Exclusive: Suzy Eddie Izzard, Antonia Thomas and John Hannah have joined Emile Hirsch in the psychological thriller Past Life, from director and Grimmfest head Simeon Halligan.
Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, the pic follows Jason Frey (Hirsch), an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira (Thomas). Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.
Related: Cannes Film Festival Full Coverage
As Deadline previously reported, the film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest Films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son of the South), and Michael Laundon of M2 Productions (Endless). Executive producers are Michael Bassick (Hacksaw Ridge), Sarada McDermott (Bridgerton...
Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, the pic follows Jason Frey (Hirsch), an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira (Thomas). Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.
Related: Cannes Film Festival Full Coverage
As Deadline previously reported, the film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest Films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son of the South), and Michael Laundon of M2 Productions (Endless). Executive producers are Michael Bassick (Hacksaw Ridge), Sarada McDermott (Bridgerton...
- 5/16/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Emile Hirsch (Dig) has signed on to star in the psychological serial killer thriller Past Life, a new entry in the “seeing murders through the killer’s eyes” sub-genre that also includes the likes of Eyes of Laura Mars and Malignant. In this one, Hirsch will be taking on the role of
Jason Frey, an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.
Set to start filming in March of next year, Past Life will be directed by Simeon Halligan (White Settlers) – who also happens to be the head of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film – from a screenplay...
Jason Frey, an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.
Set to start filming in March of next year, Past Life will be directed by Simeon Halligan (White Settlers) – who also happens to be the head of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film – from a screenplay...
- 11/4/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Emile Hirsch is set to star in Past Life, a psychological thriller scheduled to start shooting in March 2023. LA-based company Disrupting Influence will launch worldwide sales next month at AFM.
Simeon Halligan, head of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, will direct the pic. Halligan’s previous feature directing credits includes White Settlers (2014).
Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, Past Life follows Jason Frey, an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.
The film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son Of The...
Simeon Halligan, head of Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, will direct the pic. Halligan’s previous feature directing credits includes White Settlers (2014).
Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, Past Life follows Jason Frey, an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira. Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the eighties while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.
The film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son Of The...
- 10/25/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Penning a premature obituary is an occupational hazard that goes with the territory of film industry analysis, and there are few topics that attract such hand wringing as the alleged “death of the pre-sale.”
While the execs headed to the Cannes Market have seen major disruptions in the past decade from technology and pandemics, industry insiders say it’s a little too early to play “Taps” on this market mainstay.
Legend has it that the concept of indie movie “pre-sales” was invented in the early 1970s by the financial wizard John Heyman, a man no doubt worthy of a role in one of his award-winning son’s “Harry Potter” productions. Bankrolling upfront distribution commitments for indie titles — or “turning paper into gold” as one veteran puts it — was a magician’s trick not lost on a hot sellers’ market in those heady times.
To understand the evolution of pre-sales requires...
While the execs headed to the Cannes Market have seen major disruptions in the past decade from technology and pandemics, industry insiders say it’s a little too early to play “Taps” on this market mainstay.
Legend has it that the concept of indie movie “pre-sales” was invented in the early 1970s by the financial wizard John Heyman, a man no doubt worthy of a role in one of his award-winning son’s “Harry Potter” productions. Bankrolling upfront distribution commitments for indie titles — or “turning paper into gold” as one veteran puts it — was a magician’s trick not lost on a hot sellers’ market in those heady times.
To understand the evolution of pre-sales requires...
- 5/10/2022
- by Angus Finney
- Variety Film + TV
Despite friction in the U.S. over its release in select cinemas, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” is enjoying the biggest theatrical rollout of any Netflix film to date, with key international markets screening the movie and bolstering its profile as awards season gets underway.
The nearly three-and-a-half-hour mob epic has secured relatively large releases in major overseas territories such as the U.K. and Italy, where opposition to screening Netflix films is proving more muted. It is also being shown in the important Asian markets of Japan and South Korea. Pushback from some exhibitors has, however, sharply curtailed the film’s outing in other countries such as Germany and France.
Even after “The Irishman” drops on Netflix’s own streaming platform next Wednesday, its theatrical release is expected to continue around the world, including in the U.S., according to several well-placed sources.
Outside the U.S., Netflix has...
The nearly three-and-a-half-hour mob epic has secured relatively large releases in major overseas territories such as the U.K. and Italy, where opposition to screening Netflix films is proving more muted. It is also being shown in the important Asian markets of Japan and South Korea. Pushback from some exhibitors has, however, sharply curtailed the film’s outing in other countries such as Germany and France.
Even after “The Irishman” drops on Netflix’s own streaming platform next Wednesday, its theatrical release is expected to continue around the world, including in the U.S., according to several well-placed sources.
Outside the U.S., Netflix has...
- 11/22/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Colombian drama Birds of Passage is heading to the U.S. after The Orchard picked up North American rights. The company is to set a theatrical release for the picture, which is directed by by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerro, who produced and directed Embrace of the Serpent, the first Colombian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award. The family saga details the impact of drug trafficking on an indigenous family and its culture starting in the 1970s. “This film was always conceived as a theatrical experience, and there’s really no better way to appreciate it than in the cinema,” said co-directors Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerro and producer Katrin Pors. “We are very happy that audiences will have the opportunity to see it the way it was intended, and that we have found a passionate distributor that loves and defends the art of cinema as much as we do.
- 5/13/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Exchange is talking to buyers about the film in Cannes.
Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins will star in sci-fi thriller A Patriot with Eva Green, Kathy Bates and Ed Skrein.
Dan Pringle is attached to direct from an original screenplay he wrote. Producers are Adam J. Merrifield from White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu from Red & Black Films, with executive producer Angus Finney.
The Exchange is handling worldwide sales and is talking to buyers about the film in Cannes.
The project has also added equity financiers Umedia (executive producers Adrian Politowski and Peter Bevan) and Texit Films (executive producers...
Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins will star in sci-fi thriller A Patriot with Eva Green, Kathy Bates and Ed Skrein.
Dan Pringle is attached to direct from an original screenplay he wrote. Producers are Adam J. Merrifield from White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu from Red & Black Films, with executive producer Angus Finney.
The Exchange is handling worldwide sales and is talking to buyers about the film in Cannes.
The project has also added equity financiers Umedia (executive producers Adrian Politowski and Peter Bevan) and Texit Films (executive producers...
