Tag Archives: Film

Midnight in Paris – Review

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It’s hard to go into a film fresh, viewing it as a single work, as opposed to comparing it to similar films or previous films from the creator. Especially when it comes to Woody Allen.

 

He is a writer/director who has had, in many critics’ eyes, a very specific golden age. There’s been many calls of a ‘return to form’, but these are often followed up by huge flops.

 

Sweet and Lowdown was followed by Small Time Crooks, Match Point by Scoop and Casandra’s Dream, Vicky Cristina Barcelona by Whatever Works.

 

Everyone wants to see him hit his heights again, and so are constantly comparing his recent output to early greats like Annie Hall and Manhattan. However, this is unfair to Allen, and it’s a point he makes well in his most recent ‘return to form’.

 

While many could see Midnight in Paris as a love letter to a bygone era, it can also been seen as a dig at critics who are always looking for something greater in the past.

 

After all, it’s about a screenwriter who has been successful in the Hollywood system but who is trying to break out in writing something real, a true work of art, his great American novel.

 

Allen has been doing this his whole career – yet he’s been trapped by mainstream success. Even in Annie Hall, Alfie suffered a similar problem.

 

Like the critics who endlessly long for the days of Hannah and her Sisters, Owen Wilson’s Gil longs for Paris in the 1920’s. And, through one of the most simple time travel devices ever, he manages to find it.

 

Hemingway, the Fitzgerald’s, Dali, Picasso and many more all happen to be holidays in Paris and Gil takes a tour of his dream world with the greatest hosts he could imagine. However, it’s when he meets Marion Cotillard’s ‘art groupy’ that things start to get real for him.

 

Not only does she highlight the problems he’s facing with his soon-to-be wife in the real world, she, too, also longs for a different era, declaring Paris in the 20’s to be boring.

 

As a movie, it’s the most fun Allen has been in a while. While not really touching upon some of the bigger issues Allen has handled in the past, it doesn’t matter as its so funny, charming, and beautifully shot.

The Avengers (2012) trailer

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There hasn’t been a movie so massive in anticipation and scale since The Dark Knight back in 2008. Now Marvel has completed on introducing our main characters; Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, it’s time for the inevitable team-up that has been teasing us with each end-credits scene. On October 11th, we finally get an official teaser trailer of The Avengers.

The trailer shows us that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki will be the film’s main antagonist, but his motives are unclear (world domination or simply causing chaos?). We also get a glimpse of Captain America’s and Thor’s new costume change (not to mention Thor’s hair extension). Each giving witty comebacks, such as Steve Rogers saying;

Steve Rogers: Big man in a suit of armour. Take that away, what are you?
Tony Stark: Er a genius, billionaire playboy and philanthropist.

This is all to be expected from writer/director Joss Whedon, whose previous works are Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly (we’ll just ignore he wrote Alien Resurrection).

From the look of this teaser, it really does show Loki to be more an intimidating villain than he was in Thor. Then we also get to see Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in action and can’t not have shots of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow doing what she knows best. Although we see both Captain America and Thor battling it out in a forest?

It gives a sigh of relief that Joss Whedon does know what he’s doing and does seem to deliver the spectacle but also great characterisation. Though he’s got some strong competition against Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros./DC Comics with The Dark Knight Rises. All will be revealed when the film is released on 4th May, 2012.

Official website; http://marvel.com/movies/movie/152/marvels_the_avengers?fullscreen=1

The Avengers teaser trailer on Apple iTunes; http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/marvel/avengers/

Raindance Award Winners Announced

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There was a 62% Rise in Attendance for the 19th Raindance Film Festival

Some of the winners this yeat included British Indie Stranger Things (Best UK Feature), Croatian/Serbian/Slovenian co-production Just Between Us (Best International Feature), Bulgaria’s Tilt (Best Debut Feature) and Italian
short Reset (Film of the Festival) Raindance Film Festival Awards. The prestigious jury, which included actor Dexter Fletcher, director Gillies Mackinnon, and TV/radio presenter Alex Zane, selected winners in the eight awards
categories.

