Bill Genovese knows the story that took hold about his sister Kitty, whose early-morning stabbing murder on a New York City street in 1964 became a cultural touchstone with a shocking allegation: that 38 people in nearby apartments witnessed her stabbing and heard her anguished screams over a 30-minute period, but did nothing as her killer returned to stab her again and again.
But Bill also knows the story isn’t true.
“The ’38 witnesses’ story, I had always been somewhat suspect of, maybe naively, because I thought how could that be?” he tells People.
As a child who grew up in the Connecticut suburbs,...
But Bill also knows the story isn’t true.
“The ’38 witnesses’ story, I had always been somewhat suspect of, maybe naively, because I thought how could that be?” he tells People.
As a child who grew up in the Connecticut suburbs,...
- 1/23/2017
- by jefftruesdelltimeinc
- PEOPLE.com
Exclusive: David O Russell, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon & Pamela Koffler, and Rachael Horovitz will produce a narrative feature adaptation of The Witness, the James Solomon-directed documentary that is one of the 15 feature docus shortlisted for the Oscars. Solomon will write the screenplay. The Witness takes a close look at the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese, an attack that shocked the city after The New York Times reported that 38 witnesses saw her being murdered or…...
- 1/9/2017
- Deadline
Every year, IndieWire looks beyond the countless top 10 lists written by critics to widen the field. We turn to friends and colleagues in the independent film community — programmers, distributors, publicists and others — to give them the opportunity to share their favorite films and other media from the past 12 months. We also invited them to share their resolutions and anticipated events for 2017.
The Best of 2016: IndieWire’s Year in Review Bible
Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival
I’m limiting my list to films that had Us and Canadian theatrical releases in 2016. I saw far more than 10 this year that I liked, but if I have to be brutal, I’ll limit it to the films that lifted me.
1. “Moonlight”
2. “Julieta”
3. “Toni Erdmann”
4. “Cemetery of Splendor”
5. “Arrival”
6. “Fences”
7. “13th”
8. “American Honey”
9. “Things to Come”
10. “Moana”
Michael Barker, Co-President, Sony Pictures Classics
“Now is the winter of our discontent.
The Best of 2016: IndieWire’s Year in Review Bible
Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival
I’m limiting my list to films that had Us and Canadian theatrical releases in 2016. I saw far more than 10 this year that I liked, but if I have to be brutal, I’ll limit it to the films that lifted me.
1. “Moonlight”
2. “Julieta”
3. “Toni Erdmann”
4. “Cemetery of Splendor”
5. “Arrival”
6. “Fences”
7. “13th”
8. “American Honey”
9. “Things to Come”
10. “Moana”
Michael Barker, Co-President, Sony Pictures Classics
“Now is the winter of our discontent.
- 12/30/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The Academy documentary branch’s shortlist of 15 represents a diverse range of films from all over the world, representing strong political views as well as high artistry. However, this year also stands as the first HBO shutout in recent memory — perhaps because they didn’t campaign assertively.
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste than this group of professional documentarians. For now, this more demanding group will winnow down the list.
Films on similar topics could knock each other out. For example, voters...
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste than this group of professional documentarians. For now, this more demanding group will winnow down the list.
Films on similar topics could knock each other out. For example, voters...
- 12/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy documentary branch’s shortlist of 15 represents a diverse range of films from all over the world, representing strong political views as well as high artistry. However, this year also stands as the first HBO shutout in recent memory — perhaps because they didn’t campaign assertively.
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
PBS films — 3 are Independent Lens (Tower, I Am Not Your Negro and The Witness), one is Pov (Cameraperson) and one is American Experience (Command And Control.)
best,
Mary Lugo
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste...
Rivals PBS landed five, Independent Lens and Showtime three, Netflix two, and American Experience Films, Pov, A&E, Amazon Studios, and Espn each have one. Theatrical distributors Kino Lorber and Magnolia had two, with Sundance Selects, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road, Janus Films, Film Rise, The Film Collaborative and The Orchard one.
PBS films — 3 are Independent Lens (Tower, I Am Not Your Negro and The Witness), one is Pov (Cameraperson) and one is American Experience (Command And Control.)
best,
Mary Lugo
But which will make the final five? Those screeners will eventually be sent to the entire Academy — who have more mainstream taste...
- 12/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Los Angeles, CA (October 10, 2016) . The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for the inaugural Critics. Choice Documentary Awards. The winners will be presented their awards at a gala event on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Bric, in Brooklyn, New York.
.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.
.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..
13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...
.It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,. said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin.
.This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism. We look forward to celebrating all these fine and important achievements at the first Critics. Choice Documentary Awards gala on November 3rd..
13th, 30 For 30: O.J.: Made in America...
- 10/11/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja) have announced the nominees for their inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, taking place next month at a first-time gala event in Brooklyn, New York. Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America” and Clay Tweel’s “Gleason” lead the pack of nominees, with five nominations each. Other nominees include Kirsten Johnson’s “Cameraperson,” the gob-smacking “Weiner” and recent Netflix features “Amanda Knox” and “Audrie & Daisy.”
“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.
“It is an amazing time for documentaries, with the ever-increasing number of platforms enabling producers to reach enthusiastic and growing audiences for non-fiction storytelling,” said Bfca and Btja President Joey Berlin. “This is clearly demonstrated in the depth and quality of our inaugural nominees. We have a wealth of brilliant creators who are bringing to light some of the most entertaining and illuminating stories being told today. Indeed, documentary filmmaking is modern investigative journalism.
- 10/10/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Every week, the CriticWire Survey asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday morning. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What was the best film of summer 2016?
Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse), Rolling Stone
Gosh, where to start! It’s been a banner summer if, like me, you enjoy submerging yourself in vast unending ocean of incomprehensible bullshit at the movies. There was “Suicide Squad,” which is to plot structure what the Elephant Man is to facial bone structure. Loved me some “X-Men: Apocalypse,” an epic battle between an uncomfortable-looking ensemble of interesting-to-talented actors and a script intent on turning them all into cardboard cutouts. “The Shallows” was fun in the way that completing the maze on the back of a cereal box is fun,...
