Netflix’s animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” has gotten a trailer and a release date.
The animated feature, which is set to debut on the streamer on Dec. 2, features the voice of Luke Evans (“Beauty and the Beast”) as Scrooge as well as Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Jessie Buckley (“Men”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Crown”).
The animated film is described as a “supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story,” according to the synopsis. “With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.”
Director Stephen Donnelly said of the project: “It’s been a fascinating challenge to adapt such a beloved and often-told story. I think this version will give those who know ‘A Christmas Carol’ all the things they expect, but not as they’ve experienced them before. There are more than enough psychedelic,...
The animated feature, which is set to debut on the streamer on Dec. 2, features the voice of Luke Evans (“Beauty and the Beast”) as Scrooge as well as Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Jessie Buckley (“Men”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Crown”).
The animated film is described as a “supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story,” according to the synopsis. “With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.”
Director Stephen Donnelly said of the project: “It’s been a fascinating challenge to adapt such a beloved and often-told story. I think this version will give those who know ‘A Christmas Carol’ all the things they expect, but not as they’ve experienced them before. There are more than enough psychedelic,...
- 11/10/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Netflix has unveiled an impressive lineup of stars set to lend their voices to its upcoming animated feature Scrooge: A Christmas Carol from director Stephen Donnelly and Timeless Films.
Luke Evans (voicing Scrooge), Olivia Colman (Past), Jessie Buckley (Isabel Fezziwig) and Johnny Flynn (Bob Cratchit) have joined the film, alongside Fra Fee (Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Present), James Cosmo (Mr Fezziwig) and Jonathan Pryce (Jacob Marley).
Landing on Netflix in December, the CG animation gives the Charles Dickens classic a musical spin, with re-imagined songs from two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse (Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Superman, Home Alone).
The film is produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios, with producers including Ralph Kamp, Andrew Pearce and Bricusse. Rebecca Kamp and Gareth Kamp will serve as co-producers.
“It’s been a...
Netflix has unveiled an impressive lineup of stars set to lend their voices to its upcoming animated feature Scrooge: A Christmas Carol from director Stephen Donnelly and Timeless Films.
Luke Evans (voicing Scrooge), Olivia Colman (Past), Jessie Buckley (Isabel Fezziwig) and Johnny Flynn (Bob Cratchit) have joined the film, alongside Fra Fee (Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Present), James Cosmo (Mr Fezziwig) and Jonathan Pryce (Jacob Marley).
Landing on Netflix in December, the CG animation gives the Charles Dickens classic a musical spin, with re-imagined songs from two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse (Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Superman, Home Alone).
The film is produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios, with producers including Ralph Kamp, Andrew Pearce and Bricusse. Rebecca Kamp and Gareth Kamp will serve as co-producers.
“It’s been a...
- 7/20/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Timeless Films handles international sales.
Viva Kids has acquired US rights to UK-German animation Monster Family 2, the follow-up to the international hit that features a returning voice cast led by Jason Isaacs, Emily Watson and Nick Frost.
The distributor plans a theatrical release in January 2022 on the film about the ongoing antics of the Wishbone family as they transform into vampire, Frankenstein, a werewolf and the Mummy and set out to free Baba Yaga from monster hunter Mila Starr.
Jessica Brown Findlay and Catherine Tate reprise their roles in the key cast. Among new characters are King Conga and The Loch Ness Monster.
Viva Kids has acquired US rights to UK-German animation Monster Family 2, the follow-up to the international hit that features a returning voice cast led by Jason Isaacs, Emily Watson and Nick Frost.
The distributor plans a theatrical release in January 2022 on the film about the ongoing antics of the Wishbone family as they transform into vampire, Frankenstein, a werewolf and the Mummy and set out to free Baba Yaga from monster hunter Mila Starr.
Jessica Brown Findlay and Catherine Tate reprise their roles in the key cast. Among new characters are King Conga and The Loch Ness Monster.
- 8/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
There can’t be many examples of this – Kurt Wimmer, whose credits include writing and directing Equilibrium, has wrapped production on a feature film shot on set entirely during the lockdown.
This project is a yet-to-be-titled reimagining of Stephen King’s short story Children Of The Corn, which has already spawned 10 feature movies prior to this one, and shot in Australia. It originally went into production in New South Wales at the beginning of March. When the Covid-19 pandemic forced productions to shutdown across the world (few of which have resumed yet), the producers say they consulted with local body Screen Nsw, which was a major investor in the pic, and decided to progress.
Collaborating with Safe Work Nsw and film safety expert Jon Heaney, they drew up a reconfigured shoot schedule and methodology that implemented health and safety measures for the entire production. As they were already on set together,...
This project is a yet-to-be-titled reimagining of Stephen King’s short story Children Of The Corn, which has already spawned 10 feature movies prior to this one, and shot in Australia. It originally went into production in New South Wales at the beginning of March. When the Covid-19 pandemic forced productions to shutdown across the world (few of which have resumed yet), the producers say they consulted with local body Screen Nsw, which was a major investor in the pic, and decided to progress.
Collaborating with Safe Work Nsw and film safety expert Jon Heaney, they drew up a reconfigured shoot schedule and methodology that implemented health and safety measures for the entire production. As they were already on set together,...
- 6/12/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Kurt Wimmer’s reimagining of “Children of the Corn” has completed its coronavirus-defying shoot in Australia. The filmmakers employed stringent health and safety protocols, and multiple insurance policies.
The producers revealed the previously undisclosed cast of young actors, with Elena Kampouris (“Before I Fall”) and Kate Moyer (“When Hope Calls”) starring. They are accompanied by Australian talent Callan Mulvey (“Avengers: Endgame”) and Bruce Spence (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”).
“You can theorize all you like about safety protocols, but until you get on set, you don’t really know. But I can now tell you it is impossible to keep a camera crew 1.5 meters apart,” producer Lucas Foster (“Ford v Ferrari”) told Variety.
Principal photography began in New South Wales in early March, when the Covid-19 outbreak forced the majority of productions around the world to shut down.
“We ended up taking hundreds of measures.
The producers revealed the previously undisclosed cast of young actors, with Elena Kampouris (“Before I Fall”) and Kate Moyer (“When Hope Calls”) starring. They are accompanied by Australian talent Callan Mulvey (“Avengers: Endgame”) and Bruce Spence (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”).
“You can theorize all you like about safety protocols, but until you get on set, you don’t really know. But I can now tell you it is impossible to keep a camera crew 1.5 meters apart,” producer Lucas Foster (“Ford v Ferrari”) told Variety.
Principal photography began in New South Wales in early March, when the Covid-19 outbreak forced the majority of productions around the world to shut down.
“We ended up taking hundreds of measures.
- 6/11/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Us-China co-production is being launched in Toronto by Ralph Kamp’s UK-based sales agent Timeless Films.
Adam Devine, Rachel Bloom, Zazie Beetz and Ken Jeong will head the voice cast for animated Us-China co-production Extinct, which is being launched in Toronto by Ralph Kamp’s UK-based sales agent Timeless Films.
The original story follows two donut-shaped animals – flummels – who accidentally time-travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai. They discover their species has become extinct and have to find a way to change the course of history.
It is produced by China Lion, Hb Wink, Huayi Tencent Entertainment and Tolerable Entertainment and is...
Adam Devine, Rachel Bloom, Zazie Beetz and Ken Jeong will head the voice cast for animated Us-China co-production Extinct, which is being launched in Toronto by Ralph Kamp’s UK-based sales agent Timeless Films.
The original story follows two donut-shaped animals – flummels – who accidentally time-travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai. They discover their species has become extinct and have to find a way to change the course of history.
It is produced by China Lion, Hb Wink, Huayi Tencent Entertainment and Tolerable Entertainment and is...
- 9/5/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The voice cast for U.S.-Chinese animated movie “Extinct” will feature Adam Devine, Rachel Bloom, Zazie Beetz and Ken Jeong. The film is being directed by David Silverman (“The Simpsons Movie”). “The Simpsons” veterans Joel Cohen, John Frink, and Rob Lazebnik are writing.
The adventure-comedy will follow Op and Ed, a species of donut-shaped animals called flummels. They accidentally time-travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai where they discover traffic, trans fats, and the fact that flummels have become extinct. The duo set out to to save themselves and their species.
The movie comes from China Lion, Hb Wink, Huayi Tencent Entertainment, and Tolerable Entertainment. Timeless Films has boarded the project and will sell it internationally, kicking off the sales effort at the Toronto Film Festival.
“We are really looking forward to screening the first footage from this incredibly funny film to our distributors at Toronto,” said Timeless CEO and chairman Ralph Kamp.
The adventure-comedy will follow Op and Ed, a species of donut-shaped animals called flummels. They accidentally time-travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai where they discover traffic, trans fats, and the fact that flummels have become extinct. The duo set out to to save themselves and their species.
The movie comes from China Lion, Hb Wink, Huayi Tencent Entertainment, and Tolerable Entertainment. Timeless Films has boarded the project and will sell it internationally, kicking off the sales effort at the Toronto Film Festival.
“We are really looking forward to screening the first footage from this incredibly funny film to our distributors at Toronto,” said Timeless CEO and chairman Ralph Kamp.