- 5/13/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Eva Green, Oscar-winner Kathy Bates and Ed Skrein are set to star in the sci-fi thriller A Patriot.
Film sales and financing firm The Exchange will introduce the indie, to be directed by Dan Pringle, to foreign buyers at Cannes. Pringle and Toby Rushton wrote the screenplay for The Patriot, with Adam Merrifield and John Giwa-Amu producing and Angus Finney executive producing.
The film takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars. The Patriot follows an unquestioning border corp captain Kate Jones (Green) as she fights...
Film sales and financing firm The Exchange will introduce the indie, to be directed by Dan Pringle, to foreign buyers at Cannes. Pringle and Toby Rushton wrote the screenplay for The Patriot, with Adam Merrifield and John Giwa-Amu producing and Angus Finney executive producing.
The film takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars. The Patriot follows an unquestioning border corp captain Kate Jones (Green) as she fights...
- 4/27/2018
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a pre-Cannes Film Festival announcement, Eva Green, Kathy Bates, and Ed Skrein have been cast in the science-fiction thriller “A Patriot.”
Currently in pre-production, the project has Dan Pringle (“K-Shop”) attached to direct from an original screenplay he co-wrote with Toby Rushton. The project is being produced by Adam Merrifield (“K-Shop”) from White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu from Red & Black Films with Angus Finney executive producing.
The Exchange has worldwide sales rights for “A Patriot” and will be introducing the tile to buyers at the upcoming Cannes market.
“A Patriot” takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars. The story follows the unquestioning Border Corp Captain — played by Green — as she fights to defend the purity of the population, until a chance discovery makes her doubt the authorities she has pledged her allegiance and life to protect.
Currently in pre-production, the project has Dan Pringle (“K-Shop”) attached to direct from an original screenplay he co-wrote with Toby Rushton. The project is being produced by Adam Merrifield (“K-Shop”) from White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu from Red & Black Films with Angus Finney executive producing.
The Exchange has worldwide sales rights for “A Patriot” and will be introducing the tile to buyers at the upcoming Cannes market.
“A Patriot” takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars. The story follows the unquestioning Border Corp Captain — played by Green — as she fights to defend the purity of the population, until a chance discovery makes her doubt the authorities she has pledged her allegiance and life to protect.
- 4/27/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Eva Green, Oscar-winner Kathy Bates and Ed Skrein are set to star in the sci-fi thriller <em>A Patriot.</em>
Film sales and financing firm The Exchange will introduce the indie, to be directed by Dan Pringle, to foreign buyers at Cannes. Pringle and Toby Rushton wrote the screenplay for <em>The Patriot</em>, with Adam Merrifield and John Giwa-Amu producing and Angus Finney executive producing.
The film takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars<em>. The Patriot</em> follows an unquestioning border corp captain Kate Jones (Green) as she fights to defend the ...
Film sales and financing firm The Exchange will introduce the indie, to be directed by Dan Pringle, to foreign buyers at Cannes. Pringle and Toby Rushton wrote the screenplay for <em>The Patriot</em>, with Adam Merrifield and John Giwa-Amu producing and Angus Finney executive producing.
The film takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars<em>. The Patriot</em> follows an unquestioning border corp captain Kate Jones (Green) as she fights to defend the ...
- 4/27/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Eva Green, Kathy Bates and Ed Skrein are attached to star in sci-fi thriller A Patriot, which Brian O’Shea’s The Exchange will launch world sales on in Cannes. Currently in pre-production, the movie’s screenplay comes from Dan Pringle (K-Shop) and Toby Rushton (Monsters) with Pringle also attached to direct. Project is being produced by Adam Merrifield (K-Shop) from White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu (The Machine) from Red & Black Films with Angus Finney (The Mother) executive producing.
The script takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars. The story follows the unquestioning Border Corp Captain Kate Jones (Green) as she fights to defend the purity of the population, until a chance discovery makes her doubt the authorities she has pledge her allegiance and life to protect.
The Exchange’s Cannes lineup includes Aja Naomi King...
The script takes place in a future authoritarian state that has walled itself away from a world ravaged by climate chaos and resource wars. The story follows the unquestioning Border Corp Captain Kate Jones (Green) as she fights to defend the purity of the population, until a chance discovery makes her doubt the authorities she has pledge her allegiance and life to protect.
The Exchange’s Cannes lineup includes Aja Naomi King...
- 4/27/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Exchange to commence sales in Cannes next month.
Eva Green and Kathy Bates have joined Ed Skrein in the sci-fi thriller A Patriot, which The Exchange will be selling in Cannes.
The project is in pre-production and takes place in 2050, when a low-tech Britain ‘prospers’ Captain Kate Jones secures the nation from a world ravaged by climate wars only to discover that everything she understands about her country is a lie”
Dan Pringle will direct from a screenplay he wrote with Toby Rushton. Adam Merrifield of White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu of Red & Black Films are producing, while...
Eva Green and Kathy Bates have joined Ed Skrein in the sci-fi thriller A Patriot, which The Exchange will be selling in Cannes.
The project is in pre-production and takes place in 2050, when a low-tech Britain ‘prospers’ Captain Kate Jones secures the nation from a world ravaged by climate wars only to discover that everything she understands about her country is a lie”
Dan Pringle will direct from a screenplay he wrote with Toby Rushton. Adam Merrifield of White Lantern Film and John Giwa-Amu of Red & Black Films are producing, while...
- 4/27/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
google+
Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
- 12/10/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
The Ingenious v Hmrc tribunal kicks off today in London.
Ingenious v Hmrc, the case which begins at the Competition Tribunal in Bloomsbury Place London today, marks the culmination of almost a decade of wrangling between the blue chip British media investment company and the Revenue.
Newspapers have been intrigued by the case because of the celebrity investors involved. David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Jeremy Paxman, Wayne Rooney, David Gower and politician Andrew Mitchell are among the names linked to either Ingenious funds Inside Track or Ingenious Film Partners.
The case is expected to last well into December. It will then take months for a decision to be handed down and whichever side loses is likely to appeal. According to the “Agreed Hearing Timetable” issued in advance of the trial, those being called will include Ingenious founder and CEO Patrick McKenna [pictured] and Ingenious Director Duncan Reid as well as such “expert witnesses” as Jonathan Olsberg and Angus Finney.
In...