This week’s question: What was the best film of summer 2016?
Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse), Rolling Stone
Gosh, where to start! It’s been a banner summer if, like me, you enjoy submerging yourself in vast unending ocean of incomprehensible bullshit at the movies. There was “Suicide Squad,” which is to plot structure what the Elephant Man is to facial bone structure. Loved me some “X-Men: Apocalypse,” an epic battle between an uncomfortable-looking ensemble of interesting-to-talented actors and a script intent on turning them all into cardboard cutouts. “The Shallows” was fun in the way that completing the maze on the back of a cereal box is fun,...
- 8/22/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
While the true-crime story has been a topic of cinematic conversation for decades, true-crime documentaries have both become boundary pushing cinematically in the world of non-fiction filmmaking, and some of the most popular and talked about films of the last half decade. TV miniseries like The Jinx and feature films like those from director Joe Berlinger (such as White: United States Of America v. James J. BulgerThe Witness
From director James Solomon, The Witness looks at one of the most iconic true-crime stories, that of Kitty Genovese. On the night of March 13, 1964, Catherine “Kitty” Genovese was stabbed to death in Queens, New York, sparking a story that included 38 alleged witnesses who had seen or heard something only to stay silent. The film does give us details both about the actual attack and ultimately the coverage surrounding it, but the real narrative thread is woven by Kitty’s brother, Bill. With...
From director James Solomon, The Witness looks at one of the most iconic true-crime stories, that of Kitty Genovese. On the night of March 13, 1964, Catherine “Kitty” Genovese was stabbed to death in Queens, New York, sparking a story that included 38 alleged witnesses who had seen or heard something only to stay silent. The film does give us details both about the actual attack and ultimately the coverage surrounding it, but the real narrative thread is woven by Kitty’s brother, Bill. With...
- 6/4/2016
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
In 1964, 28-year-old Kitty Genovese was raped and murdered outside her apartment building in New York City. The New York Times made her a focus of national fascination when it reported that 38 of her neighbors had witnessed the crime and did nothing to help — not even calling the police — and she died alone. In the 50 years since, Genovese has become a hallmark of debate about urban apathy, a useful reference for any story to make as shorthand for what bastards people are, and the subject of numerous fictional adaptations of her story (the Law & Order franchise alone has done at least three episodes based on her case). At the same time, Genovese’s siblings have continued to nurse their hurt over their lost sister. In particular, her younger brother Bill openly admits to have never gotten over her death, and that this event has shaped large parts of his life.
The Witness...
The Witness...
- 6/2/2016
- by Daniel Schindel
- The Film Stage
More than 50 years ago, the murder of Kitty Genovese stunned the nation when 38 witnesses in nearby apartments witnessed her brutal stabbing and did nothing. The incident came to represent urban apathy and spawned the “bystander effect” theory. But The Witness, a gripping new documentary about Genovese’s murder, challenges our long-held beliefs about the case. The directorial debut of screenwriter James Solomon, The Witness had its world premiere at the 2015 New York Film Festival and will open theatrically at New York’s IFC Center on June 3, with a national rollout to follow. The multi-layered documentary investigates what actually happened on that fateful […]...
- 6/2/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The Witness FilmRise Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Shockya Grade: B Director: James Solomon Written by: William Genovese, Russell Greene, Gabriel Rhodes, James Solomon Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 4/21/16 Opens: June 3, 2016 Winston Moseley died in prison a few months ago at the age of 81, after serving 52 years behind bars (minus whatever days or hours he gained after breaking out). Ordinarily a person like him would receive not a single sentence in any respectable newspaper, but this vile sociopath, guilty of killing three women and raping at least two of them while they were dying, may have picked the wrong victim in Catherine “Kitty” Genovese. In 1964, [ Read More ]
The post The Witness Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Witness Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/29/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
If you’ve taken an introductory class in criminology or psychology, read Watchmen, or even watched this last season of Girls, you likely know the story of Kitty Genovese, a young Queens, New York resident who was raped outside her apartment complex on a normal night, screaming for help and receiving no help from the 38 witnesses who looked on — which would be quite a story if it was verifiably true. Yet the victim-onlooker mechanics of that situation are far more complicated than apathy of the most immediate and horrible kind; rather than being noted and built entirely from there, it requires investigation.
And so we have James Solomon‘s The Witness, a documentary about her brother, Bill Genovese, and his efforts to learn what happened. It earned fine notices from one fall-festival appearance to the other in 2015, with many critics saying it helped bring a greater understanding of the issue at hand.
And so we have James Solomon‘s The Witness, a documentary about her brother, Bill Genovese, and his efforts to learn what happened. It earned fine notices from one fall-festival appearance to the other in 2015, with many critics saying it helped bring a greater understanding of the issue at hand.
- 5/23/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Tim here. Robin Wright turns 50 today, and it's my good fortune to wish her a very happy birthday on behalf of the Film Experience. She's entering the decade of her life that generally finds actresses facing the worst odds they ever get from the powers that be in Hollywood (there's that infamous stat that only two women have ever won a Best Actress Oscar in their 50s), but for my tastes, she's never been more interesting than in the past few years.
Indeed, it's been only in this decade that Wright has gotten some of her best-ever movie roles, on top a key performance in the Netflix hit House of Cards, and really gotten to show off as an actress. Some of her best film work, sadly, has been in underperforming movies that most people have never seen or heard of; what better excuse than a birthday to go out...
Indeed, it's been only in this decade that Wright has gotten some of her best-ever movie roles, on top a key performance in the Netflix hit House of Cards, and really gotten to show off as an actress. Some of her best film work, sadly, has been in underperforming movies that most people have never seen or heard of; what better excuse than a birthday to go out...