“There were some outstanding films across the whole line-up so selecting winners was especially
difficult this year,” said Elliot Grove, Festival Director. “This has been a really successful festival – from the heart of London’s West End we’ve screened over 200 features and shorts at the state-of-the art

Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly. Attendance was up by a staggering 62% on last year proving that the
appetite for independent film is thriving.”

The winners were announced on Saturday night (8th October) at the festival venue, the Apollo Cinema,

Piccadilly Circus. The 19th Raindance Film Festival, which started on 28th September and wrapped on 9th October, brought 94 UK feature film premieres and 137 shorts to London, cementing Raindance’s position as Europe’s leading independent film festival.

The other winners were How To Start A Revolution (Best Documentary), the UK’s Monk3ys (Best
Microbudget Feature), Denmark’s Words (Best International Short), and Love At First Sight (Best UK Short). The winning team behind Reset (Film of the Festival) will be offered the chance to film next year’s Raindance Film Festival trailer, with the support of the Independent Film Trust.

Festival Jury
The jury comprised Sally Bibawy of photography company Lomography, actor Dexter Fletcher (Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Director Gillies MacKinnon (Hideous Kinky), Julian Richards,
filmmaker and co-founder of Jinga Films, Oli Harbottle from Dogwoof, CŽline Masset, co-founder and artistic Director of the Brussels Short Film Festival, actress Helen McCrory (The Queen, Harry Potter films), Wendy Mitchell, Head of News at Screen International, and radio/TV presenter and film critic Alex Zane.

Festival Awards – nominated films with winners indicated

Best International Feature

Just Between Us / Rajko Grlic – Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia WINNER
No Return / Miguel Cohan – Spain / Argentina
After Fall, Winter/ Eric Schaeffer – USA
Youth H2 “Come As You Are” / Kota Yoshida – Japan
War Games / Cosimo Alemˆ – Italy

Best UK Feature
Stranger Things / Eleanor Burke/Ron Eyal – UK WINNER
Acts Of Godfrey / Johnny Daukes – UK
A Thousand Kisses Deep / Dana Lustig – UK
Flutter / Giles Borg – UK
Hollow/ Michael Axelgaard – UK
Seamonsters / Julian Kerridge – UK

Best Debut
Tilt / Viktor Chouchkov Jr. – Bulgaria WINNER
Synchronicity / Joe Tanaka – Japan
Exteriors / Marie Kristiansen – Norway
On The Way Home / Emiliano Corapi – Italy
Restive/ Jeremiah Jones – USA

Best Microbudget Feature

MONK3YS / Drew Cullingham – UK WINNER
Julius Caesar / Adam Lee Hamilton & John Montegrande – UK
Uspomene 677 / Mirko Pincelli – Bosnia Herzegovina / UK
Meso Cafe / Ja’far ‘Abd al-Hamid – UK
Black Pond / Tom Kingsley & Will Sharpe – UK

Best Documentary

How to Start A Revolution / Ruaridh Arrow – UK WINNER
White Button / Igor Stoimenov – Serbia
The Echo Of Astro Boy’s Footsteps / Masanori Tominaga – Japan
Where My Heart Beats / Khazar Fatemi – Sweden
Heaven + Earth + Joe Davis / Peter Sasowsky – USA

Best International Short

Words / Sven Vinge – Denmark WINNER
The Lady Paranorma / Vincent Marcone – Canada
Martyr Friday / Abu Bakr Shawky – Egypt
Zoltan- The Hungarian Gangster of Love / Justin Reardon – USA
Hemingway’s Pen / Renzo Carbonera – Italy

Best UK Short
Love At First Sight / Michael Davies – UK WINNER
This Side of the Afterlife / Adam Horton – England
God View / Billy Lumby – UK
The Girl Is Mime / Tim Bunn – UK
Rough Skin / Cathy Brady – UK

Film of the Festival (Short)

The winner is offered the chance to film next year’s Raindance Film Festival trailer, with the support of the Independent Film Trust:

Reset / Nicolangelo Gelormini – Italy

The Raindance Film Festival runs from 28 Sept – 9 Oct at the Apollo Cinema in London’s Piccadilly Circus, with the Opening Night premiere of Another Earth at Cineworld Haymarket on 28 Sept.