Ingenious v Hmrc, the case which begins at the Competition Tribunal in Bloomsbury Place London today, marks the culmination of almost a decade of wrangling between the blue chip British media investment company and the Revenue.
Newspapers have been intrigued by the case because of the celebrity investors involved. David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Jeremy Paxman, Wayne Rooney, David Gower and politician Andrew Mitchell are among the names linked to either Ingenious funds Inside Track or Ingenious Film Partners.
The case is expected to last well into December. It will then take months for a decision to be handed down and whichever side loses is likely to appeal. According to the “Agreed Hearing Timetable” issued in advance of the trial, those being called will include Ingenious founder and CEO Patrick McKenna [pictured] and Ingenious Director Duncan Reid as well as such “expert witnesses” as Jonathan Olsberg and Angus Finney.
In...
- 11/3/2014
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
During her keynote at Film London’s Production Finance Market, Alison Thompson remarks on the glut of films made today, but also sees some bright spots like the arrival of Netflix.
British sales veteran Alison Thompson said market conditions for sellers are as tough now as they have ever been.
“As we all know, the situation now is just about as bad as it can be,” Thompson said during her keynote speech at the Film London Production Finance Market.
“The television business, which was frankly driving the boom in film for 20 years, suddenly came a cropper so that independent distributors were losing their TV output deals, which were essentially underpinning the business they were doing.
“That, combined with the change to the DVD market - we’ve had a double hit. It has been really, really challenging. In fact, we are working in the most difficult time I have worked in in my entire career.”
Even so, Thompson...
British sales veteran Alison Thompson said market conditions for sellers are as tough now as they have ever been.
“As we all know, the situation now is just about as bad as it can be,” Thompson said during her keynote speech at the Film London Production Finance Market.
“The television business, which was frankly driving the boom in film for 20 years, suddenly came a cropper so that independent distributors were losing their TV output deals, which were essentially underpinning the business they were doing.
“That, combined with the change to the DVD market - we’ve had a double hit. It has been really, really challenging. In fact, we are working in the most difficult time I have worked in in my entire career.”
Even so, Thompson...
- 10/15/2014
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Sunray Films MD and former Focus Features International co-president to give address.
Alison Thompson, managing director of Sunray Films, is to deliver this year’s keynote address at the Film London Production Finance Market (Pfm) (Oct 15-16).
Opening the eighth Pfm in London on 15 October, Thompson will provide the 200 plus delegates and industry guests an insight into successfully financing, packaging, selling and positioning a diverse range of independent feature films across low and high budget ranges.
Thompson will also share her experience of spotting and nurturing talent and her move from indie sales companies to working for a studio-owned company.
As a sales agent, Thompson has represented films such as The Crying Game, The Motorcycle Diaries and Blue Jasmine. Recently formed sales-production company Sunray Films launched its first feature film production, Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Daniel Brühl, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is also representing Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner.
Pfm...
Alison Thompson, managing director of Sunray Films, is to deliver this year’s keynote address at the Film London Production Finance Market (Pfm) (Oct 15-16).
Opening the eighth Pfm in London on 15 October, Thompson will provide the 200 plus delegates and industry guests an insight into successfully financing, packaging, selling and positioning a diverse range of independent feature films across low and high budget ranges.
Thompson will also share her experience of spotting and nurturing talent and her move from indie sales companies to working for a studio-owned company.
As a sales agent, Thompson has represented films such as The Crying Game, The Motorcycle Diaries and Blue Jasmine. Recently formed sales-production company Sunray Films launched its first feature film production, Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Daniel Brühl, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is also representing Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner.
Pfm...
- 10/2/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Screen International has teamed with BFI London Film Festival and British Council to present the UK Stars of Tomorrow – one of several industry events unveiled today.
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
- 10/1/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Screen International has teamed with BFI London Film Festival and British Council to present the UK Stars of Tomorrow – one of several industry events unveiled today.
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
- 10/1/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Irish Film Board and the Galway Film Fleadh have announced details for the 2014 Real Deal Film Conference, which will consider the future of the industry.
This year’s theme - Where Do We Go From Here? - will focus on shifts in trends in audience content consumption, the rise of high-end TV drama and the popularity of event cinema, as well as the decline of DVD and pre-pay TV sales.
Speakers at the conference include Sundance Film Festival’s John Nein, the British Film Institute’s Alex Stolz and Magnolia Pictures’ Eamonn Bowles, who will collectively present the key address on the international film landscape.
A conversation about the new challenges and local landscape of distribution will also take place, featuring speakers from Wildcard Distribution, Element Distribution, movies@ and eOne.
The Real Deal Film Conference will take place on July 10 in Galway and will be moderated by Angus Finney.
This year’s theme - Where Do We Go From Here? - will focus on shifts in trends in audience content consumption, the rise of high-end TV drama and the popularity of event cinema, as well as the decline of DVD and pre-pay TV sales.
Speakers at the conference include Sundance Film Festival’s John Nein, the British Film Institute’s Alex Stolz and Magnolia Pictures’ Eamonn Bowles, who will collectively present the key address on the international film landscape.
A conversation about the new challenges and local landscape of distribution will also take place, featuring speakers from Wildcard Distribution, Element Distribution, movies@ and eOne.
The Real Deal Film Conference will take place on July 10 in Galway and will be moderated by Angus Finney.
- 7/1/2014
- ScreenDaily
Michael Barker, co-president and co-founder of Us distributor Sony Pictures Classics, will deliver this year’s keynote address at the Film London Production Finance Market (Pfm).
He will speak to the 200+ delegates and industry guests as the Pfm kicks off on Wednesday (Oct 16).
His speech will cover “producing and distributing independent feature films, particularly assessing the role of Sony Pictures Classics, its objectives, achievements and its critical role in ensuring independent features, including foreign language films, access the North American market.”
The Pfm runs Oct 16-17 in association with the BFI London Film Festival.
There will be 52 producers and 57 financiers participating in more than 800 meetings.
Barker will also speak on a financing panel alongside Doug Hansen of Endgame Entertainment and Ben Browning of Start Motion Pictures.
Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission said: “We are extremely honoured to welcome Michael as our keynote speaker. Admired throughout...
He will speak to the 200+ delegates and industry guests as the Pfm kicks off on Wednesday (Oct 16).
His speech will cover “producing and distributing independent feature films, particularly assessing the role of Sony Pictures Classics, its objectives, achievements and its critical role in ensuring independent features, including foreign language films, access the North American market.”