- 4/9/2016
- by Tim Brayton
- FilmExperience
Read More: The Kings of Queens: 'The Witness' and 'In Jackson Heights' Examine a New York Borough, Then and Now On March 13, 1964, Catherine "Kitty" Genovese was stabbed to death right outside her apartment complex in Queens, New York. It was later reported that there were 38 witnesses to her murder, but none chose to intervene. The new documentary "The Witness" explores the murky details around her death and the subsequent investigation, and it has just been acquired by FilmRise. The directorial debut of screenwriter James Solomon, "The Witness" details the horrific incident, its aftermath, and Kitty’s brother's arduous journey to bring her murderer to justice. “This film is not only an unraveling of what really happened that fateful night, but also about a brother’s relentless quest to reclaim his sister Kitty’s life from her death, "said Solomon. “I am thrilled that FilmRise will be bringing to...
- 1/21/2016
- by Mike Lown
- Indiewire
Plus: Glass Eye Pix, Dogfish wrap ‘Like Me’; FilmRise acquires ‘The Witness’; and more…
Professional dancer Krystal Ellswort, rising South Indian star Amitash Pradhan, Paul McGillion and Daphne Zuniga have joined Myriad Pictures, Das Films and Bowery Hills Entertainment’s Heartbeats. Myriad will handle sales in Berlin.
Writer-director Duane Adler has begun production in Mumbai on the tale of a feisty female American hip hop dancer who travels with her family to India and falls in love with a young man and a new style of dance.
Justin Chon, Salman Yussuf Khan, Kishori Shahane and Mohan Kapur round out the cast. Producers are Sriram Das, Andrea Chung and Karine Martin. Myriad’s Kirk D’Amico serves as executive producer alongside Julie Stadler and CEO Brian Williams of co-financier Dance Network.
Glass Eye Pix and Dogfish Pictures have wrapped principal photography on Like Me, a neo-noir starring Addison Timlin as a discontented loner who documents her crime spree through...
Professional dancer Krystal Ellswort, rising South Indian star Amitash Pradhan, Paul McGillion and Daphne Zuniga have joined Myriad Pictures, Das Films and Bowery Hills Entertainment’s Heartbeats. Myriad will handle sales in Berlin.
Writer-director Duane Adler has begun production in Mumbai on the tale of a feisty female American hip hop dancer who travels with her family to India and falls in love with a young man and a new style of dance.
Justin Chon, Salman Yussuf Khan, Kishori Shahane and Mohan Kapur round out the cast. Producers are Sriram Das, Andrea Chung and Karine Martin. Myriad’s Kirk D’Amico serves as executive producer alongside Julie Stadler and CEO Brian Williams of co-financier Dance Network.
Glass Eye Pix and Dogfish Pictures have wrapped principal photography on Like Me, a neo-noir starring Addison Timlin as a discontented loner who documents her crime spree through...
- 1/21/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
It’s one of the most well-known murder cases in American history, and James Solomon’s reappraisal of it is fascinating and frustrating in equal measure
Between Peter Sarsgaard in Experimenter, Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment and now James Solomon’s documentary The Witness, shocking 20th-century revelations about man’s inhumanity are having quite the moment.
For decades, students have crossed their arms during introduction to sociology lectures and said: “I would never do that.” They said it when Stanley Milgram’s experiments suggested ingrained obedience to authority could lead anyone to commit Nazi atrocities. They said it when the Stanford Prison Experiment suggested even a mock institutional setting could spark brutal, fascist torment. And they said it when learning of the Kitty Genovese murder, in which a young woman was stabbed in the middle of the night as 37 witnesses sat in the safety of their apartments...
Between Peter Sarsgaard in Experimenter, Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment and now James Solomon’s documentary The Witness, shocking 20th-century revelations about man’s inhumanity are having quite the moment.
For decades, students have crossed their arms during introduction to sociology lectures and said: “I would never do that.” They said it when Stanley Milgram’s experiments suggested ingrained obedience to authority could lead anyone to commit Nazi atrocities. They said it when the Stanford Prison Experiment suggested even a mock institutional setting could spark brutal, fascist torment. And they said it when learning of the Kitty Genovese murder, in which a young woman was stabbed in the middle of the night as 37 witnesses sat in the safety of their apartments...
- 9/29/2015
- by Jordan Hoffman
- The Guardian - Film News
The 53rd New York Film Festival’s Spotlight on Documentary launches on September 27 and features new work from Frederick Wiseman, Laura Poitras, Walter Salles and Joaquim Pinto.
Poitras, winner of this year’s best documentary Oscar for Citizenfour, will preview the Julian Assange series Asylum.
Wiseman’s 40th documentary feature In Jackson Heights (pictured) profiles the culturally diverse New York neighbourhood caught in the midst of economic development.
In Fish Tail, Pinto and husband Leonel document the artisanal work of small-scale fishermen in the Azorean island of Rabo de Peixe. Salles’ Jia Zhangke, A Guy From Fenyang profiles the Chinese director as he revisits his hometown.
Spotlight on Documentary line-up:
Everything Is Copy (USA), Jacob Bernstein
World Premiere
Field Of Vision: New Episodic Nonfiction (USA-Germany), Laura Poitras
World Premiere
Fish Tail (Rabo de Peixe) (Portugal), Joaquim Pinto and Nuno Leonel
North American premiere
Homeland (Iraq Year Zero) (Iraq-France), Abbas Fahdel,
Part 1: Before...
Poitras, winner of this year’s best documentary Oscar for Citizenfour, will preview the Julian Assange series Asylum.
Wiseman’s 40th documentary feature In Jackson Heights (pictured) profiles the culturally diverse New York neighbourhood caught in the midst of economic development.
In Fish Tail, Pinto and husband Leonel document the artisanal work of small-scale fishermen in the Azorean island of Rabo de Peixe. Salles’ Jia Zhangke, A Guy From Fenyang profiles the Chinese director as he revisits his hometown.