- 9/3/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Annecy, France—Walter Tournier’ “Small Town,” TV series “What Would Jesus Do?” and Gastón Gorali’s “Escape to India” are among five projects to be pitched on Wednesday June 13 at Mifa’s Animation!, a selection of winners at November’s Latin American animation co-production-sales market, held as part of Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur.
In an alliance between Ventana Sur’s animation mini-mart and the Annecy festival, a showcase of Latin American animated features and TV projects were pitched in Buenos Aires last November. A jury selected four projects for the Animation! Focus @Mifa. A fifth –”Escape to India– has been added as a guest project.
In family comedy “Small Town,” Uruguayan stop-motion pioneer Tournier (“Selkirk”) directs a story set in a small town where its inhabitants have managed to combine the amount of methane expelled by the cows with porous stones in order to produce renewable energy. This implies a...
In an alliance between Ventana Sur’s animation mini-mart and the Annecy festival, a showcase of Latin American animated features and TV projects were pitched in Buenos Aires last November. A jury selected four projects for the Animation! Focus @Mifa. A fifth –”Escape to India– has been added as a guest project.
In family comedy “Small Town,” Uruguayan stop-motion pioneer Tournier (“Selkirk”) directs a story set in a small town where its inhabitants have managed to combine the amount of methane expelled by the cows with porous stones in order to produce renewable energy. This implies a...
- 6/13/2018
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Could the toon boom at this year’s Cannes Market eventually lead to a toon bust?
As the dust settles on the lineup of new movie projects unveiled in the French seaside resort, no trend is more apparent than the surge in ambitious independent animation features being introduced to buyers in hotel suites and rented apartments around town.
Two of this year’s biggest new titles are animated features: Laika’s $100 million comedy-adventure “Missing Link” and the $40 million “Fireheart,” a female-empowerment tale from the makers of “Ballerina.” They’re among the several dozen high-profile projects which are looking for distributors. Not a day goes by at Cannes without the announcement of some new international toon tale, it seems. But as more companies and countries pile into the family entertainment space, there’s a risk of over-saturation.
Right now, family fare is seen as a safe, commercial bet for studios looking...
As the dust settles on the lineup of new movie projects unveiled in the French seaside resort, no trend is more apparent than the surge in ambitious independent animation features being introduced to buyers in hotel suites and rented apartments around town.
Two of this year’s biggest new titles are animated features: Laika’s $100 million comedy-adventure “Missing Link” and the $40 million “Fireheart,” a female-empowerment tale from the makers of “Ballerina.” They’re among the several dozen high-profile projects which are looking for distributors. Not a day goes by at Cannes without the announcement of some new international toon tale, it seems. But as more companies and countries pile into the family entertainment space, there’s a risk of over-saturation.
Right now, family fare is seen as a safe, commercial bet for studios looking...
- 5/10/2018
- by John Hopewell and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Rogue One star Felicity Jones, Love Actually’s Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart and Bates Motel’s Freddie Highmore have joined Tomer Eshed’s Dragon Rider.
The quartet will work alongside previously announced actors Meera Syal (Doctor Strange), Sanjeev Bhaskar (Absolutely Anything) and Nonso Anozie (Cinderella) in the animated adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s novel.
It is being sold at Cannes by Timeless Films and is produced by Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben together with the co-producers Cyborn and RiseFX along with the team of Lumatic. The film is due to be delivered fall 2019.
Written by Johnny Smith (Gnomeo & Juliet), Dragon Rider trails an unlikely trio of heroes; young silver dragon Firedrake (Brodie-Sangster), Sorrel (Jones) the mountain brownie and a boy called Ben (Highmore) as they embark on an epic adventure and battle against a vicious, dragon-killing machine called Nettlebrand (Stewart) to find the ‘Rim of Heaven’.
“Felicity,...
The quartet will work alongside previously announced actors Meera Syal (Doctor Strange), Sanjeev Bhaskar (Absolutely Anything) and Nonso Anozie (Cinderella) in the animated adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s novel.
It is being sold at Cannes by Timeless Films and is produced by Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben together with the co-producers Cyborn and RiseFX along with the team of Lumatic. The film is due to be delivered fall 2019.
Written by Johnny Smith (Gnomeo & Juliet), Dragon Rider trails an unlikely trio of heroes; young silver dragon Firedrake (Brodie-Sangster), Sorrel (Jones) the mountain brownie and a boy called Ben (Highmore) as they embark on an epic adventure and battle against a vicious, dragon-killing machine called Nettlebrand (Stewart) to find the ‘Rim of Heaven’.
“Felicity,...
- 5/9/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Felicity Jones, the star of 2016’s “Rogue One,” has signed up for animated movie “Dragon Rider,” joining an impressive voice cast that includes Patrick Stewart. The film is one of the biggest animation projects out of Europe in recent times.
Based on Cornelia Funke’s bestselling novel of the same name, the family adventure will be produced by Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben. It will be directed by Tomer Eshed. Cyborn, RiseFX and Lumatic are co-producers. Johnny Smith (“Gnomeo & Juliet) wrote the movie, which will launch in the fall of 2019.
Other cast members are Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Freddie Highmore, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Nonso Anozie.
The film follows Firedrake, a young silver dragon; Sorrel, a mountain spirit; and Ben, an orphaned boy. The unlikely band searches in the Himalayas for the Rim of Heaven, which can offer sanctuary for Firedrake’s kin, whose valley is made uninhabitable by a dam.
Based on Cornelia Funke’s bestselling novel of the same name, the family adventure will be produced by Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben. It will be directed by Tomer Eshed. Cyborn, RiseFX and Lumatic are co-producers. Johnny Smith (“Gnomeo & Juliet) wrote the movie, which will launch in the fall of 2019.
Other cast members are Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Freddie Highmore, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Nonso Anozie.
The film follows Firedrake, a young silver dragon; Sorrel, a mountain spirit; and Ben, an orphaned boy. The unlikely band searches in the Himalayas for the Rim of Heaven, which can offer sanctuary for Firedrake’s kin, whose valley is made uninhabitable by a dam.
- 5/9/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Timeless Films selling project in Cannes.
Felicity Jones (Rogue One), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Maze Runner) and Patrick Stewart (Star Trek) have boarded the voice cast of feature animation Dragon Rider.
Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland), Meera Syal (Doctor Strange), Sanjeev Bhaskar (Absolutely Anything) and Nonso Anozie (Cinderella) are also in the cast of the film, which follows a trio of heroes: young silver dragon Firedrake (Brodie-Sangster), Sorrel (Jones) the mountain brownie and a boy called Ben (Highmore) as they embark on an adventure and battle against a dragon-killing machine called Nettlebrand (Stewart).
Based on Cornelia Funke’s novel of the same...
Felicity Jones (Rogue One), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Maze Runner) and Patrick Stewart (Star Trek) have boarded the voice cast of feature animation Dragon Rider.
Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland), Meera Syal (Doctor Strange), Sanjeev Bhaskar (Absolutely Anything) and Nonso Anozie (Cinderella) are also in the cast of the film, which follows a trio of heroes: young silver dragon Firedrake (Brodie-Sangster), Sorrel (Jones) the mountain brownie and a boy called Ben (Highmore) as they embark on an adventure and battle against a dragon-killing machine called Nettlebrand (Stewart).
Based on Cornelia Funke’s novel of the same...
- 5/9/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Timeless Films has boarded world sales rights to animation comedy Koati, which will be voiced and executive-produced by Modern Family star Sofia Vergara. Rodrigo Pérez Castro, story artist on Ferdinand, Ice Age: Collision Course and Rio 2, will direct the feature, which is created and produced by Anabella Sosa Dovarganes from Upstairs & Los Hijos de Jack Productions. Vergara will executive produce alongside Luis Balaguer, Diego Urbano, Chris Zimmer, Jose Nacif, Melissa Escobar, Upstairs Productions, Latin We and Timeless Films.
The feature will follow three unlikely heroes: a free-spirited coati (a raccoon-like animal found mainly in Central and South America), a fearless monarch butterfly, and a hyperactive glass frog as they embark on an adventure to stop a wicked coral snake (Vergara) from destroying their homeland and friends. Additional casting is underway.
Vergara, who has previously voiced animations The Smurfs and Happy Feet Two, told us, “Koati is an invitation...
The feature will follow three unlikely heroes: a free-spirited coati (a raccoon-like animal found mainly in Central and South America), a fearless monarch butterfly, and a hyperactive glass frog as they embark on an adventure to stop a wicked coral snake (Vergara) from destroying their homeland and friends. Additional casting is underway.
Vergara, who has previously voiced animations The Smurfs and Happy Feet Two, told us, “Koati is an invitation...
- 4/19/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment announced today that they have sold German, Latin American and Middle Eastern territories for Devlin’s latest directorial effort Bad Samaritan, starring David Tennant and Robert Sheehan. Brandon Boyce (Apt Pupil, Wicker Park) penned the screenplay with Electric’s Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan producing alongside Devlin.
Buyers include Atlas in Germany, Imagem in Latin America, and Eagle in the Middle East. The deals were brokered by Sonia Mehandjiyska, Ralph Kamp and their international sales team, which will continue sales at the Marché du Film in Cannes.