The Pfm runs Oct 16-17 in association with the BFI London Film Festival.
There will be 52 producers and 57 financiers participating in more than 800 meetings.
Barker will also speak on a financing panel alongside Doug Hansen of Endgame Entertainment and Ben Browning of Start Motion Pictures.
Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission said: “We are extremely honoured to welcome Michael as our keynote speaker. Admired throughout...
- 10/14/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Ten film projects, including features from Doctor Who director Euros Lyn and Borrowed Time producer Olivier Kaempfer, have been selected to progress to the first round of the Film Agency for Wales’ low budget film scheme.
The teams behind these projects will now participate in a training and mentoring programme supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, which is funded by the National Lottery via the BFI, and through the Skills Investment Fund (Sif).
The Film Agency for Wales devised and developed Cinematic in partnership with the BFI Film Fund, BBC Films, S4C and Soda Pictures to support emerging filmmaking talent from Wales in making “contemporary, dynamic and distinctive feature films” with budgets of around £300,000 ($480,000).
A total of 56 applications were made to the programme following its launch in June. The ten projects and their filmmaking teams selected to continue with the programme are:
Craig’s Film (working title)
Producer: Pip Broughton
Writer / Director: [link...
The teams behind these projects will now participate in a training and mentoring programme supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, which is funded by the National Lottery via the BFI, and through the Skills Investment Fund (Sif).
The Film Agency for Wales devised and developed Cinematic in partnership with the BFI Film Fund, BBC Films, S4C and Soda Pictures to support emerging filmmaking talent from Wales in making “contemporary, dynamic and distinctive feature films” with budgets of around £300,000 ($480,000).
A total of 56 applications were made to the programme following its launch in June. The ten projects and their filmmaking teams selected to continue with the programme are:
Craig’s Film (working title)
Producer: Pip Broughton
Writer / Director: [link...
- 10/9/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Steph Green’s Run & Jump has picked up the Best Irish Feature Award at the Galway Film Fleadh.
The film, produced by Samson Films, Bavaria Pictures and Senator Film München and directed by the Oscar-nominated Green, also picked up the Best First Irish Feature prize.
George Kane’s Discoverdale won the award for Best International Feature while Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, from Greece’s Ektoras Lygizos, won Best International First Feature.
Vico Nikci’s Coming Home won Best Irish Feature Documentary and was also named Best Human Rights Documentary in association with Amnesty International.
Plot For Peace from Carlos Agullo and Mandy Jacobson was named Best International Feature Documentary.
Galway’s Bingham Ray New Talent Award in association with Magnolia Pictures was given to Kelly Thornton for her performance in Lance Daly’sLife’s A Breeze, which received its world premiere at Galway.
The festival’s Pitching Award was given to Jacinta Owens for her...
The film, produced by Samson Films, Bavaria Pictures and Senator Film München and directed by the Oscar-nominated Green, also picked up the Best First Irish Feature prize.
George Kane’s Discoverdale won the award for Best International Feature while Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, from Greece’s Ektoras Lygizos, won Best International First Feature.
Vico Nikci’s Coming Home won Best Irish Feature Documentary and was also named Best Human Rights Documentary in association with Amnesty International.
Plot For Peace from Carlos Agullo and Mandy Jacobson was named Best International Feature Documentary.
Galway’s Bingham Ray New Talent Award in association with Magnolia Pictures was given to Kelly Thornton for her performance in Lance Daly’sLife’s A Breeze, which received its world premiere at Galway.
The festival’s Pitching Award was given to Jacinta Owens for her...
- 7/15/2013
- ScreenDaily
Ireland’s Galway Film Fleadh launched its 25th edition last night (July 9) with a screening of Spanish-Irish co-production Tasting Menu [pictured].
Director Roger Gual and star Fionnula Flanagan attended the screening at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre and joined guests afterwards for an opening night party at the Galway Rowing Club. Tasting Menu is produced by Zentropa Spain and Ireland’s Subotica.
The Fleadh runs until July 14, with guests set to include Zachary Quinto, screenwriter Daniel Waters and Julien Temple, who will all take part in masterclasses. Saoirse Ronan will also attend the festival, while Hubbard Casting will deliver a casting workshop.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins will also attend the Fleadh to present Ronan and James Morris, former Irish Film Board chair and founding member and CEO of Windmill Lane Pictures, with Galway Hookers, the festival’s highest accolade.
Galway is renowned as a platform for new Irish talent, and local films...
Director Roger Gual and star Fionnula Flanagan attended the screening at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre and joined guests afterwards for an opening night party at the Galway Rowing Club. Tasting Menu is produced by Zentropa Spain and Ireland’s Subotica.
The Fleadh runs until July 14, with guests set to include Zachary Quinto, screenwriter Daniel Waters and Julien Temple, who will all take part in masterclasses. Saoirse Ronan will also attend the festival, while Hubbard Casting will deliver a casting workshop.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins will also attend the Fleadh to present Ronan and James Morris, former Irish Film Board chair and founding member and CEO of Windmill Lane Pictures, with Galway Hookers, the festival’s highest accolade.
Galway is renowned as a platform for new Irish talent, and local films...
- 7/10/2013
- ScreenDaily
We keep hearing lately about the end of film and the death of film culture, but let's not forget one thing: the extinction of movie theaters has been slowly occurring for a number of years now and has been endangered for more than half a century. Eventually they might actually disappear. In 2142, maybe? I can see why people keep seeing threats to cinemas, but there's no way they're going away completely anytime soon. Oh, but some bigwig in Europe has just declared a prediction that movie theaters are so doomed right now that they'll be gone quicker than most pessimists and other party poopers would dare to believe let alone state in polite company. Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival last week, financier and producer Angus Finney (The Safety of Objects) said...
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- 10/16/2012
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Film financier Angus Finney (the current Europe's Production Finance Market and the former chief of Renaissance Films) was a bit of a downer at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Movie theaters are headed for obsolescence, he said, with tablets and other mobile devices set to supplant them "within months, not years." (We'd argue that there isn't anything quite like watching Avatar or superheroes bash each other on the big screen.) Meanwhile, A-list talent is headed in the same direction, he predicted, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Stars are struggling because they mean less. They don't dictate the market any more, and, as a result, they don't earn so much." (Though they're still doing pretty well for themselves.) Times are definitely changing Hollywood, but we still think that viewers will continue to prefer their big-budget awesomeness to come with a recognizable celebrity thrown in for a while. ...