Spotlight on Documentary line-up:
Everything Is Copy (USA), Jacob Bernstein
World Premiere
Field Of Vision: New Episodic Nonfiction (USA-Germany), Laura Poitras
World Premiere
Fish Tail (Rabo de Peixe) (Portugal), Joaquim Pinto and Nuno Leonel
North American premiere
Homeland (Iraq Year Zero) (Iraq-France), Abbas Fahdel,
Part 1: Before...
- 8/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Conspirator ***
Stars: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Tom Wilkinson, Colm Meaney, Danny Huston, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Kevin Kline | Written by James D. Solomon | Directed by Robert Redford
When Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, six of his co-conspirators are rounded up. The subsequent trial is organised by Edwin Stanton (Kline), the Secretary Of War, who wants a quick trial and verdict in order to placate a population left reeling from the death of their president. Among the accused is Mary Surratt, a civilian who owned a boarding house at which Wilkes Booth and his cohorts, including her son, plotted the president’s death. But the outstanding and unusual circumstances of the crime lead her to be tried in front of a military court, thereby denying her the right to a trial in front of her peers as guaranteed by the Constitution.
The case for her...
Stars: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Tom Wilkinson, Colm Meaney, Danny Huston, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Kevin Kline | Written by James D. Solomon | Directed by Robert Redford
When Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, six of his co-conspirators are rounded up. The subsequent trial is organised by Edwin Stanton (Kline), the Secretary Of War, who wants a quick trial and verdict in order to placate a population left reeling from the death of their president. Among the accused is Mary Surratt, a civilian who owned a boarding house at which Wilkes Booth and his cohorts, including her son, plotted the president’s death. But the outstanding and unusual circumstances of the crime lead her to be tried in front of a military court, thereby denying her the right to a trial in front of her peers as guaranteed by the Constitution.
The case for her...
- 10/18/2011
- by Jez Sands
- Nerdly
The Film:
On April 14, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was watching a play with his wife when John Wilkes Booth assassinated him. Growing up, everyone is taught this in history class. What many don’t learn about is the trial of the people that were arrested for conspiring to assassinate him. One of those people was a mother of two, 42 year old Mary Surratt. She owned the home where the group, including her son, John, and Booth had met to conspire on the assassination, or going by what Mary says, the kidnapping of the President. Since John had run and was not caught, the lawyers had decided to arrest Mary and bring her up on charges. If found guilty, she would be the first woman ever to be executed in the United States. There was only one thing standing between freedom and death for Mary, her lawyer, Fredrick Aiken. Fredrick was a...
On April 14, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was watching a play with his wife when John Wilkes Booth assassinated him. Growing up, everyone is taught this in history class. What many don’t learn about is the trial of the people that were arrested for conspiring to assassinate him. One of those people was a mother of two, 42 year old Mary Surratt. She owned the home where the group, including her son, John, and Booth had met to conspire on the assassination, or going by what Mary says, the kidnapping of the President. Since John had run and was not caught, the lawyers had decided to arrest Mary and bring her up on charges. If found guilty, she would be the first woman ever to be executed in the United States. There was only one thing standing between freedom and death for Mary, her lawyer, Fredrick Aiken. Fredrick was a...
- 8/31/2011
- by Brad Reiter
- Killer Films
The Movie Pool takes in one of 2011's best films so far: The Conspirator on Blu-ray!
Blu-ray Specs
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio
Subtitles: English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, English, Spanish
Special Features: "The Conspirator: The Plot to Kill Lincoln" documentary, "The Making of The Conspirator" documentary, American Film Company Introduction, Ten "Witness History" Featurettes, Photo Gallery, Trailer, TV spots.
Audio And Video Commentary: By director Robert Redford.
The Set-up
A widow (Robin Wright) is charged with conspiracy in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. As a rush to judgment builds against her, a former union soldier (James McAvoy) forced to defend her in court begins to believe she is innocent. Based on true events.
Director: Robert Redford
Screenplay: James Solomon and Gregory Bernstein
The Delivery
An incredible true story is given a faithful interpretation by director Robert Redford, whose...
Blu-ray Specs
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio
Subtitles: English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, English, Spanish
Special Features: "The Conspirator: The Plot to Kill Lincoln" documentary, "The Making of The Conspirator" documentary, American Film Company Introduction, Ten "Witness History" Featurettes, Photo Gallery, Trailer, TV spots.
Audio And Video Commentary: By director Robert Redford.
The Set-up
A widow (Robin Wright) is charged with conspiracy in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. As a rush to judgment builds against her, a former union soldier (James McAvoy) forced to defend her in court begins to believe she is innocent. Based on true events.
Director: Robert Redford
Screenplay: James Solomon and Gregory Bernstein
The Delivery
An incredible true story is given a faithful interpretation by director Robert Redford, whose...
- 8/17/2011
- Cinelinx
Here’s the new poster for Harvey James McAvoy‘s latest movie, The Conspirator. Also starring Robin Wright, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel, Toby Kebbell and Stephen Root.
Directed by Robert Redford with a script written by James D. Solomon, the film takes place at the end of Abraham Lincoln‘s life, following the trial of the group that planned and carried out the assassination.
Here’s the official synopsis for “The Conspirator”:
Against the turbulent backdrop of post-Civil War Washington, rookie lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) reluctantly agrees to defend Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) – the lone woman charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. When his colleagues, friends, and true love begin to desert him, Aiken must rely on Mary’s spirited daughter Anna (Evan Rachel Wood) to help piece together the events leading up to the assassination.
Directed by Robert Redford with a script written by James D. Solomon, the film takes place at the end of Abraham Lincoln‘s life, following the trial of the group that planned and carried out the assassination.
Here’s the official synopsis for “The Conspirator”:
Against the turbulent backdrop of post-Civil War Washington, rookie lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) reluctantly agrees to defend Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) – the lone woman charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. When his colleagues, friends, and true love begin to desert him, Aiken must rely on Mary’s spirited daughter Anna (Evan Rachel Wood) to help piece together the events leading up to the assassination.