Bad Samaritan centers on two young car valets who use their business as a front to burglarize houses of their unsuspecting patrons. Life is good for these petty thieves until they target the wrong house, changing their lives forever.
The company recently announced the high profile acquisition of Rob Reiner’s Lbj starring Woody Harrelson in the role of the bombastic 36th President.
Buyers include Atlas in Germany, Imagem in Latin America, and Eagle in the Middle East. The deals were brokered by Sonia Mehandjiyska, Ralph Kamp and their international sales team, which will continue sales at the Marché du Film in Cannes.
Bad Samaritan centers on two young car valets who use their business as a front to burglarize houses of their unsuspecting patrons. Life is good for these petty thieves until they target the wrong house, changing their lives forever.
The company recently announced the high profile acquisition of Rob Reiner’s Lbj starring Woody Harrelson in the role of the bombastic 36th President.
- 5/19/2017
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Electric Entertainment scores key deals on thriller.
Electric Entertainment has scored key sales on Dean Devlin’s upcoming thriller Bad Samaritan.
Atlas has acquired rights for Germany, Imagem for Latin America, and Eagle for the Middle East.
Sonia Mehandjiyska, Nolan Pielak, and consultant Ralph Kamp brokered the deals for Electric and continue talks with buyers here.
David Tennant and Robert Sheehan star in the film about two young car valets who use their business as a front to break into the homes of their unsuspecting patrons.
Life is good for the petty thieves until they target the wrong house, changing their lives forever.
Brandon Boyce wrote the screenplay and Electric’s Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan produce alongside Devlin.
Electric Entertainment recently acquired North American distribution rights to Rob Reiner’s Lbj starring Woody Harrelson in the role of the bombastic 36th president of the United States. The film will open in autumn.
Electric Entertainment has scored key sales on Dean Devlin’s upcoming thriller Bad Samaritan.
Atlas has acquired rights for Germany, Imagem for Latin America, and Eagle for the Middle East.
Sonia Mehandjiyska, Nolan Pielak, and consultant Ralph Kamp brokered the deals for Electric and continue talks with buyers here.
David Tennant and Robert Sheehan star in the film about two young car valets who use their business as a front to break into the homes of their unsuspecting patrons.
Life is good for the petty thieves until they target the wrong house, changing their lives forever.
Brandon Boyce wrote the screenplay and Electric’s Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan produce alongside Devlin.
Electric Entertainment recently acquired North American distribution rights to Rob Reiner’s Lbj starring Woody Harrelson in the role of the bombastic 36th president of the United States. The film will open in autumn.
- 5/18/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Altitude Film Distribution acquires family animation Rock Dog featuring J.K. Simmons, Luke Wilson and Eddie Izzard.
Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to family animation Rock Dog, which had its European premiere at the recent BFI London Film Festival. The film features a voice cast including J.K. Simmons, Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard and Sam Elliot.
Co-founder and CEO of Altitude Film Entertainment Will Clarke commented, “Following the great response to the film at the BFI London Film Festival, we’re looking forward to introducing this to a wider UK audience.” The film marks Altitude’s first theatrical animation acquistion.
Ralph Kamp, chairman and CEO of the film’s sales agent Timeless Films, commented, “From the very first screening, [Altitude’s] enthusiasm and passion for the film made it clear to us they would be the perfect distribution partner. We hope the film will become a big success in the UK and look forward to the release next year...
Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to family animation Rock Dog, which had its European premiere at the recent BFI London Film Festival. The film features a voice cast including J.K. Simmons, Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard and Sam Elliot.
Co-founder and CEO of Altitude Film Entertainment Will Clarke commented, “Following the great response to the film at the BFI London Film Festival, we’re looking forward to introducing this to a wider UK audience.” The film marks Altitude’s first theatrical animation acquistion.
Ralph Kamp, chairman and CEO of the film’s sales agent Timeless Films, commented, “From the very first screening, [Altitude’s] enthusiasm and passion for the film made it clear to us they would be the perfect distribution partner. We hope the film will become a big success in the UK and look forward to the release next year...
- 10/31/2016
- ScreenDaily
Timeless Films and Ambient Entertainment announce cast for upcoming animation.
Emily Watson (Everest, War Horse) and Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs have joined the voice cast for 3D animation Happy Family.
The cast also includes Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Catherine Tate (Doctor Who).
Production and sales outfit Timeless Films is handling worldwide sales on the project and will be presenting new footage from the film at the American Film Market (Afm) (Nov 4-11) next week
Co-producer Ambient Entertainment has partnered with Warner Brothers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The film is directed by Holger Tappe, who previously made Animals United, which was also produced by Timeless and Ambient.
Based on David Safier’s best-selling novel, with a script by Catharina Junk and Safier, Happy Family is a family adventure that follows the very much unhappy Wishbone clan - under pressure and constantly...
Emily Watson (Everest, War Horse) and Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs have joined the voice cast for 3D animation Happy Family.
The cast also includes Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Catherine Tate (Doctor Who).
Production and sales outfit Timeless Films is handling worldwide sales on the project and will be presenting new footage from the film at the American Film Market (Afm) (Nov 4-11) next week
Co-producer Ambient Entertainment has partnered with Warner Brothers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The film is directed by Holger Tappe, who previously made Animals United, which was also produced by Timeless and Ambient.
Based on David Safier’s best-selling novel, with a script by Catharina Junk and Safier, Happy Family is a family adventure that follows the very much unhappy Wishbone clan - under pressure and constantly...
- 10/30/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Timeless Films and Ambient Entertainment announce cast for upcoming animation.
Emily Watson (Everest, War Horse) and Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs have joined the voice cast for 3D animation Happy Family.
The cast also includes Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Catherine Tate (Doctor Who).
Production and sales outfit Timeless Films is handling worldwide sales on the project and will be presenting new footage from the film at the American Film Market (Afm) (Nov 4-11) next week
Co-producer Ambient Entertainment has partnered with Warner Brothers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The film is directed by Holger Tappe, who previously made Animals United, which was also produced by Timeless and Ambient.
Based on David Safier’s best-selling novel, with a script by Catharina Junk and Safier, Happy Family is a family adventure that follows the very much unhappy Wishbone clan - under pressure and constantly...
Emily Watson (Everest, War Horse) and Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs have joined the voice cast for 3D animation Happy Family.
The cast also includes Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and Catherine Tate (Doctor Who).
Production and sales outfit Timeless Films is handling worldwide sales on the project and will be presenting new footage from the film at the American Film Market (Afm) (Nov 4-11) next week
Co-producer Ambient Entertainment has partnered with Warner Brothers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The film is directed by Holger Tappe, who previously made Animals United, which was also produced by Timeless and Ambient.
Based on David Safier’s best-selling novel, with a script by Catharina Junk and Safier, Happy Family is a family adventure that follows the very much unhappy Wishbone clan - under pressure and constantly...
- 10/30/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Director of The Jackel and Memphis Belle joins $30m fantasy epic.
Michael Caton-Jones has been confirmed to direct $30.9m (£20m) children’s fantasy film The Giant Under The Snow.
The film will be an adaptation of a 1968 adventure novel by John Gordon, which centres on three school friends who discover an ancient treasure and become embroiled in the final act of an epic battle of good against evil.
The live-action feature is intended to act as the first in a trilogy, with shooting planned at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios as well as on location in the UK from October 2015. Theatrical release is planned for Christmas 2016.
VFX will be handled by London-based CineSite, which worked on the Harry Potter franchise and more recently handled Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow.
Caton-Jones is developing the screenplay with Tom Williams (Chalet Girl, Kajaki).
Ralph Kamp, former Icon Productions CEO, will likely be global sales and distribution agent through his outfit...
Michael Caton-Jones has been confirmed to direct $30.9m (£20m) children’s fantasy film The Giant Under The Snow.
The film will be an adaptation of a 1968 adventure novel by John Gordon, which centres on three school friends who discover an ancient treasure and become embroiled in the final act of an epic battle of good against evil.
The live-action feature is intended to act as the first in a trilogy, with shooting planned at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios as well as on location in the UK from October 2015. Theatrical release is planned for Christmas 2016.
VFX will be handled by London-based CineSite, which worked on the Harry Potter franchise and more recently handled Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow.
Caton-Jones is developing the screenplay with Tom Williams (Chalet Girl, Kajaki).
Ralph Kamp, former Icon Productions CEO, will likely be global sales and distribution agent through his outfit...
- 2/23/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Film about the iconic football captain will coincide with the 50th anniversary of England’s 1966 World Cup triumph; eOne to distribute in UK.
Production is set to begin next month on a feature-length documentary celebrating the life of the golden boy of English football, Bobby Moore, who captained the national side to a historic victory in the 1966 World Cup Final.
Timeless Films will make the untitled film, in which archive footage of Moore’s life and times will blend with interviews, old and new, and the real stories behind Moore’s footballing glory; his battles with two bouts of cancer; the facts that led to false accusations about a stolen bracelet; and the failure to give a homegrown hero anything like the respect he deserved in later life.
Written and produced by football journalist and TV presenter Matt Lorenzo, it will be directed by Finn McGough, who will also co-write with Lorenzo.
Producer is [link...
Production is set to begin next month on a feature-length documentary celebrating the life of the golden boy of English football, Bobby Moore, who captained the national side to a historic victory in the 1966 World Cup Final.