- 10/13/2012
- by Andre Tartar
- Vulture
Abu Dhabi -- One-time film financier and production executive Angus Finney, who now runs Europe's Production Finance Market, predicts people will be watching movies first on tablets and mobile devices "within months." Finney, the former Renaissance Films chief, says the shift will have profound implications for the movie industry while giving a Masterclass at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Finney said tablets and cellphones will take over as the dominant screen “within months, not years." Story: Trip to Abu Dhabi's Creative Industries Cluster "You only have to notice the number of people who watch movies and TV shows
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- 10/13/2012
- by Tim Adler
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BERLIN -- "Candy" is an attempt to tell a story about heroin addiction without resorting to the scuzzy cliches that usually characterize the genre. The idea works very well for the first third, which focuses on the misguided commitment users have to their drugs rather than the social and health consequences of using. But when long-term addiction kicks in proper, the pop stylistics jar with the horrendous lives the characters are living.
"Candy" should have no trouble picking up international distribution. Director Neil Armfield might refrain from any "Just Say No" polemic, but his film still has an anti-drug message at its core. The presence of Heath Ledger as a male lead will obviously give the film a tremendous boost. It will likely appeal more to a young, MTV-oriented audience in tune with its upbeat style than an art house crowd.
The story, set in Australia and based on co-scripter Luke Davies' novel, revolves around a young, working-class couple, Dan (Ledger) and Candy (Abbie Cornish). After flirting with chasing the dragon (smoking heroin), Candy joins Dan as an intravenous user. At first, the physical high and outlaw status bestowed on addicts give her a thrill. But the lives of the two deteriorate when they become slaves to the drug; efforts to clean up follow.
"Candy" falls midway between the postmodern insouciance of "Trainspotting" and the Teutonic doom and gloom of "Christiane F". The first part, titled "Heaven", is good. Armfield resists the temptation to pass judgment on his characters. Instead he allows the viewer to experience the hedonistic drive of their addiction. The film effectively communicates the rebellious thrill and physical buzz that the young couple get from jacking up. Equally interesting is the way that he depicts the incredible resourcefulness that addicts develop to service their habit.
Parts 2 and 3, titled "Earth" and "Hell", are less successful. Here Armfield treads the well-worn druggie path of prostitution, despair and mental and physical degradation. That's necessary, of course -- that's where addicts end up when thrill seeking turns into physical need. Trouble is, that the weightiness of the duo's decay is too much for the pop approach that worked so well in the first part. There also are a few plot jitters: How come it's so easy for Dan to rob a bank and not get caught, for instance?
The performances measure up accordingly. When addiction is just a game, the hyped-up, pleasantly caricatured portrayals of Geoffrey Rush and Ledger are a blast. Rush's portrayal of a doped-up chemical whiz who acts as the kids' guru is initially roguish and charming. But when he later helps the heavily addicted young couple to score, his jaunty performance doesn't ring true. As the characters' lives fall apart, Ledger fails to bring the necessary gravitas to the role, and he looks a bit too healthy throughout.
CANDY
A Film Finance Corp. of Australia presentation in association with Paradigm Hyde Films and the New South Wales Film and Television Office
Credits:
Director: Neil Armfield
Screenwriters: Neil Armfield, Luke Davies
Producers: Margaret Fink, Emile Sherman
Executive producers: Angus Finney, Andrew Mackie, Richard Payten, Micheal Whyke, Terrence Yason
Director of photography: Gerry Phillips
Production designer: Robert Cousins
Music: Paul Charlier
Costumes: Jodie Fried
Editor: Dany Cooper
Cast:
Dan: Heath Ledger
Candy: Abbie Cornish
Casper: Geoffrey Rush
Mr. Wyatt: Tony Martin
Mrs. Wyatt: Noni Hazelhurst
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 108 minutes...
"Candy" should have no trouble picking up international distribution. Director Neil Armfield might refrain from any "Just Say No" polemic, but his film still has an anti-drug message at its core. The presence of Heath Ledger as a male lead will obviously give the film a tremendous boost. It will likely appeal more to a young, MTV-oriented audience in tune with its upbeat style than an art house crowd.
The story, set in Australia and based on co-scripter Luke Davies' novel, revolves around a young, working-class couple, Dan (Ledger) and Candy (Abbie Cornish). After flirting with chasing the dragon (smoking heroin), Candy joins Dan as an intravenous user. At first, the physical high and outlaw status bestowed on addicts give her a thrill. But the lives of the two deteriorate when they become slaves to the drug; efforts to clean up follow.
"Candy" falls midway between the postmodern insouciance of "Trainspotting" and the Teutonic doom and gloom of "Christiane F". The first part, titled "Heaven", is good. Armfield resists the temptation to pass judgment on his characters. Instead he allows the viewer to experience the hedonistic drive of their addiction. The film effectively communicates the rebellious thrill and physical buzz that the young couple get from jacking up. Equally interesting is the way that he depicts the incredible resourcefulness that addicts develop to service their habit.
Parts 2 and 3, titled "Earth" and "Hell", are less successful. Here Armfield treads the well-worn druggie path of prostitution, despair and mental and physical degradation. That's necessary, of course -- that's where addicts end up when thrill seeking turns into physical need. Trouble is, that the weightiness of the duo's decay is too much for the pop approach that worked so well in the first part. There also are a few plot jitters: How come it's so easy for Dan to rob a bank and not get caught, for instance?
The performances measure up accordingly. When addiction is just a game, the hyped-up, pleasantly caricatured portrayals of Geoffrey Rush and Ledger are a blast. Rush's portrayal of a doped-up chemical whiz who acts as the kids' guru is initially roguish and charming. But when he later helps the heavily addicted young couple to score, his jaunty performance doesn't ring true. As the characters' lives fall apart, Ledger fails to bring the necessary gravitas to the role, and he looks a bit too healthy throughout.
CANDY
A Film Finance Corp. of Australia presentation in association with Paradigm Hyde Films and the New South Wales Film and Television Office
Credits:
Director: Neil Armfield
Screenwriters: Neil Armfield, Luke Davies
Producers: Margaret Fink, Emile Sherman
Executive producers: Angus Finney, Andrew Mackie, Richard Payten, Micheal Whyke, Terrence Yason
Director of photography: Gerry Phillips
Production designer: Robert Cousins
Music: Paul Charlier
Costumes: Jodie Fried
Editor: Dany Cooper
Cast:
Dan: Heath Ledger
Candy: Abbie Cornish
Casper: Geoffrey Rush
Mr. Wyatt: Tony Martin
Mrs. Wyatt: Noni Hazelhurst
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 108 minutes...