- 7/1/2011
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
The Conspirator ***
Stars: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Tom Wilkinson, Colm Meaney, Danny Huston, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Kevin Kline | Written by James D. Solomon | Directed by Robert Redford
When Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, six of his co-conspirators are rounded up. The subsequent trial is organised by Edwin Stanton (Kline), the Secretary Of War, who wants a quick trial and verdict in order to placate a population left reeling from the death of their president.
Among the accused is Mary Surratt, a civilian who owned a boarding house at which Wilkes Booth and his cohorts, including her son, plotted the president’s death. But the outstanding and unusual circumstances of the crime lead her to be tried in front of a military court, thereby denying her the right to a trial in front of her peers as guaranteed by the Constitution.
The case for her...
Stars: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Tom Wilkinson, Colm Meaney, Danny Huston, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Kevin Kline | Written by James D. Solomon | Directed by Robert Redford
When Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, six of his co-conspirators are rounded up. The subsequent trial is organised by Edwin Stanton (Kline), the Secretary Of War, who wants a quick trial and verdict in order to placate a population left reeling from the death of their president.
Among the accused is Mary Surratt, a civilian who owned a boarding house at which Wilkes Booth and his cohorts, including her son, plotted the president’s death. But the outstanding and unusual circumstances of the crime lead her to be tried in front of a military court, thereby denying her the right to a trial in front of her peers as guaranteed by the Constitution.
The case for her...
- 6/29/2011
- by Jez Sands
- Nerdly
The Conspirator, a large-scale period drama about the conspiracy behind one of history’s most infamous assassinations—that of President Abraham Lincoln—comes to Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD from Lionsgate on Aug. 16.
The Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD will carry the list prices of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.
James McAvoy defends Robin Wright in The Conspirator.
Directed by Robert Redford (The Natural), the film picks up the story in Washington D.C. following Lincoln’s assassination, where eight people have been charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State. The lone woman of the eight who are accused is Mary Surratt (Robin Wright, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee), who owns the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and the other plotters devised their scheme. Surratt’s only hope comes in the form of young lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy,...
The Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD will carry the list prices of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.
James McAvoy defends Robin Wright in The Conspirator.
Directed by Robert Redford (The Natural), the film picks up the story in Washington D.C. following Lincoln’s assassination, where eight people have been charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State. The lone woman of the eight who are accused is Mary Surratt (Robin Wright, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee), who owns the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and the other plotters devised their scheme. Surratt’s only hope comes in the form of young lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy,...
- 6/1/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
There's little doubt where Robert Redford, who directs "The Conspirator," stands on current politics. He's in favor of civilian trials of the people captured and imprisoned in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay. We can deduce this by seeing his latest movie as allegorical. The alleged conspirator in the film researched and scripted by James D. Solomon is a civilian, Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), 42-year-old Roman Catholic who ran a boardinghouse at which men met to plot the kidnapping of President Abraham Lincoln. She is a widow trying to eke out a living by taking in boarders and, if we trust her testimony, she had no idea that her guests or her son, John Surratt (Johnny Simmons), were involved in a nefarious conspiracy. It's easy enough for us in the twenty-first century to look back at the trial and become disgusted with the prejudicial actions of the military court, determined to find her...
- 5/6/2011
- Arizona Reporter
This week, on a very special episode of Reject Radio, we talk with Troll Hunter writer/director Andre Ovredal, Prom screenwriter Katie Wech, and The Conspirator screenwriter James Solomon. Perhaps you’re starting to see a theme emerge. Plus, Dustin Rowles and Joanna Robinson from Pajiba enter the Movie News Pop Quiz ring, and both safely exit. Then, we talk about Doctor Who. Loosen up your tie and stay a while. Listen Here: Download This Episode On This Week’s Show: The Reject Radio Movie News Pop Quiz [The Beginning - 16:00]: It’s Rowles v Robinson in this Pajiba death match to the death. Who wins, and who can be thanked for allowing us to talk about the new season of Doctor Who? Hunting Trolls [16:00 - 28:30]: Norway is famous for a lot of things, but after Andre Ovredal’s Troll Hunter hits theaters, it’s going to become known as “that place where the giant three-headed monsters live.” Which...
- 4/27/2011
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Four score and seven years ago, Robert Redford mattered. As an actor, as a filmmaker, as a founder of a film festival and independent film movement. It's not that Redford is suddenly irrelevant or talentless, it's just that he's sort of faded into the limelight. He's not the same shiny smiliing wiseass we loved from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or The Sting. He's not even the same craggy faced rugged fella from Sneakers. It's just kind of surprising that he's still making movies, considering that over the past decade, he's fired off only two, and both of those incredibly forgettable. I'm not sure what prompted Redford to suddenly direct The Conspirator, a film that seems apropos of nothing. Granted, it's a very solid dramatization of the trial of Mary Surratt, one of the conspirators brought up on charges for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Seward, and attempted assassination of Andrew Johnson.
- 4/19/2011
- by Brian Prisco
By Pete Hammond
Family films continue to rule this week at the movies, and not just in America. With an estimated $40 million in its domestic launch and a very impressive $168 million worldwide 20th Century Fox’s Rio is clearly taking flight. The tale of a macaw who can’t fly and his adventures in Brazil had the year’s best opening in the States following an international debut last week. It soared past the $37 million opening of another family hit with three letters in its title, Hop (now up to $82 million in its third week) although to be fair Rio has the advantage of hiked-up 3D ticket prices while the 2D Hop was relying on regular admissions. Both films though prove the resilience of the family market in saving Hollywood from itself and both are “originals”. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Rio is doing well . It comes from Blue Sky,...
Family films continue to rule this week at the movies, and not just in America. With an estimated $40 million in its domestic launch and a very impressive $168 million worldwide 20th Century Fox’s Rio is clearly taking flight. The tale of a macaw who can’t fly and his adventures in Brazil had the year’s best opening in the States following an international debut last week. It soared past the $37 million opening of another family hit with three letters in its title, Hop (now up to $82 million in its third week) although to be fair Rio has the advantage of hiked-up 3D ticket prices while the 2D Hop was relying on regular admissions. Both films though prove the resilience of the family market in saving Hollywood from itself and both are “originals”. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Rio is doing well . It comes from Blue Sky,...