Timeless Films will make the untitled film, in which archive footage of Moore’s life and times will blend with interviews, old and new, and the real stories behind Moore’s footballing glory; his battles with two bouts of cancer; the facts that led to false accusations about a stolen bracelet; and the failure to give a homegrown hero anything like the respect he deserved in later life.
Written and produced by football journalist and TV presenter Matt Lorenzo, it will be directed by Finn McGough, who will also co-write with Lorenzo.
Producer is [link...
- 9/4/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Golden Globe winners Chris Colfer (Fox’s “Glee,” Struck By Lightning) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters, Tangled) will lend their voices to Marza Animation Planet Inc.’s first original 3D CG animated film, Robodog, to be directed by Oscar nominated Henry F. Anderson III (Stuart Little, Gnomeo & Juliet), it was announced today by Marza’s CEO, Masanao Maeda.
Written by Robert Reece (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’S Beginning) and William Schneider, Robodog is produced by Paul Wang (Astro Boy) and will be edited by studio veteran Tom Finan (DreamWorks’ upcoming Mr. Peabody & Sherman).
Currently in pre-production with voiceover work set to start on February 1st, UK-based Timeless Films is handling international rights to the project, and will present it to buyers at next month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Robodog is a classic, heart-warming adventure story about an unlikely duo who couldn’t be more different.
Written by Robert Reece (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’S Beginning) and William Schneider, Robodog is produced by Paul Wang (Astro Boy) and will be edited by studio veteran Tom Finan (DreamWorks’ upcoming Mr. Peabody & Sherman).
Currently in pre-production with voiceover work set to start on February 1st, UK-based Timeless Films is handling international rights to the project, and will present it to buyers at next month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Robodog is a classic, heart-warming adventure story about an unlikely duo who couldn’t be more different.
- 1/28/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Glee star Chris Colfer and Ron Perlman will voice Marza Animation Planet’s Robodog, while UK-based Timeless Films will handle international sales.
Directed by Henry F. Anderson III (Stuart Little), the project is currently in pre-production with voice work to start on February 1.
It marks the first original 3D CG animated film from Marza, a Tokyo and Us-based production company owned by Sega Sammy.
Timeless Films, founded by industry veteran Ralph Kamp, will start sales on the project at next month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Colfer is best known for his role in the Fox TV series Glee and also wrote and starred in Brian Dannelly’s Struck By Lightning. Perlman has voiced characters in Tangled and Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters, and also starred in Hellboy and Pacific Rim.
Written by Robert Reece and William Schneider, Robodog is produed by Paul Wang and will be edited by Tom Finan (Mr Peabody & Sherman).
The family...
Directed by Henry F. Anderson III (Stuart Little), the project is currently in pre-production with voice work to start on February 1.
It marks the first original 3D CG animated film from Marza, a Tokyo and Us-based production company owned by Sega Sammy.
Timeless Films, founded by industry veteran Ralph Kamp, will start sales on the project at next month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Colfer is best known for his role in the Fox TV series Glee and also wrote and starred in Brian Dannelly’s Struck By Lightning. Perlman has voiced characters in Tangled and Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters, and also starred in Hellboy and Pacific Rim.
Written by Robert Reece and William Schneider, Robodog is produed by Paul Wang and will be edited by Tom Finan (Mr Peabody & Sherman).
The family...
- 1/28/2014
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham) returns behind the camera once more this summer with The Wedding Video, a new British comedy led by Lucy Punch (Bad Teacher), Robert Webb (Peep Show), and Rufus Hound (Hounded).
The film will be released in the UK next Friday, and now Entertainment Film Distributors have debuted three new clips, following the first trailer that landed a few weeks back.
“Raif (Hound), a shambolic oaf with a unique sense of humour, is asked to be his brother Tim’s (Webb) best man when he marries Saskia (Punch).
To Raif’s surprise, he finds his once-bohemian brother is marrying into Cheshire’s most socially aspirant family. Saskia’s grandmother, Patricia (Miriam Margolyes) would give Hyacinth Bucket a run for her money and mum Alex (Harriet Walker) has successfully married into life in the ‘Cheshire Set’ — the English ‘Beverley Hills’. Raif’s present to the...
The film will be released in the UK next Friday, and now Entertainment Film Distributors have debuted three new clips, following the first trailer that landed a few weeks back.
“Raif (Hound), a shambolic oaf with a unique sense of humour, is asked to be his brother Tim’s (Webb) best man when he marries Saskia (Punch).
To Raif’s surprise, he finds his once-bohemian brother is marrying into Cheshire’s most socially aspirant family. Saskia’s grandmother, Patricia (Miriam Margolyes) would give Hyacinth Bucket a run for her money and mum Alex (Harriet Walker) has successfully married into life in the ‘Cheshire Set’ — the English ‘Beverley Hills’. Raif’s present to the...
- 8/10/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In celebration of Postman Pat's 30th birthday, it's been announced that there will be a CG animated 3D movie made based on the 1980's British stop-motion animated kids TV series. I have never seen this series, but then I didn't grow up in the UK.
The movie will be called Postman Pat: The Movie – You Know You're the One. "The film finds Pat, everyone's favorite postman, coming face-to-face with the temptations of money, status and a shiny new suit when he enters a national TV talent show competition that threatens to tear him away from his hometown of Greendale and the friends he loves. What happens when kindness meets selfishness? When local fame meets global notoriety? A nice cup of tea is kicked aside by a frappacappucino? Pat is set to find out as he falls for the age old temptation of the grass being greener..."
The movie...
The movie will be called Postman Pat: The Movie – You Know You're the One. "The film finds Pat, everyone's favorite postman, coming face-to-face with the temptations of money, status and a shiny new suit when he enters a national TV talent show competition that threatens to tear him away from his hometown of Greendale and the friends he loves. What happens when kindness meets selfishness? When local fame meets global notoriety? A nice cup of tea is kicked aside by a frappacappucino? Pat is set to find out as he falls for the age old temptation of the grass being greener..."
The movie...
- 9/16/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Yesterday I awoke to a press release telling me that the BT Tower was going to be turned into a Lightsaber (and last night it came true) and this morning I get news that one of my childhood heroes, Postman Pat is going to get his own feature film! There’s a full press release from a well respected PR firm so it has to be true doesn’t it?!
The film finds Pat, everyone’s favourite postman, coming face-to-face with the temptations of money, status and a shiny new suit when he enters a national TV talent show competition that threatens to tear him away from his hometown of Greendale and the friends he loves. What happens when kindness meets selfishness? When local fame meets global notoriety? A nice cup of tea is kicked aside by a frappacappucino? Pat is set to find out as he falls for the...
The film finds Pat, everyone’s favourite postman, coming face-to-face with the temptations of money, status and a shiny new suit when he enters a national TV talent show competition that threatens to tear him away from his hometown of Greendale and the friends he loves. What happens when kindness meets selfishness? When local fame meets global notoriety? A nice cup of tea is kicked aside by a frappacappucino? Pat is set to find out as he falls for the...
- 9/16/2011
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Lucy Punch, Rufus Hound and Robert Webb are set to star in director Nigel Cole's The Wedding Video. THR reports that the film is a romantic comedy billed as an expose on English society weddings in Spinal Tap-style. They will star alongside a cast that already boasts Miriam Margolyes, Michelle Gomez and Harriet Walter.
Cole wrote the script with Tim Firth, who he last collaborated with on Calendar Girls. It details the story of "a shambolic yet loveable best man who decides the greatest gift he can give his friend and his bride is a video of their wedding. It doesn’t quite end up that way."
The film is produced by James Gay-Rees, (Senna) and exec produced by Entertainment Film Distributor’s Nigel Green and Timeless Films’ Ralph Kamp. Entertainment will handle U.K. distribution rights while Kamp’s Timeless will handle international sales on it. The...
Cole wrote the script with Tim Firth, who he last collaborated with on Calendar Girls. It details the story of "a shambolic yet loveable best man who decides the greatest gift he can give his friend and his bride is a video of their wedding. It doesn’t quite end up that way."
The film is produced by James Gay-Rees, (Senna) and exec produced by Entertainment Film Distributor’s Nigel Green and Timeless Films’ Ralph Kamp. Entertainment will handle U.K. distribution rights while Kamp’s Timeless will handle international sales on it. The...
- 8/24/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Personally I find anything to do with numbers horrifying as I suck at math but the movie gods see fit to keep dropping digits on us. The latest set? 2:22. *cues spooky music*
From the Press Release
Lightstream Pictures today announced the psychological thriller 2:22, which will be directed by Lightstream co-founder Paul Currie (One Perfect Day) and based on an original concept by highly sought-after screenwriter Todd Stein (Unbound) and Nathan Parker (Moon). The film will star Armie Hammer (pictured right), who is coming off the award-winning acclaimed film The Social Network and just wrapped Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
Lawrence Inglee (The Messenger, Rampart) from Lightstream Pictures is producing along with Bruce Davey (Braveheart, What Women Want) at Icon Productions and Jackie O’Sullivan (The Proposition). Timeless Films will be handling international sales for 2:22 beginning at the Cannes International Film Festival. The film will...