- 2/22/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- Scottish screenwriter Andrea Gibb is on a roll with "Dear Frankie", a gem of a picture that, like her Edinburgh Film Festival success "AfterLife", has flinty characters dealing with everyday hardships who are suddenly faced with a predicament of their own making.
First-time director Shona Auerbach, a photographer who has been successful making commercials, leaves the slick surfaces of that world behind to craft a deeply felt human drama that she also shot beautifully. With Miramax International at the helm, a film that derives much from a sense of geography and seamanship should travel well.
Emily Mortimer and Jack McElhone, who both appeared last year in "Young Adam", here are mother and son in the port town of Greenock, where they have fled once again to escape the grasp of her ex-husband. The boy, Frankie, is deaf and can barely speak, but he wasn't born that way. It was "a present from Daddy," as his mother, Lizzie, puts it. But he's a very bright boy, intelligent and quick. He also has the kind of resolve that allows him to make a friend out of a cocky kid sitting next to him in class who scrawls "Def Boy" on the desk. Frankie smiles and corrects his spelling.
The lad is unaware of his mother's fears; he just wishes they would settle down somewhere. Lizzie has told him that his dad is a sailor on a ship named Accra, and Frankie writes to him diligently, tracking his travels on a huge wall map. He doesn't know that his letters go only as far as his mother, who writes back letters as if they were from his father.
It goes well until one day they learn that a ship named Accra is headed for Greenock. Frankie's school friend makes him a bet that his dad won't want to see him. It's a bet Frankie can't turn down, and it leaves his mum with a huge dilemma.
Enter a tall, dark stranger, but in the sure hands of Gibb and Auerbach, this Scottish sailor (Gerard Butler) is not quite the nameless man with no history that Lizzie has in mind, and his stint pretending to be Frankie's dad leads to many more complications.
The potential for sickly sentiment is high with all these ingredients, but there is nothing mawkish about the film. The beautiful Mortimer appealingly understates her glamour. She and a sterling cast, including Mary Riggans as her mother and Sharon Small as a new friend, all bring steel to their characters. McElhone shines in the difficult task of acting with an affliction, and he doesn't put a foot wrong. Butler ("Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life") downplays his movie-star presence to play a man of quiet mystery and strength.
The movie is filled with small moments of tenderness, insight and considerable wisdom, like when Lizzie says she thought Frankie would give up on writing to his dad, but she's glad he didn't. "It's the only way I can hear his voice," she says.
DEAR FRANKIE
Presented by Miramax Films & Pathe Pictures in association with the UK Film Council and Scottish Screen. A Scorpio Films Production in association with Sigma Films. Produced in association with Inside Track Productions.
Credits:
Director and cinematographer: Shona Auerbach
Screenwriter: Andrea Gibb
Producer: Caroline Wood
Co-producers: Gillian Berrie, Matthew T. Gannon
Executive producers: Stephan Evans, Angus Finney, Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid
Production designer: Jennifer Kernke
Editor: Oral Norrie Ottey
Original music: Alex Heffes
Costume designer: Carole K. Millar
Cast:
Lizzie: Emily Mortimer
Frankie: Jack McElhone
Stranger: Gerard Butler
Marie: Sharon Small
Nell: Mary Riggans
Catriona: Jayd Johnson
Ricky Monroe: Sean Brown
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 105 minutes...
First-time director Shona Auerbach, a photographer who has been successful making commercials, leaves the slick surfaces of that world behind to craft a deeply felt human drama that she also shot beautifully. With Miramax International at the helm, a film that derives much from a sense of geography and seamanship should travel well.
Emily Mortimer and Jack McElhone, who both appeared last year in "Young Adam", here are mother and son in the port town of Greenock, where they have fled once again to escape the grasp of her ex-husband. The boy, Frankie, is deaf and can barely speak, but he wasn't born that way. It was "a present from Daddy," as his mother, Lizzie, puts it. But he's a very bright boy, intelligent and quick. He also has the kind of resolve that allows him to make a friend out of a cocky kid sitting next to him in class who scrawls "Def Boy" on the desk. Frankie smiles and corrects his spelling.
The lad is unaware of his mother's fears; he just wishes they would settle down somewhere. Lizzie has told him that his dad is a sailor on a ship named Accra, and Frankie writes to him diligently, tracking his travels on a huge wall map. He doesn't know that his letters go only as far as his mother, who writes back letters as if they were from his father.
It goes well until one day they learn that a ship named Accra is headed for Greenock. Frankie's school friend makes him a bet that his dad won't want to see him. It's a bet Frankie can't turn down, and it leaves his mum with a huge dilemma.
Enter a tall, dark stranger, but in the sure hands of Gibb and Auerbach, this Scottish sailor (Gerard Butler) is not quite the nameless man with no history that Lizzie has in mind, and his stint pretending to be Frankie's dad leads to many more complications.
The potential for sickly sentiment is high with all these ingredients, but there is nothing mawkish about the film. The beautiful Mortimer appealingly understates her glamour. She and a sterling cast, including Mary Riggans as her mother and Sharon Small as a new friend, all bring steel to their characters. McElhone shines in the difficult task of acting with an affliction, and he doesn't put a foot wrong. Butler ("Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life") downplays his movie-star presence to play a man of quiet mystery and strength.
The movie is filled with small moments of tenderness, insight and considerable wisdom, like when Lizzie says she thought Frankie would give up on writing to his dad, but she's glad he didn't. "It's the only way I can hear his voice," she says.
DEAR FRANKIE
Presented by Miramax Films & Pathe Pictures in association with the UK Film Council and Scottish Screen. A Scorpio Films Production in association with Sigma Films. Produced in association with Inside Track Productions.
Credits:
Director and cinematographer: Shona Auerbach
Screenwriter: Andrea Gibb
Producer: Caroline Wood
Co-producers: Gillian Berrie, Matthew T. Gannon
Executive producers: Stephan Evans, Angus Finney, Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid
Production designer: Jennifer Kernke
Editor: Oral Norrie Ottey
Original music: Alex Heffes
Costume designer: Carole K. Millar
Cast:
Lizzie: Emily Mortimer
Frankie: Jack McElhone
Stranger: Gerard Butler
Marie: Sharon Small
Nell: Mary Riggans
Catriona: Jayd Johnson
Ricky Monroe: Sean Brown
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 105 minutes...