- 4/17/2011
- by Pete Hammond
- Hollywoodnews.com
Chicago – The Latin term “Inter arma silent leges.” (There is no law on the battlefield) is coldly stated in “The Conspirator,” directed by Robert Redford. In plain truth, the new film recreates one of the most controversial military trials in American history.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Today, April 15th, is the 146th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s death, assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. This is also the week of the 150th anniversary (April 12th) of the start of the American Civil War. Both these events reverberate to the consequences of trading in our freedoms during wartime, which centralizes power and legitimizes fear. The Conspirator is about Mary Surratt, a southerner who ran a boarding house in Washington, D.C., where the plot was hatched to murder President Lincoln.
The film begins on a battlefield during the Civil War, where two friends lie injured. Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) insists that his comrade...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Today, April 15th, is the 146th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s death, assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. This is also the week of the 150th anniversary (April 12th) of the start of the American Civil War. Both these events reverberate to the consequences of trading in our freedoms during wartime, which centralizes power and legitimizes fear. The Conspirator is about Mary Surratt, a southerner who ran a boarding house in Washington, D.C., where the plot was hatched to murder President Lincoln.
The film begins on a battlefield during the Civil War, where two friends lie injured. Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) insists that his comrade...
- 4/15/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"When South Carolina artillerymen opened fire on a small band of federal troops garrisoned in Ft Sumter exactly 150 years ago," writes Scott Collins in the Los Angeles Times, "the American Civil War officially began. Now Hollywood is getting ready to fight the nation's bloodiest conflict all over again with a passel of new sesquicentennial-ready film and TV projects from some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, including directors Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and Robert Redford."
Spielberg is currently set to begin shooting Lincoln in the fall, with Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role; Scott and his brother Tony have created CGI-enhanced reenactments for the History Channel's two-hour documentary Gettysburg, airing next month; and Redford's The Conspirator, "with Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, the boarding house proprietor who was accused of aiding John Wilkes Booth in his plot to kill Abraham Lincoln in April 1865," opens on Friday.
You...
Spielberg is currently set to begin shooting Lincoln in the fall, with Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role; Scott and his brother Tony have created CGI-enhanced reenactments for the History Channel's two-hour documentary Gettysburg, airing next month; and Redford's The Conspirator, "with Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, the boarding house proprietor who was accused of aiding John Wilkes Booth in his plot to kill Abraham Lincoln in April 1865," opens on Friday.
You...
- 4/15/2011
- MUBI
Robin Wright and James McAvoy in The Conspirator
Photo: Roadside Attractions It was impossible to be at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and not hear the immediate reactions to Robert Redford's newly debuted historical feature The Conspirator. Preachy, political and sappy were constant adjectives combined with a comparison to a History Channel reenactment. So when I was finally able to see it for myself, six months of negativity had set my expectations quite low. As a result, I didn't nearly dislike it as much as I expected. In fact, I didn't dislike it at all, though I won't debate any of the descriptors I've already lead with.
The Conspirator can be both political and preachy as it draws a narrative closely related to current affairs. Additionally, the sap begins to ooze the further along you get in the 122-minute running time, each scene becoming increasingly syrupy as...
Photo: Roadside Attractions It was impossible to be at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and not hear the immediate reactions to Robert Redford's newly debuted historical feature The Conspirator. Preachy, political and sappy were constant adjectives combined with a comparison to a History Channel reenactment. So when I was finally able to see it for myself, six months of negativity had set my expectations quite low. As a result, I didn't nearly dislike it as much as I expected. In fact, I didn't dislike it at all, though I won't debate any of the descriptors I've already lead with.
The Conspirator can be both political and preachy as it draws a narrative closely related to current affairs. Additionally, the sap begins to ooze the further along you get in the 122-minute running time, each scene becoming increasingly syrupy as...
- 4/15/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Veteran stunt coordinator Simon Crane is set to direct the independent New York-set thriller "High Wire" reports The Los Angeles Times.
James Solomon ("The Conspirator") penned the script which is said to have a strong emotional component, though story specifics were not forthcoming. Nick Saunders, a former assistant to Orlando Bloom, will produce. Crane will likely film the project after he makes his directing debut on the Europe-set, Jason Statham-led action thriller "Echelon".
Crane is famous for performing some of cinema's most famous stunts including the opening sequence bungee jump in "Goldeneye" and the plane-to-plane wire transfer in "Cliffhanger". He performed or co-ordinated stunts on such films "Titanic," "Saving Private Ryan," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Batman," "Total Recall," "Aliens," "Alien 3," "Salt," "Elizabeth," "Braveheart," "The Mummy," "Vertical Limit," "Tomb Raider," "The Island," "Troy," "Willow" and several James Bond films from "A View to a Kill" through to...
James Solomon ("The Conspirator") penned the script which is said to have a strong emotional component, though story specifics were not forthcoming. Nick Saunders, a former assistant to Orlando Bloom, will produce. Crane will likely film the project after he makes his directing debut on the Europe-set, Jason Statham-led action thriller "Echelon".
Crane is famous for performing some of cinema's most famous stunts including the opening sequence bungee jump in "Goldeneye" and the plane-to-plane wire transfer in "Cliffhanger". He performed or co-ordinated stunts on such films "Titanic," "Saving Private Ryan," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Batman," "Total Recall," "Aliens," "Alien 3," "Salt," "Elizabeth," "Braveheart," "The Mummy," "Vertical Limit," "Tomb Raider," "The Island," "Troy," "Willow" and several James Bond films from "A View to a Kill" through to...