From the Press Release
Lightstream Pictures today announced the psychological thriller 2:22, which will be directed by Lightstream co-founder Paul Currie (One Perfect Day) and based on an original concept by highly sought-after screenwriter Todd Stein (Unbound) and Nathan Parker (Moon). The film will star Armie Hammer (pictured right), who is coming off the award-winning acclaimed film The Social Network and just wrapped Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
Lawrence Inglee (The Messenger, Rampart) from Lightstream Pictures is producing along with Bruce Davey (Braveheart, What Women Want) at Icon Productions and Jackie O’Sullivan (The Proposition). Timeless Films will be handling international sales for 2:22 beginning at the Cannes International Film Festival. The film will...
- 5/2/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Armie Hammer is attached to star in Lightstream Pictures' 2:22, a psychological thriller to be directed by Paul Currie (One Perfect Day, co-founder of Lightstream) and based on Todd Stein (Unbound) and Nathan Parker's (Moon) original screenplay. Rights for the film will be shopped at Cannes via Ralph Kamp's Timeless Films. Lightfilms's Lawrence Inglee in producing. The synopsis for 2:22, which hopes to begin shooting in Sydney this fall, is below. Hammer is hot: he just wrapped Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, will play the Prince in Relativity's upcoming The Brothers Grimm: Snow White (with Julia Roberts and Lily Collins) and is up for the title role in The Lone Ranger, which is more about Johnny Depp's Tonto. 2:22 is a clever, ...
- 5/2/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
The British sales agent is selling international rights to Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods, sequel to last year’s top German film. Wickie the Mighty Viking got five million cinemagoers through the turnstiles. Distributor Constantin Film hopes this 3D sequel, due to being shooting on location in Malta and Germany this summer, will do the same kind of business. Christian Ditter is the director and the producer is Christian Becker of Rat Pack. Timeless Films is former Odyssey Entertainment boss Ralph Kamp’s family film sales agency. Kamp also runs sales agency Metropolis out of UK financier Prescience. Timeless is [...]...
- 5/5/2010
- by TIM ADLER
- Deadline Hollywood
Familiar faces hawking under new banners is a theme during AFM as veterans of the market circuit take up the battle to secure financing for projects after seeing the hard-hit sales sector suffer and companies disappear.
This year's AFM will boast a brace of familiar faces from Stateside boasting new companies and two newly formed international sales companies operating under the banners Metropolis International Sales and Timeless Films from the U.K.
Veteran sales agent Reiko Bradley -- who recently survived a brain hemorrhage -- has launched Eclipse International, a sales and distribution company. Bradley is the CEO, and Stephen Durham is the president of the L.A.-based company.
The company wheels into the market with four films, including science fiction thriller "New World Order" detailing a time-traveling quest to prevent terrorists from attacking an international peace summit in 2012.
In late 2006, Bradley, now 47, suffered a brain hemorrhage,...
This year's AFM will boast a brace of familiar faces from Stateside boasting new companies and two newly formed international sales companies operating under the banners Metropolis International Sales and Timeless Films from the U.K.
Veteran sales agent Reiko Bradley -- who recently survived a brain hemorrhage -- has launched Eclipse International, a sales and distribution company. Bradley is the CEO, and Stephen Durham is the president of the L.A.-based company.
The company wheels into the market with four films, including science fiction thriller "New World Order" detailing a time-traveling quest to prevent terrorists from attacking an international peace summit in 2012.
In late 2006, Bradley, now 47, suffered a brain hemorrhage,...
- 11/4/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London -- Brendan Gleeson is teaming up with "Ned Kelly" scribe John Michael McDonagh to star in McDonagh's "The Guard," an Irish-set comedy thriller also featuring Don Cheadle, Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham.
Gleeson joins the movie as it begins shooting on location in Ireland.
It details the story of an unorthodox Irish policeman (Gleeson) who joins forces with a straitlaced FBI agent (Cheadle) to take on an international drug-smuggling gang.
Gleeson's character is billed as a small-town cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humor, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett to his door.
Written and directed by McDonagh the film also stars Fionnuala Flanagan, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Pat Shortt and newcomer Katarina Cas.
The film is produced by Reprisal's Chris Clark and Flora Fernandez Marengo and Element's...
Gleeson joins the movie as it begins shooting on location in Ireland.
It details the story of an unorthodox Irish policeman (Gleeson) who joins forces with a straitlaced FBI agent (Cheadle) to take on an international drug-smuggling gang.
Gleeson's character is billed as a small-town cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humor, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett to his door.
Written and directed by McDonagh the film also stars Fionnuala Flanagan, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Pat Shortt and newcomer Katarina Cas.
The film is produced by Reprisal's Chris Clark and Flora Fernandez Marengo and Element's...
- 10/29/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London -- U.K. indie distributor E1 Films has snapped up U.K. and Irish rights to Lone Scherfig's "An Education" from sales and finance house Odyssey Entertainment.
A Nick Hornby adaptation of Lynn Barber's memoir, "An Education" was financed by BBC Films and James D. Stern's Endgame Entertainment. The distribution deal was negotiated by E1 Films director Alex Hamilton and Odyssey's CEO Ralph Kamp.
Directed by Scherfig and produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this month, scooping the world cinema audience award as well as the world cinema cinematography award.
The cast includes Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike and Olivia Williams and is a late addition to the Berlin Film Festival lineup.
The film is produced by Finola Dwyer Prods. and Wildgaze Films.
A Nick Hornby adaptation of Lynn Barber's memoir, "An Education" was financed by BBC Films and James D. Stern's Endgame Entertainment. The distribution deal was negotiated by E1 Films director Alex Hamilton and Odyssey's CEO Ralph Kamp.
Directed by Scherfig and produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this month, scooping the world cinema audience award as well as the world cinema cinematography award.
The cast includes Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike and Olivia Williams and is a late addition to the Berlin Film Festival lineup.
The film is produced by Finola Dwyer Prods. and Wildgaze Films.
- 1/27/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This review was written for the theatrical release of "August Rush".Magical realism meets a modern-day Oliver Twist in "August Rush", an often charming urban fantasy that teeters perilously on the brink of preciousness but never quite topples over. It's a tightrope act from the first frame, but Kirsten Sheridan in her second outing as a director -- 2001's "Disco Pigs" was her first -- infuses her film with rapturous music and imagery. The story is about musicians and how music connects people, so the movie's score and songs, created by composers Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer, give poetic whimsy to an implausible tale.
Warner Bros. will rely on the cast to help sell this movie. Freddie Highmore again demonstrates he is one of the industry's top child actors, while Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers continue to climb to stardom in roles that demand the utmost sensitivity. The film should attract a loyal following, but critics will be mixed.
"August" adopts the structure of "Oliver Twist" whereby an orphan runs away to New York and falls in with a Fagin-like character. Instead of a gang of young thieves, the "Wizard" (Robin Williams, doing his best with a poorly written role) operates a team of young musicians who live in an abandoned theater and play for money on street corners. Evan (Highmore), whom he renames August Rush, is a child prodigy whose skills reward him with a prime spot in Washington Square.
It is in Washington Square 11 years ago where Evan was conceived. In flashback, a young Irish guitarist-singer, Louis (Rhys Meyers), encounters a shy, young cellist, Lyla (Russell), on a rooftop overlooking the square. The two spend the night only to be torn apart by circumstances.
When the pregnant Lyla is hit by a car and gives birth prematurely, her father (William Sadler), mindful of her career, gives the infant up for adoption but tells his daughter that her baby died. Shattered, she loses interest in playing and relocates to Chicago, where she teaches music. Louis, too, gives up music, opting for a business career in San Francisco.
A kind social worker (Terrence Howard) urges Evan into family placement, but the boy never gives up hope of finding his parents. He believes he can reach out to them through music, that they can "hear" each other. His musical gifts explode when he comes to New York. Its sounds resonate in his head: In the whoosh of subway trains, noise from cars, thumps of a basketball and the clatter, hum and buzz of everyday life, he feels music flow through him.
When August wanders into a church, the pastor (Mykelti Williamson) is so impressed with the boy's organ composition that he brings the youngster to the Juilliard School of Music. In no time, he has composed a symphony. It will be played in Central Park, where Lyla is a featured cellist and Louis is nearby, reunited with his old band.
Clearly, the film does not work on any realistic level. "August" is driven by its music. From gospel and rock to classical and symphonic, music carries its characters and story ever forward to their destiny. John Mathieson's inspired cinematography turn contemporary Manhattan into a Dickensian world where an orphan might triumph and people feel the sound of healing music. And nearly stealing the film is young Jamia Simone Nash with her sassy line readings and astonishing voice.
AUGUST RUSH
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Southpaw Entertainment production in association with CJ Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Screenwriters: Nick Castle, James V. Hart
Story by: Nick Castle, Paul Castro
Producer: Richard Barton Lewis
Executive producers: Robert Greenhut, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill, Miky Lee, Lionel Wigram
Director of photography: John Mathieson
Production designer: Michael Shaw
Music: Mark Mancina
Costume designer: Frank Fleming
Editor: William Steinkamp
Cast:
August Rush: Freddie Highmore
Lyla Novacek: Keri Russell
Louis Connelly: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Richard Jeffries: Terrence Howard
Maxwell "Wizard" Wallace: Robin Williams
Thomas: William Sadler
Arthur: Leon Thomas III
Hope: Jamia Simone Nash
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Warner Bros. will rely on the cast to help sell this movie. Freddie Highmore again demonstrates he is one of the industry's top child actors, while Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers continue to climb to stardom in roles that demand the utmost sensitivity. The film should attract a loyal following, but critics will be mixed.