CANNES -- Scottish screenwriter Andrea Gibb is on a roll with "Dear Frankie", a gem of a picture that, like her Edinburgh Film Festival success "AfterLife", has flinty characters dealing with everyday hardships who are suddenly faced with a predicament of their own making.
First-time director Shona Auerbach, a photographer who has been successful making commercials, leaves the slick surfaces of that world behind to craft a deeply felt human drama that she also shot beautifully. With Miramax International at the helm, a film that derives much from a sense of geography and seamanship should travel well.
Emily Mortimer and Jack McElhone, who both appeared last year in "Young Adam", here are mother and son in the port town of Greenock, where they have fled once again to escape the grasp of her ex-husband. The boy, Frankie, is deaf and can barely speak, but he wasn't born that way. It was "a present from Daddy," as his mother, Lizzie, puts it. But he's a very bright boy, intelligent and quick. He also has the kind of resolve that allows him to make a friend out of a cocky kid sitting next to him in class who scrawls "Def Boy" on the desk. Frankie smiles and corrects his spelling.
The lad is unaware of his mother's fears; he just wishes they would settle down somewhere. Lizzie has told him that his dad is a sailor on a ship named Accra, and Frankie writes to him diligently, tracking his travels on a huge wall map. He doesn't know that his letters go only as far as his mother, who writes back letters as if they were from his father.
It goes well until one day they learn that a ship named Accra is headed for Greenock. Frankie's school friend makes him a bet that his dad won't want to see him. It's a bet Frankie can't turn down, and it leaves his mum with a huge dilemma.
Enter a tall, dark stranger, but in the sure hands of Gibb and Auerbach, this Scottish sailor (Gerard Butler) is not quite the nameless man with no history that Lizzie has in mind, and his stint pretending to be Frankie's dad leads to many more complications.
The potential for sickly sentiment is high with all these ingredients, but there is nothing mawkish about the film. The beautiful Mortimer appealingly understates her glamour. She and a sterling cast, including Mary Riggans as her mother and Sharon Small as a new friend, all bring steel to their characters. McElhone shines in the difficult task of acting with an affliction, and he doesn't put a foot wrong. Butler ("Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life") downplays his movie-star presence to play a man of quiet mystery and strength.
The movie is filled with small moments of tenderness, insight and considerable wisdom, like when Lizzie says she thought Frankie would give up on writing to his dad, but she's glad he didn't. "It's the only way I can hear his voice," she says.
DEAR FRANKIE
Presented by Miramax Films & Pathe Pictures in association with the UK Film Council and Scottish Screen. A Scorpio Films Production in association with Sigma Films. Produced in association with Inside Track Productions.
Credits:
Director and cinematographer: Shona Auerbach
Screenwriter: Andrea Gibb
Producer: Caroline Wood
Co-producers: Gillian Berrie, Matthew T. Gannon
Executive producers: Stephan Evans, Angus Finney, Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid
Production designer: Jennifer Kernke
Editor: Oral Norrie Ottey
Original music: Alex Heffes
Costume designer: Carole K. Millar
Cast:
Lizzie: Emily Mortimer
Frankie: Jack McElhone
Stranger: Gerard Butler
Marie: Sharon Small
Nell: Mary Riggans
Catriona: Jayd Johnson
Ricky Monroe: Sean Brown
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 105 minutes...
First-time director Shona Auerbach, a photographer who has been successful making commercials, leaves the slick surfaces of that world behind to craft a deeply felt human drama that she also shot beautifully. With Miramax International at the helm, a film that derives much from a sense of geography and seamanship should travel well.
Emily Mortimer and Jack McElhone, who both appeared last year in "Young Adam", here are mother and son in the port town of Greenock, where they have fled once again to escape the grasp of her ex-husband. The boy, Frankie, is deaf and can barely speak, but he wasn't born that way. It was "a present from Daddy," as his mother, Lizzie, puts it. But he's a very bright boy, intelligent and quick. He also has the kind of resolve that allows him to make a friend out of a cocky kid sitting next to him in class who scrawls "Def Boy" on the desk. Frankie smiles and corrects his spelling.
The lad is unaware of his mother's fears; he just wishes they would settle down somewhere. Lizzie has told him that his dad is a sailor on a ship named Accra, and Frankie writes to him diligently, tracking his travels on a huge wall map. He doesn't know that his letters go only as far as his mother, who writes back letters as if they were from his father.
It goes well until one day they learn that a ship named Accra is headed for Greenock. Frankie's school friend makes him a bet that his dad won't want to see him. It's a bet Frankie can't turn down, and it leaves his mum with a huge dilemma.
Enter a tall, dark stranger, but in the sure hands of Gibb and Auerbach, this Scottish sailor (Gerard Butler) is not quite the nameless man with no history that Lizzie has in mind, and his stint pretending to be Frankie's dad leads to many more complications.
The potential for sickly sentiment is high with all these ingredients, but there is nothing mawkish about the film. The beautiful Mortimer appealingly understates her glamour. She and a sterling cast, including Mary Riggans as her mother and Sharon Small as a new friend, all bring steel to their characters. McElhone shines in the difficult task of acting with an affliction, and he doesn't put a foot wrong. Butler ("Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life") downplays his movie-star presence to play a man of quiet mystery and strength.
The movie is filled with small moments of tenderness, insight and considerable wisdom, like when Lizzie says she thought Frankie would give up on writing to his dad, but she's glad he didn't. "It's the only way I can hear his voice," she says.
DEAR FRANKIE
Presented by Miramax Films & Pathe Pictures in association with the UK Film Council and Scottish Screen. A Scorpio Films Production in association with Sigma Films. Produced in association with Inside Track Productions.
Credits:
Director and cinematographer: Shona Auerbach
Screenwriter: Andrea Gibb
Producer: Caroline Wood
Co-producers: Gillian Berrie, Matthew T. Gannon
Executive producers: Stephan Evans, Angus Finney, Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid
Production designer: Jennifer Kernke
Editor: Oral Norrie Ottey
Original music: Alex Heffes
Costume designer: Carole K. Millar
Cast:
Lizzie: Emily Mortimer
Frankie: Jack McElhone
Stranger: Gerard Butler
Marie: Sharon Small
Nell: Mary Riggans
Catriona: Jayd Johnson
Ricky Monroe: Sean Brown
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 105 minutes...