- 4/14/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Briefly: Simon Crane, long-time stunt coordinator, was once set to direct the troubled film Kane & Lynch. After cycling through a few directorial attachments, that production seems to have settled on F. Gary Gray as helmer. But Simon Crane has other films lined up now -- he's been working on one called Echelon, a Euro action thriller with Jason Statham. And now he is attached to High Wire, written by The Conspirator screenwriter James Solomon. This one seems to have a very different bent from The Conspirator, however. It is a thriller set in New York City with "a strong emotional component," per the La Times. Echelon will probably be shot first, the director says -- easier to get something going when International Action Star Jason Statham is already on board.
- 4/14/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Stunt maestro and second unit directing god Simon Crane has a resume longer than most arms and has been the go-to guy for making Hollywood types look good in action movies and dramas for years. But his attempts to make the switch to directing haven’t met with the best of luck so far, with delays plaguing his plans. Still, that isn’t stopping him loading another potential project on to his schedule, becoming attached to the thriller High Wire. No, it’s not set in a circus, but beyond the title and the fact that writer James Solomon (who also penned The Conspirator for Robert Redford) told the La Times it’s a New York-based story with a strong emotional content, nothing is known about the script.Crane has been itching to sit in the director’s chair for a while now. He was briefly attached to troubled video game adaptation Kane & Lynch,...
- 4/14/2011
- EmpireOnline
Reviewed by Barrett Hooper
(from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival)
Directed by: Robert Redford
Written by: James D. Solomon and Gregory Bernstein
Starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood and Tom Wilkinson
No matter how compelling the case, you have to wonder why filmmakers keep making movies about trials, especially when so many of them come across like variations of a “Law & Order” episode. Such is the, ahem, case with “The Conspirator,” a rather tedious courtroom drama about the woman executed for her role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Robin Wright Penn plays the widow Mary Surratt, who owned the boarding house that John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and others involved in the conspiracy had frequented. James McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, a Union soldier-turned-lawyer with the unenviable task of defending her. It’s their performances, as well as that of Kevin Kline as Secretary of...
(from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival)
Directed by: Robert Redford
Written by: James D. Solomon and Gregory Bernstein
Starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood and Tom Wilkinson
No matter how compelling the case, you have to wonder why filmmakers keep making movies about trials, especially when so many of them come across like variations of a “Law & Order” episode. Such is the, ahem, case with “The Conspirator,” a rather tedious courtroom drama about the woman executed for her role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Robin Wright Penn plays the widow Mary Surratt, who owned the boarding house that John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and others involved in the conspiracy had frequented. James McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, a Union soldier-turned-lawyer with the unenviable task of defending her. It’s their performances, as well as that of Kevin Kline as Secretary of...
- 4/11/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Barrett Hooper
(from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival)
Directed by: Robert Redford
Written by: James D. Solomon and Gregory Bernstein
Starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood and Tom Wilkinson
No matter how compelling the case, you have to wonder why filmmakers keep making movies about trials, especially when so many of them come across like variations of a “Law & Order” episode. Such is the, ahem, case with “The Conspirator,” a rather tedious courtroom drama about the woman executed for her role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Robin Wright Penn plays the widow Mary Surratt, who owned the boarding house that John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and others involved in the conspiracy had frequented. James McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, a Union soldier-turned-lawyer with the unenviable task of defending her. It’s their performances, as well as that of Kevin Kline as Secretary of...
(from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival)
Directed by: Robert Redford
Written by: James D. Solomon and Gregory Bernstein
Starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood and Tom Wilkinson
No matter how compelling the case, you have to wonder why filmmakers keep making movies about trials, especially when so many of them come across like variations of a “Law & Order” episode. Such is the, ahem, case with “The Conspirator,” a rather tedious courtroom drama about the woman executed for her role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Robin Wright Penn plays the widow Mary Surratt, who owned the boarding house that John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and others involved in the conspiracy had frequented. James McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, a Union soldier-turned-lawyer with the unenviable task of defending her. It’s their performances, as well as that of Kevin Kline as Secretary of...
- 4/11/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
See new clips from The Conspirator! Robert Redford directs The Conspirator, starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson and Alexis Bledel. We also have 3 behind-the-scenes looks at the Roadside Attractions historical drama as well as an interview clip with Redford. The period drama penned by James Solomon is based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Wright Penn plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent.
- 4/11/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See new clips from The Conspirator! Robert Redford directs The Conspirator, starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson and Alexis Bledel. We also have 3 behind-the-scenes looks at the Roadside Attractions historical drama as well as an interview clip with Redford. The period drama penned by James Solomon is based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Wright Penn plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent.
- 4/11/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out a featurette from The Conspirator, where historians talk about the assassination of President Lincoln. The film opens April 15th via Roadside Attractions and is directed by Robert Redford from the script by James D. Solomon and the story by Gregory Bernstein and Solomon. Starring in the drama are Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Kline. In The Conspirator, Wright Penn plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent...
- 3/31/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out a featurette from The Conspirator, where historians talk about the assassination of President Lincoln. The film opens April 15th via Roadside Attractions and is directed by Robert Redford from the script by James D. Solomon and the story by Gregory Bernstein and Solomon. Starring in the drama are Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Kline. In The Conspirator, Wright Penn plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent...
- 3/31/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The first trailer for historical drama The Conspirator starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel, Toby Kebbell and Stephen Root has arrived.
Directed by Robert Redford with a script written by James D. Solomon, the film takes place at the end of Abraham Lincoln‘s life, following the trial of the group that planned and carried out the assassination.
Synopsis: Against the turbulent backdrop of post-Civil War Washington, rookie lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) reluctantly agrees to defend Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) – the lone woman charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. When his colleagues, friends, and true love begin to desert him, Aiken must rely on Mary’s spirited daughter Anna (Evan Rachel Wood) to help piece together the events leading up to the assassination. Facing down the government he fought so heroically to defend,...
Directed by Robert Redford with a script written by James D. Solomon, the film takes place at the end of Abraham Lincoln‘s life, following the trial of the group that planned and carried out the assassination.