Now in its 19th year, Raindance Film Festival is Europe’s leading Independent Film Festival showcasing feature films, shorts and docs from around the world and specialising in independent films and directorial debuts.

The festival has a strong legacy of showing alternative, edgy films. Since 1993 Raindance Film Festival has uncovered the hottest new filmmakers to hit the cinematic scene. Raindance-premiered hits include Pulp Fiction, Memento,
the Blair Witch Project, Ghost World and Love Exposure.

www.raindance.co.uk

19th Raindance Film Festival Highlights

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After Fall, Winter is a sexy love story about a French dominatrix who falls in love with a New York writer in Paris. It is directed by Eric Schaeffer and has the talented Rebecca Jameson in a smaller role. Well worth a watch.

Some of my favourite films that I saw at the Raindance Film Festival were short films.

Death of A Pop Star was an impressive short about A personal physician and the characters in the home of an ailing celebrity. 

Dying Everyday was a wonderful slice of life short from Spain, a short that managed to entertain the audience despite the fact not much happened.

Gin & Dry is a booze heist film set in an old people’s home at Christmas, Oscar Plewes short is funny and entertaining.

Ketchup was a very good film with a tragic ending.

Russell Harbaugh’s Rolling on The Floor Laughing is a high end short film about two grown sons who return home for their widowed mother’s birthday, only to find themselves competing with her new boyfriend for her attention. A well made film that’s worth watching.

Jeremy Craig’s Terrebonne is a visually stunning film. The lead actress is Jessica Heap is a beautiful actress destined to be a movie star.

The Potential Wives of Norman Mao and Exit were also good short films.

I went to the UK Premiere of Bonsai, directed by Cristian Jimenez. The film is from Chile and I thought it was brilliant. Cristian couldn’t be there but filmed an introduction for the film. It tells the story of young writer, Julio, who turns to the romance he had 8 years earlier with the beautiful Emilia when both were studying literature in Valdivia when he gets dropped from writing for a famous author because his asking price is too high. We’re told from the beginning that Emilia dies and Julio remains alone, but don’t let that put you off. It is a wonderful, sensual film. Catch it if you can.

After Bonsai was the closing night gala after party, I bump into Rory O’Donnell and I met some other talented people. I didn’t get home to 2am, can’t wait until next year.

One To Watch: Leoni Kibbey

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On Wednesday 5th of October I attended Short Film Premieres. A premiere of five short films at BAFTA; In the Can, Taken, Ellie, The Unknown and Bird Brain. The short films were well-acted, well-written, well-directed with very high production values.

 

All of the films had a running theme: Leoni Kibbey, she either acted, produced, wrote or cast them. She’s a one women film industry. She is Frost’s One To Watch this month not only because she is talented – the world is full of talented people who do nothing- but because she takes that talent and does something with it, she is one of the hardest working people I know, and she is a working mother! Frost also got a thank you on the Bird Brain credits – which proves Leoni is a classy lady.

 

I previously worked with Leoni on Love Tourettes, a comedy web series I am part of and Frost interviewed her last year. http://frostmagazine.com/archives/688

 

Check out Leoni’s IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3156365/

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) trailer

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I will talk about the trailer in a bit, but first some context for those who are diving straight in without knowing this particular film. As we all know, it is based on a Swedish novel (and first in the Millennium trilogy) by the late Stieg Larsson and has already been adapted as a TV-movie in 2009 (starring Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander). It received three BAFTA nominations (including Best Leading Actress – Noomi Rapace and Best Adapted Screenplay), though it left with one; Best Film not in the English Language.