- 5/19/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opens Friday, March 7
Writer-director Rose Troche's third indie film ambitiously reworks several short stories by A.M. Homes into a multifaceted portrait of modern suburbia. Alas, despite an enticing cast that includes Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson and Dermot Mulroney, "The Safety of Objects" never quite reaches the heights it shoots for. First unveiled at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival, the limited IFC Films release has won over some critics, but it's destined to come and go in theaters with little fanfare.
In her desire to mold Homes' empathetic stories of troubled suburbanites and keep it as realistic as possible, Troche has some success initially, but there are four separate families and nearly two dozen characters to keep track of. With a long running time that no amount of nonlinear construction can successfully quicken, "Safety" does have sequences and whole story lines that are fresh and thoughtfully entertaining.
The movie also has an "American Beauty"-like mission to tear aside the veil of respectability and emotional stability that are cliches of clean white neighborhoods, but in this day and age there's nothing remotely shocking or particularly revelatory. Two characters and their crises of identity emerge as the headliners in "Safety": Esther (Close), who has a grown son in a coma, and lawyer Jim Train (Mulroney).
The conceit of the movie is that Esther and Jim have nothing to do with each other at first but end up fatefully connected. Passed over for a promotion and convinced that his wife (Moira Kelly) is cheating on him, Jim starts to unravel and eventually becomes obsessed with helping Esther win a car in a mall-sponsored giveaway. Esther is trying to win the car for her demanding daughter (Jessica Campbell), and the endurance contest becomes a sad spectacle of consumerism.
Meanwhile, single mom Annette Jennings (Clarkson) is toughing out a bitter divorce and thinks her daughter (Kristen Stewart) is snatched by the father. In fact, the girl is lured into a strange encounter with the neighborhood handyman (Timothy Olyphant), who is having a hard time getting past a deadly driving accident for which he was partially to blame.
Rounding out the principal players are Mary Kay Place as yet another stagnant-souled mother raising kids and trying to evolve, Robert Klein as Esther's detached husband and young Alex House as Jim's son, who has a fantasy relationship with the doll of his sister in a cute but overdone shtick involving dialogue and role playing.
Roche's direction is quietly proficient, and the production values are top-notch for a low-budget project.
Overall, one has plenty of time to ponder the often exaggerated roles in life played by things and absorb the message that we all need to have more faith in one another.
THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS
IFC Films
Clear Blue Sky Prods., Renaissance Films An InFilm/Killer Films production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Rose Troche
Based on the book of stories by: A.M. Homes
Producers: Dorothy Berwin, Christine Vachon
Executive producers: Stephen Evans, Angus Finney, Jody Patton, Pamela Koffler
Director of photography: Enrique Chediak
Production designer: Andrea Stanley
Editor: Geraldine Peroni
Costume designer: Laura Jean Shannon
Casting: Bonnie Finnegan, Steven Jacobs
Cast:
Esther: Glenn Close
Jim Train: Dermot Mulroney
Annette Jennings: Patricia Clarkson
Randy: Timothy Olyphant
Susan Train: Moira Kelly
Helen Christianson: Mary Kay Place
Julie: Jessica Campbell
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Writer-director Rose Troche's third indie film ambitiously reworks several short stories by A.M. Homes into a multifaceted portrait of modern suburbia. Alas, despite an enticing cast that includes Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson and Dermot Mulroney, "The Safety of Objects" never quite reaches the heights it shoots for. First unveiled at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival, the limited IFC Films release has won over some critics, but it's destined to come and go in theaters with little fanfare.
In her desire to mold Homes' empathetic stories of troubled suburbanites and keep it as realistic as possible, Troche has some success initially, but there are four separate families and nearly two dozen characters to keep track of. With a long running time that no amount of nonlinear construction can successfully quicken, "Safety" does have sequences and whole story lines that are fresh and thoughtfully entertaining.
The movie also has an "American Beauty"-like mission to tear aside the veil of respectability and emotional stability that are cliches of clean white neighborhoods, but in this day and age there's nothing remotely shocking or particularly revelatory. Two characters and their crises of identity emerge as the headliners in "Safety": Esther (Close), who has a grown son in a coma, and lawyer Jim Train (Mulroney).
The conceit of the movie is that Esther and Jim have nothing to do with each other at first but end up fatefully connected. Passed over for a promotion and convinced that his wife (Moira Kelly) is cheating on him, Jim starts to unravel and eventually becomes obsessed with helping Esther win a car in a mall-sponsored giveaway. Esther is trying to win the car for her demanding daughter (Jessica Campbell), and the endurance contest becomes a sad spectacle of consumerism.
Meanwhile, single mom Annette Jennings (Clarkson) is toughing out a bitter divorce and thinks her daughter (Kristen Stewart) is snatched by the father. In fact, the girl is lured into a strange encounter with the neighborhood handyman (Timothy Olyphant), who is having a hard time getting past a deadly driving accident for which he was partially to blame.
Rounding out the principal players are Mary Kay Place as yet another stagnant-souled mother raising kids and trying to evolve, Robert Klein as Esther's detached husband and young Alex House as Jim's son, who has a fantasy relationship with the doll of his sister in a cute but overdone shtick involving dialogue and role playing.
Roche's direction is quietly proficient, and the production values are top-notch for a low-budget project.
Overall, one has plenty of time to ponder the often exaggerated roles in life played by things and absorb the message that we all need to have more faith in one another.
THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS
IFC Films
Clear Blue Sky Prods., Renaissance Films An InFilm/Killer Films production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Rose Troche
Based on the book of stories by: A.M. Homes
Producers: Dorothy Berwin, Christine Vachon
Executive producers: Stephen Evans, Angus Finney, Jody Patton, Pamela Koffler
Director of photography: Enrique Chediak
Production designer: Andrea Stanley
Editor: Geraldine Peroni
Costume designer: Laura Jean Shannon
Casting: Bonnie Finnegan, Steven Jacobs
Cast:
Esther: Glenn Close
Jim Train: Dermot Mulroney
Annette Jennings: Patricia Clarkson
Randy: Timothy Olyphant
Susan Train: Moira Kelly
Helen Christianson: Mary Kay Place
Julie: Jessica Campbell
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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