Synopsis: Against the turbulent backdrop of post-Civil War Washington, rookie lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) reluctantly agrees to defend Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) – the lone woman charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. When his colleagues, friends, and true love begin to desert him, Aiken must rely on Mary’s spirited daughter Anna (Evan Rachel Wood) to help piece together the events leading up to the assassination. Facing down the government he fought so heroically to defend,...
- 1/27/2011
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
Due out April 15th (which is probably no coincidence), The Conspirator is the latest film directed by Robert Redford. Why do I say it's no coincidence? The Conspirator is about Mary Surratt, the woman charged with being a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was shot on April 14th, 1865, and died April 15th. Talk about marketing to the history buffs.
It stars James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken, the lawyer in charge of defending Mary, who is played by Robin Wright Penn. The story and script was written by James Solomon, so the book to script conversion should be good. And, after watching the trailer, I'm actually pretty excited about this movie. I've always said McAvoy should be a bigger star than he is, so hopefully this movie continues to push his stock value higher.
It stars James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken, the lawyer in charge of defending Mary, who is played by Robin Wright Penn. The story and script was written by James Solomon, so the book to script conversion should be good. And, after watching the trailer, I'm actually pretty excited about this movie. I've always said McAvoy should be a bigger star than he is, so hopefully this movie continues to push his stock value higher.
- 1/27/2011
- by Josh Baldwin
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Watch the trailer for The Conspirator drama, starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Kline. Robert Redford directs from the writing by Gregory Bernstein and James D. Solomon. The Conspirator is a period drama based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Wright plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent...
- 1/27/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Watch the trailer for The Conspirator drama, starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Kline. Robert Redford directs from the writing by Gregory Bernstein and James D. Solomon. The Conspirator is a period drama based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Wright plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent...
- 1/27/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Watch the trailer for The Conspirator drama, starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Kline. Robert Redford directs from the writing by Gregory Bernstein and James D. Solomon. The Conspirator is a period drama based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Wright plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent...
- 1/27/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Watch the trailer for The Conspirator drama, starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Kline. Robert Redford directs from the writing by Gregory Bernstein and James D. Solomon. The Conspirator is a period drama based on true events following the assassination of President Lincoln. Wright plays Mary Surrat, the only woman in the group who are charged in conspiring to assassinate the president. McAvoy plays idealistic young war hero Frederick Aiken who hesitatingly defends Surratt and, somewhere along the line, begins to believe she's innocent...
- 1/27/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Academy Award-winning director Robert Redford has "The Conspirator" lined up for spring release and has given a trailer for sneak peek. Debuted by Yahoo! Movies, the video is full of tense scenes which start with a shot at Abraham Lincoln.
Several men are arrested and Mary Surratt, a Confederate sympathizer, is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.
The film has an impressive cast ensemble with Robin Wright Penn playing Mary Surratt and James McAvoy portraying her lawyer, Col. Frederick Aiken. Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Stephen Root, Justin Long, Danny Huston and Jonathan Groff also join the cast line up.
Directed by Robert Redford with a script written by James D. Solomon, "The Conspirator" was premiered at 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.
Several men are arrested and Mary Surratt, a Confederate sympathizer, is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.
The film has an impressive cast ensemble with Robin Wright Penn playing Mary Surratt and James McAvoy portraying her lawyer, Col. Frederick Aiken. Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Stephen Root, Justin Long, Danny Huston and Jonathan Groff also join the cast line up.
Directed by Robert Redford with a script written by James D. Solomon, "The Conspirator" was premiered at 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.
- 1/27/2011
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Starring Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, the only woman charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln, and James McAvoy as Surratt's lawyer, Robert Redford's courtroom drama The Conspirator bowed at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival. Whether or not The Conspirator ultimately garners lots of critical favor, it has no chance of getting into this year's Oscar race simply because Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions will open it next April. Written by James D. Solomon (from a story by Solomon and Gregory Bernstein), The Conspirator also features Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Danny Houston, Colm Meaney, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Johnny Simmons, and Toby Kebbell. Robert Redford’s The Conspirator tells a story I never knew about. It’s also a story that makes for a tedious, only mildly interesting film. Shot like a History Channel special, we have effective performances from the strong cast but the few moments...
- 9/16/2010
- by Arthur Leander
- Alt Film Guide
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired Us distribution rights to The American Film Company’s "The Conspirator", directed by Robert Redord from a screenplay by James Solomon.
A spring 2011 release is planned.
Based on the the true story of the only woman charged in the conspiracy to assassinate president Abraham Lincoln and the attorney forced to defend her, "The Conspirator" stars Robin Wright and James McAvoy with Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Colm Meaney and James Badge Dale.
"...A riveting thriller, 'The Cosnpirator' tells the powerful story of a woman who would do anything to protect her family and the man who risked everything to save her. In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President and Secretary of State.
"The lone woman charged, 'Mary Surratt'...
A spring 2011 release is planned.
Based on the the true story of the only woman charged in the conspiracy to assassinate president Abraham Lincoln and the attorney forced to defend her, "The Conspirator" stars Robin Wright and James McAvoy with Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Colm Meaney and James Badge Dale.
"...A riveting thriller, 'The Cosnpirator' tells the powerful story of a woman who would do anything to protect her family and the man who risked everything to save her. In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President and Secretary of State.
"The lone woman charged, 'Mary Surratt'...
- 9/15/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Lionsgate specialty division Roadside Attractions has bought U.S. distribution rights for Robert Redford's historical thriller The Conspirator, which premiered in Toronto last Saturday. Written by James Solomon, The Conspirator is based on the true story of the only woman (Robin Wright) charged in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, and the young attorney (James McAvoy) who defends her. Also starring are Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Colm Meaney and James Badge Dale. It's the first film produced by The American Film Company. Roadside plans a spring 2011 release. Reaction in Toronto was mixed. Here's the WSJ's interview with Redford. Premium channel Epix (which is also a video-on-demand and online service), is acquiring exclusive Pay-tv distribution rights--Lionsgate is partnered in the service with Paramount and MGM.
- 9/15/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
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