"August" adopts the structure of "Oliver Twist" whereby an orphan runs away to New York and falls in with a Fagin-like character. Instead of a gang of young thieves, the "Wizard" (Robin Williams, doing his best with a poorly written role) operates a team of young musicians who live in an abandoned theater and play for money on street corners. Evan (Highmore), whom he renames August Rush, is a child prodigy whose skills reward him with a prime spot in Washington Square.
It is in Washington Square 11 years ago where Evan was conceived. In flashback, a young Irish guitarist-singer, Louis (Rhys Meyers), encounters a shy, young cellist, Lyla (Russell), on a rooftop overlooking the square. The two spend the night only to be torn apart by circumstances.
When the pregnant Lyla is hit by a car and gives birth prematurely, her father (William Sadler), mindful of her career, gives the infant up for adoption but tells his daughter that her baby died. Shattered, she loses interest in playing and relocates to Chicago, where she teaches music. Louis, too, gives up music, opting for a business career in San Francisco.
A kind social worker (Terrence Howard) urges Evan into family placement, but the boy never gives up hope of finding his parents. He believes he can reach out to them through music, that they can "hear" each other. His musical gifts explode when he comes to New York. Its sounds resonate in his head: In the whoosh of subway trains, noise from cars, thumps of a basketball and the clatter, hum and buzz of everyday life, he feels music flow through him.
When August wanders into a church, the pastor (Mykelti Williamson) is so impressed with the boy's organ composition that he brings the youngster to the Juilliard School of Music. In no time, he has composed a symphony. It will be played in Central Park, where Lyla is a featured cellist and Louis is nearby, reunited with his old band.
Clearly, the film does not work on any realistic level. "August" is driven by its music. From gospel and rock to classical and symphonic, music carries its characters and story ever forward to their destiny. John Mathieson's inspired cinematography turn contemporary Manhattan into a Dickensian world where an orphan might triumph and people feel the sound of healing music. And nearly stealing the film is young Jamia Simone Nash with her sassy line readings and astonishing voice.
AUGUST RUSH
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Southpaw Entertainment production in association with CJ Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Screenwriters: Nick Castle, James V. Hart
Story by: Nick Castle, Paul Castro
Producer: Richard Barton Lewis
Executive producers: Robert Greenhut, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill, Miky Lee, Lionel Wigram
Director of photography: John Mathieson
Production designer: Michael Shaw
Music: Mark Mancina
Costume designer: Frank Fleming
Editor: William Steinkamp
Cast:
August Rush: Freddie Highmore
Lyla Novacek: Keri Russell
Louis Connelly: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Richard Jeffries: Terrence Howard
Maxwell "Wizard" Wallace: Robin Williams
Thomas: William Sadler
Arthur: Leon Thomas III
Hope: Jamia Simone Nash
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 11/8/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Magical realism meets a modern-day Oliver Twist in August Rush, an often charming urban fantasy that teeters perilously on the brink of preciousness but never quite topples over. It's a tightrope act from the first frame, but Kirsten Sheridan in her second outing as a director -- 2001's Disco Pigs was her first -- infuses her film with rapturous music and imagery. The story is about musicians and how music connects people, so the movie's score and songs, created by composers Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer, give poetic whimsy to an implausible tale.
Warner Bros. will rely on the cast to help sell this movie. Freddie Highmore again demonstrates he is one of the industry's top child actors, while Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers continue to climb to stardom in roles that demand the utmost sensitivity. The film should attract a loyal following, but critics will be mixed.
August adopts the structure of Oliver Twist whereby an orphan runs away to New York and falls in with a Fagin-like character. Instead of a gang of young thieves, the Wizard (Robin Williams, doing his best with a poorly written role) operates a team of young musicians who live in an abandoned theater and play for money on street corners. Evan (Highmore), whom he renames August Rush, is a child prodigy whose skills reward him with a prime spot in Washington Square.
It is in Washington Square 11 years ago where Evan was conceived. In flashback, a young Irish guitarist-singer, Louis (Rhys Meyers), encounters a shy, young cellist, Lyla (Russell), on a rooftop overlooking the square. The two spend the night only to be torn apart by circumstances.
When the pregnant Lyla is hit by a car and gives birth prematurely, her father (William Sadler), mindful of her career, gives the infant up for adoption but tells his daughter that her baby died. Shattered, she loses interest in playing and relocates to Chicago, where she teaches music. Louis, too, gives up music, opting for a business career in San Francisco.
A kind social worker (Terrence Howard) urges Evan into family placement, but the boy never gives up hope of finding his parents. He believes he can reach out to them through music, that they can "hear" each other. His musical gifts explode when he comes to New York. Its sounds resonate in his head: In the whoosh of subway trains, noise from cars, thumps of a basketball and the clatter, hum and buzz of everyday life, he feels music flow through him.
When August wanders into a church, the pastor (Mykelti Williamson) is so impressed with the boy's organ composition that he brings the youngster to the Juilliard School of Music. In no time, he has composed a symphony. It will be played in Central Park, where Lyla is a featured cellist and Louis is nearby, reunited with his old band.
Clearly, the film does not work on any realistic level. August is driven by its music. From gospel and rock to classical and symphonic, music carries its characters and story ever forward to their destiny. John Mathieson's inspired cinematography turn contemporary Manhattan into a Dickensian world where an orphan might triumph and people feel the sound of healing music. And nearly stealing the film is young Jamia Simone Nash with her sassy line readings and astonishing voice.
AUGUST RUSH
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Southpaw Entertainment production in association with CJ Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Screenwriters: Nick Castle, James V. Hart
Story by: Nick Castle, Paul Castro
Producer: Richard Barton Lewis
Executive producers: Robert Greenhut, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill, Miky Lee, Lionel Wigram
Director of photography: John Mathieson
Production designer: Michael Shaw
Music: Mark Mancina
Costume designer: Frank Fleming
Editor: William Steinkamp
Cast:
August Rush: Freddie Highmore
Lyla Novacek: Keri Russell
Louis Connelly: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Richard Jeffries: Terrence Howard
Maxwell Wizard Wallace: Robin Williams
Thomas: William Sadler
Arthur: Leon Thomas III
Hope: Jamia Simone Nash
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Warner Bros. will rely on the cast to help sell this movie. Freddie Highmore again demonstrates he is one of the industry's top child actors, while Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers continue to climb to stardom in roles that demand the utmost sensitivity. The film should attract a loyal following, but critics will be mixed.
August adopts the structure of Oliver Twist whereby an orphan runs away to New York and falls in with a Fagin-like character. Instead of a gang of young thieves, the Wizard (Robin Williams, doing his best with a poorly written role) operates a team of young musicians who live in an abandoned theater and play for money on street corners. Evan (Highmore), whom he renames August Rush, is a child prodigy whose skills reward him with a prime spot in Washington Square.
It is in Washington Square 11 years ago where Evan was conceived. In flashback, a young Irish guitarist-singer, Louis (Rhys Meyers), encounters a shy, young cellist, Lyla (Russell), on a rooftop overlooking the square. The two spend the night only to be torn apart by circumstances.
When the pregnant Lyla is hit by a car and gives birth prematurely, her father (William Sadler), mindful of her career, gives the infant up for adoption but tells his daughter that her baby died. Shattered, she loses interest in playing and relocates to Chicago, where she teaches music. Louis, too, gives up music, opting for a business career in San Francisco.
A kind social worker (Terrence Howard) urges Evan into family placement, but the boy never gives up hope of finding his parents. He believes he can reach out to them through music, that they can "hear" each other. His musical gifts explode when he comes to New York. Its sounds resonate in his head: In the whoosh of subway trains, noise from cars, thumps of a basketball and the clatter, hum and buzz of everyday life, he feels music flow through him.
When August wanders into a church, the pastor (Mykelti Williamson) is so impressed with the boy's organ composition that he brings the youngster to the Juilliard School of Music. In no time, he has composed a symphony. It will be played in Central Park, where Lyla is a featured cellist and Louis is nearby, reunited with his old band.
Clearly, the film does not work on any realistic level. August is driven by its music. From gospel and rock to classical and symphonic, music carries its characters and story ever forward to their destiny. John Mathieson's inspired cinematography turn contemporary Manhattan into a Dickensian world where an orphan might triumph and people feel the sound of healing music. And nearly stealing the film is young Jamia Simone Nash with her sassy line readings and astonishing voice.