It wouldn’t be long till Hollywood would decide to grab their hands on it and develop their own version. It cause some outcry and some saying that it should be left alone. I will admit, I was pretty adamant on the idea of a Hollywood version of the novel/TV-movie. Though the talent behind it started to make me have some sigh of hope; they recruited Steven Zaillian to adapt the novel (previous credits – Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York and American Gangster) and David Fincher was hired to direct the film (previous credits – Se7en, Fight Club and The Social Network) Who was going to play the leading players? Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) as troubled yet talented journalist and Rooney Mara (The Social Network) as the socially awkward goth/punk hacker. This is a team that no one could ask anymore better from them! Fincher, especially, is in familiar ground; a dark mystery thriller that practically runs in his veins.

Now our questions were what was the film going to look like? Would the actors attempt to pull a Swedish/English dialect? Well the look is very slick and top notch, Rooney Mara really becomes Salander but actually more like a punk/goth than Rapace did (sorry fans of the original movies but I quite like this new Salander). It features the Oscar winning composers, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, music in the trailer (Reznor even created a cover of ‘Immigrant Song’ by Led Zeppelin with Karen-O for the teaser trailer). Even the trailer runs at 3 minutes and 40 seconds (usually average running time for a theatrical trailer is 2 minutes 30 seconds) reveals only enough to not spoil anything for those who have not read the book or seen the previous films.

My reaction to the trailer? I cannot wait for it! It has moved from being number 2 to number 1 on my most anticipated list (http://frostmagazine.com/2011/03/top-most-anticipated-movies-of-2011/). Plus it’s directed by David Fincher! Do I need to explain why that’s a good thing? As you’ve seen from his credits, he has made a movie that everyone likes! What do you think? Are you excited for it as much as I am or do you think it should’ve been left alone from the very start?

Magazine Round-Up: October | Amanda Seyfried and Rosamund Pike Cover Stars.

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Glamour has Amanda Seyfried on the cover. She gives a refreshing interview inside. She reveals: “British guys are definitely funnier than American guys.”

It is Glamour’s Men Issue and they have 25 pages of men

In the Dos and Don’ts, Jimmy Choo re-release their greatest hits, men in uggs, ipad covers, Lucy Liu becomes an artist and Prince William is heading the fund-raising to help homelessness, Diesel clothes, Children in Need turns 31!,

Louise Mensch tells Glamour readers how to succeed in a man’s world. Louise is inspirational and she gives good advice.

  What a man is thinking on the first date, work habits that are making you sick, Career tips from jewellery         entrepreneur Jessica Herrin, Food versus Exercise; which is better for you? , Is being single making you broke?, How to be single, are you in drinking denial?, Celebrity tenants. You won’t want one after reading the article, Your right to abortion (a very good article, laws are being passed quietly all of the time to take away women’s rights),

50 Sexiest Men: Robert Pattinson takes the top spot again, Taylor Lautner is second.

Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake, Darren Criss, Prince Harry, Zac Efron are also on the list.

Katherine Jenkins tells of the friend, Polly Noble’s, battle with cancer. A very inspirational story. Polly has a book out, The Cancer Journey, that I think will be brilliant after reading the article.

What a man wants in bed.

James Cordon protests that men have feelings too, and he’s right. Well written.

Gabrielle Bernstein gives her happiness guide.

Arianna Huffington has written a brilliant and informative article on the economical climate, explains what happened and if we will recover.

Steve Jones is interviewed by Celia Walden in the lunch date feature.

The rise in broody men.

Guillaume Henry tells Glamour readers how to get Parisian chic.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld’s celebrity look book.

Bad beauty habits to kick.

Five reasons to love Emma Stone.

The truth about your lady parts: everything you want to know about your vagina.

