreaking turn as the stoic Cecilia, and Wright’s tackling of the novel’s twist ending is a particular masterstroke.

 

Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Joe Wright’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s most famous work earned him a BAFTA for most promising newcomer and follows the trials and tribulations of the five Bennett sisters after two eligible bachelors move into town- Mr Darcy (Matthew MacFayden) and Mr Bingley (Simon Woods). Wright was famously reluctant to cast Knightley in the lead role of Elizabeth Bennett, deeming her ‘too attractive’… until he met her, and realised her tomboyish attitude was ideal for the role. Knightley provides a brilliantly fresh portrayal of a beloved literary character, which led to her first Academy Award nomination.

 

The Imitation Game, arrives on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital platforms on 9th March 2015, courtesy of StudioCanal

 

 

 

Playing it Cool Trailer Starring Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan & Aubrey Plaza

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Playing it Cool film trailer

We are huge fans of Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan & Aubrey Plaza at Frost, so you can imagine our excitement for new offbeat romantic comedy Playing it Cool.

Playing it Cool is this generation’s ‘Swingers’ meets ‘500 Days of Summer’, a fresh and quirky story of a slight pretentious man, our ‘narrator’ (Evans), who falls for an unlikely girl, ‘her’ (Monaghan), and will stop at nothing to get her even after realizing she is already in a relationship. Like a young ‘Walter Mitty’, it tells the story of a quarter-life crisis amidst figuring out who you are and what your destiny holds.

In Playing it Cool unrequited love motivates a guy to write about his experiences…

Directed by Justin Reardon, Playing it Cool is from a screenplay by Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair, from Wonderland Sound & Vision and Voltage Films.

Playing it Cool will be available on VOD from March 2nd 2015.

 

 

Patricia Arquette’s Oscar Speech Is a Thing of Beauty | Watch Now

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Patricia Arquette , speech, feminism, oscar speech, equal pay, Winner of Best Actress In A Supporting Role Oscar 2015Patricia Arquette’s kick ass Oscar Speech took over the internet, and rightly so. While political statements are generally frowned upon at the Academy Awards, Arquette won the hearts of people all over the world with her demand for equal pay for women. The best reaction came from Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez, both of whom nearly fell off their seats with glee. Equal pay for women in Hollywood has been a widely debated topic since the Sony hacks. I hope that Arquette’s speech makes a difference, she has at least raised awareness to billions of people, and for that she is amazing.

She also said earlier this year that she paid her babysitter and dog walker more money than she made on Boyhood. She isn’t the only one to speak out. Hilary Swank said: “My male counterpart will get paid ten times more than me — ten times. Not double, but ten times for the same job. We only have this much left for the female actress. I mean, there’s two genders on this earth. Both are compelling, interesting, diverse, wonderful in all their own separate ways. And yet there’s an influx of male roles, and there’s just not for women.”

While Amy Pascal has said that the problem is that women accept less money than men it is not as simple as that. Pascal herself said that there are less roles for women so women are more likely to work for less just to have a job. This is a sad state of affairs that must change. Arquette has started the battle call, we must all follow through.