AUGUST RUSH
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Southpaw Entertainment production in association with CJ Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Screenwriters: Nick Castle, James V. Hart
Story by: Nick Castle, Paul Castro
Producer: Richard Barton Lewis
Executive producers: Robert Greenhut, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill, Miky Lee, Lionel Wigram
Director of photography: John Mathieson
Production designer: Michael Shaw
Music: Mark Mancina
Costume designer: Frank Fleming
Editor: William Steinkamp
Cast:
August Rush: Freddie Highmore
Lyla Novacek: Keri Russell
Louis Connelly: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Richard Jeffries: Terrence Howard
Maxwell Wizard Wallace: Robin Williams
Thomas: William Sadler
Arthur: Leon Thomas III
Hope: Jamia Simone Nash
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 11/8/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Toronto Film Festival
TORONTO — Playing like an adult woman's rejoinder to the Peter Pan factor in recent rom-coms, "Then She Found Me" prefers the mature man to the overgrown boy, gets knocked up without freaking out, and never -- well, maybe once -- goes for the startling gag over the pointed observation. With subtle laughs but solid emotional thrust, it will play very well with older audiences.
In her debut as feature director, Helen Hunt also stars as a teacher whose husband has a change of heart after less than a year of marriage. The earth beneath her continues to shake as her adoptive mother dies and her purportedly real one -- self-obsessed talk show host Bernice, played with pushy panache by Bette Midler -- makes her presence known.
Not a good time for new love, which makes the immediate arrival of Frank such a perfect vehicle for Colin Firth's patented choked-back-emotions act. Frank is the recently-divorced dad of April's student, and the two make a valiant (but doomed, natch) attempt not to ask each other out. Their quick rapport contrasts with the tentative relationship, threatened by half-truths and showbiz flakiness, between April and Bernice.
Then April, who has been worrying about getting too old to have a child, learns her estranged husband got her pregnant on the night he left -- just the spark needed to kick all the plot's tricky relationships into high gear at once. April's poor obstetrician (a truly left-field celeb cameo) hardly knows how many supporters she'll have with her each time she's due for an ultrasound.
Things are moving quickly, but Hunt aims for restrained believability rather than glossy bounce. The script isn't afraid to crack a joke, but it also doesn't want to exploit April's angst for cute laughs; accordingly, Hunt the director allows Hunt the actress to look realistically beat-down from time to time. The relatively sober mood means that when things turn ugly, the blow-ups don't come off as manufactured plot points. (That's particularly true with Firth's character, a memorably damaged suitor.)
The picture is set apart not only by its tone but by the way it takes seriously some elements that might get reduced to window-dressing in a movie more carefully engineered to reach the broadest audience: details of the protagonist's Jewish upbringing, for instance, but especially the attitude toward children, who here aren't fashion accessories but an essential part of the way April and Frank think about where they stand with each other.
That's not the kind of consequence-factoring theme you find in the average date movie, but it helps give "Then She Found Me" a character that many viewers will respond to.
THEN SHE FOUND ME
ThinkFilm
Killer Films / Blue Rider Pictures / John Wells Prods.
Director: Helen Hunt
Writers: Alice Arlen, Victor Levin, Helen Hunt
Based on the novel by Elinor Lipman
Producers: Helen Hunt, Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Connie Tavel, Christine Vachon
Executive producers: Jeff Geoffray, Louise Goodsill, Walter Josten, Ralph Kamp, Chip Signore, John Wells
Director of photography: Peter Donahue
Production designer: Stephen Beatrice
Music: David Mansfield
Co-producer: Matthew Myers
Costume designer: Donna Zakowska
Editor: Pam Wise
Cast:
April: Helen Hunt
Frank: Colin Firth
Bernice: Bette Midler
Ben: Matthew Broderick
Freddy: Ben Shenkman
No MPAA rating, running time 100 minutes...
TORONTO — Playing like an adult woman's rejoinder to the Peter Pan factor in recent rom-coms, "Then She Found Me" prefers the mature man to the overgrown boy, gets knocked up without freaking out, and never -- well, maybe once -- goes for the startling gag over the pointed observation. With subtle laughs but solid emotional thrust, it will play very well with older audiences.
In her debut as feature director, Helen Hunt also stars as a teacher whose husband has a change of heart after less than a year of marriage. The earth beneath her continues to shake as her adoptive mother dies and her purportedly real one -- self-obsessed talk show host Bernice, played with pushy panache by Bette Midler -- makes her presence known.
Not a good time for new love, which makes the immediate arrival of Frank such a perfect vehicle for Colin Firth's patented choked-back-emotions act. Frank is the recently-divorced dad of April's student, and the two make a valiant (but doomed, natch) attempt not to ask each other out. Their quick rapport contrasts with the tentative relationship, threatened by half-truths and showbiz flakiness, between April and Bernice.
Then April, who has been worrying about getting too old to have a child, learns her estranged husband got her pregnant on the night he left -- just the spark needed to kick all the plot's tricky relationships into high gear at once. April's poor obstetrician (a truly left-field celeb cameo) hardly knows how many supporters she'll have with her each time she's due for an ultrasound.
Things are moving quickly, but Hunt aims for restrained believability rather than glossy bounce. The script isn't afraid to crack a joke, but it also doesn't want to exploit April's angst for cute laughs; accordingly, Hunt the director allows Hunt the actress to look realistically beat-down from time to time. The relatively sober mood means that when things turn ugly, the blow-ups don't come off as manufactured plot points. (That's particularly true with Firth's character, a memorably damaged suitor.)
The picture is set apart not only by its tone but by the way it takes seriously some elements that might get reduced to window-dressing in a movie more carefully engineered to reach the broadest audience: details of the protagonist's Jewish upbringing, for instance, but especially the attitude toward children, who here aren't fashion accessories but an essential part of the way April and Frank think about where they stand with each other.
That's not the kind of consequence-factoring theme you find in the average date movie, but it helps give "Then She Found Me" a character that many viewers will respond to.
THEN SHE FOUND ME
ThinkFilm
Killer Films / Blue Rider Pictures / John Wells Prods.
Director: Helen Hunt
Writers: Alice Arlen, Victor Levin, Helen Hunt
Based on the novel by Elinor Lipman
Producers: Helen Hunt, Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Connie Tavel, Christine Vachon
Executive producers: Jeff Geoffray, Louise Goodsill, Walter Josten, Ralph Kamp, Chip Signore, John Wells
Director of photography: Peter Donahue
Production designer: Stephen Beatrice
Music: David Mansfield
Co-producer: Matthew Myers
Costume designer: Donna Zakowska
Editor: Pam Wise
Cast:
April: Helen Hunt
Frank: Colin Firth
Bernice: Bette Midler
Ben: Matthew Broderick
Freddy: Ben Shenkman
No MPAA rating, running time 100 minutes...
Having created an indelible rogue's gallery of lovable freaks and nonconformists, Johnny Depp ventures into the realm of the monstrous in the demanding film "The Libertine".
He delivers a haunting portrait of the 17th-century poet, provocateur and debauchee John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, who achieved literary acclaim only after his lingering death at 33, ravaged by syphilis and alcohol. One of the achievements of director Laurence Dunmore's insistently gritty first feature is that his protagonist, a repellent creature of rapacious sensual appetites, grows more recognizable the more physically grotesque he becomes. A dark cousin to such screen rapscallions as Raoul Duke, Jack Sparrow and, yes, Willy Wonka, Depp's dissolute earl possesses a staggering allure beneath the blood-chilling sneer.
Originally scheduled for September release in the midst of Miramax's crowded housecleaning slate, the unrated Weinstein Co. release world-premiered Friday at AFI Fest. (Not an MPAA signatory, the new shingle de-clined the organization's NC-17.) It bows Nov. 25 in Los Angeles and New York, where it should perform lustily. Wide release in January will be more of a challenge, even with Depp starring.
Like its protagonist, the self-proclaimed cynic of a golden age, "Libertine" makes no concessions to expectation. Shot as if through layers of grime, it takes an ad-mirably different approach to costume fare than high-sheen features like "Shakespeare in Love", which put the Weinsteins' Miramax on the Oscar map.
There's a stark power to Alexander Melman's grainy, candlelit cinematography (Dunmore himself operated the mostly handheld camera) that is in keeping with the unapologetic subject matter. But the drained-of-red palette and fetid green light, artifices in their own right, are at times more tiring than expressive. Audiences used to being spoon-fed dazzling period regalia might feel mired in the sludge. For those who can stick with it, the rewards are considerable.
"You will not like me", Rochester promises from the shadows in his to-the-camera prologue. Stephen Jeffreys' screenplay, based on his play, doesn't explain or excuse the behavior of a man devoted to pleasure and yet numb to it. A favorite in the king's court, though no worshipper of the throne, Rochester accepts a commission to write a major work of literature for Charles II (John Malkovich, who shepherded the project over its nine-year development after playing the title role in the U.S. premiere of the play). Rather than get to work, Rochester pursues his commitment to drink and sex, between escapades trading pornographic ripostes with writers George Etherege (Tom Hollander) and Charles Sackville (Johnny Vegas).
Rochester is shaken from licentious routine when he sees struggling actress Lizzie Barry (Samantha Morton) booed offstage. She's one of the first generation of female actors -- following the trail blazed by women like Claire Danes' character in "Stage Beauty" -- and Rochester determines to make her the leading light of the London theater. He succeeds. Known for his brutal honesty, he demands truth from Lizzie's performances, and the fiercely independent actress, overcoming her wariness, flourishes under his tutelage. She also becomes his lover, igniting a passion that Rochester recognizes too late.