Charlotte Ronson shows Glamour around her home.

Tatler has Isabel Lucas on the cover, and an interview with her inside.

Anna Dello Russo talks front row fashion.

Frida Giannini, Gucci creative director, gives Tatler her mood board.

Emily Blunt’s brother Sebastian joins the family business.

Sam Leith shows how not to make a speech.

There is an amusing article on fancy dress parties, and lots of pictures, Marc Jacobs dressed as a pig? Why not.

David Sedaris interview.

Super Tutors to the rescue, if you have the money, get the best with Tatler’s guide.

The wonderful Francis Wheen writes about Private Eye’s 50th anniversary, and to the next 50!

Gallerist Maureen Paley.

School pranks.

Camel Racing.

The richest man in Britain: Alisher Usmanov.

The worrying trend of parents taking drugs with their kids. Jeez….

Keith Vaz profile.

Emma Freud’s technology reviews.

Jonathan Yeo interview.

An editorial on Britain’s funniest comedians. Al Murray in the nude (!), Laura Solon, Tim Key, David Armand, Rufus Hound, Miles Jupp, Lucy Porter, Jack Whitehall, Greg Davies (as Christine Keeler, so funny).

How to keep your money safe. Clue: buy gold.

Dynasties of Dynasties: A profile of the Rothschild dynasty.

How to sleep better.

The virtues of Crème de la Mer.

Tatler homes: Scotland’s Linzee Gordon’s.

Ralph Lauren interview.

Solange Azagury-Partridge tells Tatler what she loves.

Ciara Parkes travels to Botswana.

Rosamund Pike is on the cover of Instyle, she is interviewed inside and says: “I find award ceremonies so often the low point – people delivering trite lines in a pretentious manner”.

Sexy perfume adverts.

Nicole Roberts gives her Style IQ

The wonderful world of Christian Louboutin.

15 minutes with Diana von Furstenberg

Chloe Sevigny’s fashion genius.

You can tell people are tightening their purse strings as Instyle – and other magazines- are giving advice on how to do things on the cheap or by yourself. In the ‘your look’ section they tell you how to fake a facial, become your own hairstylist, make your own jewellery.

How to stay original when people keep buying the same clothes as you.

Instyle sits down with Gucci’s Frida Giannini to celebrate Gucci’s 90th birthday.

Jessica Chastain models and is interviewed.

Inside the Kardashian sister’s wardrobes. Envy alert!

How to wear a hat.

Olivia Wilde is this month’s beauty crush.

Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay models evening make up and there is 10 things you need to know about Jessica.

Narciso Rodriguez, Michael Kors, Tamara Mellon, Oscar De La Renta tell Instyle on the inspiration behind their perfume.

Jessica Alba, up close.

Dita Von Teese goes to the Maldives so we don’t have to. Sob.

Melissa Odabash tells Instyle what she packs for her holidays.

Diane Birch shows Instyle the contents of the bag.

Part 2 here

Bubbles: Short Film Perfection

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I went to see Bubbles at the Soho Screening Rooms, and it was perfection.

Short films are hard to do. Trying to tell an entire story in under 20 minutes is something not everyone can achieve, although they do try. Bubbles succeeds on many levels. When it ended, everyone at the screening was disappointed.

Bubbles is an amazing accomplishment: a short film that you don’t want to end. Beautifully shot and framed, Bubbles is a high quality film which is well-written and well-acted. A triumph for all involved.

Vanessa Bailey is wonderful in her part, sexy, beautiful and smart. Playing a role most actresses would kill for. She is definitely one to watch.

The film tells the story of three generations in a country mansion after a funeral. A photograph resurfaces that changes everything. The past becomes present, and former loves refuse to be forgotten. Leyla Pope is an outstanding talent, I cannot wait for her next film, or, indeed, a feature length version of Bubbles.

http://www.shortfilmbubbles.com/index.html