Although capable of listening respectfully to the advice of a favorite whore (Kelly Reilly), the earl shows his pious mother (Francesca Annis) only disdain. Matters are more complex with his wife, Elizabeth (Rosamund Pike), who has her eyes wide open to his philandering. Pike is extraordinarily affecting as the woman who began her relationship with Rochester as his teenage kidnap victim and ended it as his devoted caretaker. Morton, though underused, conveys Lizzie's ardor and formidable ambition.
Almost unrecognizable in fake nose and massive wig, Malkovich has a contained intensity as the free-thinking sovereign who embraces the wonders of scientific and intellectual progress and who, beneath the official ire, seems to enjoy the raunchy irreverence of Rochester's literary output. Bawdiness notwithstanding, there's a touch of the conventional in the dialogue's self-consciously literary profusion of language. And however flavorful all the supporting turns, the piece is clearly a vehicle for its star.
Contributions by production designer Ben Van Os, costume designer Dien Van Straalen and especially hair and make-up designer Peter Owen ("The Lord of the Rings") are key to the sense of Restoration-era England in the throes of a hangover from post-Puritan excess. The film is dedicated to casting director Mary Selway, Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson.
THE LIBERTINE
The Weinstein Co.
The Weinstein Co. and Odyssey Entertainment in association with Isle of Man Film present a Mr. Mudd production
Credits:
Director: Laurence Dunmore
Screenwriter: Stephen Jeffreys
Based on the play by: Stephen Jeffreys
Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith
Executive producers: Chase Bailey, Steve Christian, Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill
Director of photography: Alexander Melman
Production designer: Ben Van Os
Music: Michael Nyman
Costume designer: Dien Van Straalen
Editor: Jill Bilcock. Cast: Rochester: Johnny Depp
Elizabeth Barry: Samantha Morton
Charles II: John Malkovich
Elizabeth Malet: Rosamund Pike
Etherege: Tom Hollander
Sackville: Johnny Vegas
Jane
Kelly Reilly
Harris: Jack Davenport
Alcock: Richard Coyle
Countess: Francesca Annis
Downs: Rupert Friend
No MPAA rating -- running time 115 minutes...
He delivers a haunting portrait of the 17th-century poet, provocateur and debauchee John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, who achieved literary acclaim only after his lingering death at 33, ravaged by syphilis and alcohol. One of the achievements of director Laurence Dunmore's insistently gritty first feature is that his protagonist, a repellent creature of rapacious sensual appetites, grows more recognizable the more physically grotesque he becomes. A dark cousin to such screen rapscallions as Raoul Duke, Jack Sparrow and, yes, Willy Wonka, Depp's dissolute earl possesses a staggering allure beneath the blood-chilling sneer.
Originally scheduled for September release in the midst of Miramax's crowded housecleaning slate, the unrated Weinstein Co. release world-premiered Friday at AFI Fest. (Not an MPAA signatory, the new shingle de-clined the organization's NC-17.) It bows Nov. 25 in Los Angeles and New York, where it should perform lustily. Wide release in January will be more of a challenge, even with Depp starring.
Like its protagonist, the self-proclaimed cynic of a golden age, "Libertine" makes no concessions to expectation. Shot as if through layers of grime, it takes an ad-mirably different approach to costume fare than high-sheen features like "Shakespeare in Love", which put the Weinsteins' Miramax on the Oscar map.
There's a stark power to Alexander Melman's grainy, candlelit cinematography (Dunmore himself operated the mostly handheld camera) that is in keeping with the unapologetic subject matter. But the drained-of-red palette and fetid green light, artifices in their own right, are at times more tiring than expressive. Audiences used to being spoon-fed dazzling period regalia might feel mired in the sludge. For those who can stick with it, the rewards are considerable.
"You will not like me", Rochester promises from the shadows in his to-the-camera prologue. Stephen Jeffreys' screenplay, based on his play, doesn't explain or excuse the behavior of a man devoted to pleasure and yet numb to it. A favorite in the king's court, though no worshipper of the throne, Rochester accepts a commission to write a major work of literature for Charles II (John Malkovich, who shepherded the project over its nine-year development after playing the title role in the U.S. premiere of the play). Rather than get to work, Rochester pursues his commitment to drink and sex, between escapades trading pornographic ripostes with writers George Etherege (Tom Hollander) and Charles Sackville (Johnny Vegas).
Rochester is shaken from licentious routine when he sees struggling actress Lizzie Barry (Samantha Morton) booed offstage. She's one of the first generation of female actors -- following the trail blazed by women like Claire Danes' character in "Stage Beauty" -- and Rochester determines to make her the leading light of the London theater. He succeeds. Known for his brutal honesty, he demands truth from Lizzie's performances, and the fiercely independent actress, overcoming her wariness, flourishes under his tutelage. She also becomes his lover, igniting a passion that Rochester recognizes too late.
Although capable of listening respectfully to the advice of a favorite whore (Kelly Reilly), the earl shows his pious mother (Francesca Annis) only disdain. Matters are more complex with his wife, Elizabeth (Rosamund Pike), who has her eyes wide open to his philandering. Pike is extraordinarily affecting as the woman who began her relationship with Rochester as his teenage kidnap victim and ended it as his devoted caretaker. Morton, though underused, conveys Lizzie's ardor and formidable ambition.
Almost unrecognizable in fake nose and massive wig, Malkovich has a contained intensity as the free-thinking sovereign who embraces the wonders of scientific and intellectual progress and who, beneath the official ire, seems to enjoy the raunchy irreverence of Rochester's literary output. Bawdiness notwithstanding, there's a touch of the conventional in the dialogue's self-consciously literary profusion of language. And however flavorful all the supporting turns, the piece is clearly a vehicle for its star.
Contributions by production designer Ben Van Os, costume designer Dien Van Straalen and especially hair and make-up designer Peter Owen ("The Lord of the Rings") are key to the sense of Restoration-era England in the throes of a hangover from post-Puritan excess. The film is dedicated to casting director Mary Selway, Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson.
THE LIBERTINE
The Weinstein Co.
The Weinstein Co. and Odyssey Entertainment in association with Isle of Man Film present a Mr. Mudd production
Credits:
Director: Laurence Dunmore
Screenwriter: Stephen Jeffreys
Based on the play by: Stephen Jeffreys
Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith
Executive producers: Chase Bailey, Steve Christian, Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill
Director of photography: Alexander Melman
Production designer: Ben Van Os
Music: Michael Nyman
Costume designer: Dien Van Straalen
Editor: Jill Bilcock. Cast: Rochester: Johnny Depp
Elizabeth Barry: Samantha Morton
Charles II: John Malkovich
Elizabeth Malet: Rosamund Pike
Etherege: Tom Hollander
Sackville: Johnny Vegas
Jane
Kelly Reilly
Harris: Jack Davenport
Alcock: Richard Coyle
Countess: Francesca Annis
Downs: Rupert Friend
No MPAA rating -- running time 115 minutes...
- 12/20/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Having created an indelible rogue's gallery of lovable freaks and nonconformists, Johnny Depp ventures into the realm of the monstrous in the demanding film "The Libertine".
He delivers a haunting portrait of the 17th-century poet, provocateur and debauchee John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, who achieved literary acclaim only after his lingering death at 33, ravaged by syphilis and alcohol. One of the achievements of director Laurence Dunmore's insistently gritty first feature is that his protagonist, a repellent creature of rapacious sensual appetites, grows more recognizable the more physically grotesque he becomes. A dark cousin to such screen rapscallions as Raoul Duke, Jack Sparrow and, yes, Willy Wonka, Depp's dissolute earl possesses a staggering allure beneath the blood-chilling sneer.
Originally scheduled for September release in the midst of Miramax's crowded housecleaning slate, the unrated Weinstein Co. release world-premiered Friday at AFI Fest. (Not an MPAA signatory, the new shingle de-clined the organization's NC-17.) It bows Nov. 25 in Los Angeles and New York, where it should perform lustily. Wide release in January will be more of a challenge, even with Depp starring.
Like its protagonist, the self-proclaimed cynic of a golden age, "Libertine" makes no concessions to expectation. Shot as if through layers of grime, it takes an ad-mirably different approach to costume fare than high-sheen features like "Shakespeare in Love", which put the Weinsteins' Miramax on the Oscar map.
There's a stark power to Alexander Melman's grainy, candlelit cinematography (Dunmore himself operated the mostly handheld camera) that is in keeping with the unapologetic subject matter. But the drained-of-red palette and fetid green light, artifices in their own right, are at times more tiring than expressive. Audiences used to being spoon-fed dazzling period regalia might feel mired in the sludge. For those who can stick with it, the rewards are considerable.
"You will not like me", Rochester promises from the shadows in his to-the-camera prologue. Stephen Jeffreys' screenplay, based on his play, doesn't explain or excuse the behavior of a man devoted to pleasure and yet numb to it. A favorite in the king's court, though no worshipper of the throne, Rochester accepts a commission to write a major work of literature for Charles II (John Malkovich, who shepherded the project over its nine-year development after playing the title role in the U.S. premiere of the play). Rather than get to work, Rochester pursues his commitment to drink and sex, between escapades trading pornographic ripostes with writers George Etherege (Tom Hollander) and Charles Sackville (Johnny Vegas).
Rochester is shaken from licentious routine when he sees struggling actress Lizzie Barry (Samantha Morton) booed offstage. She's one of the first generation of female actors -- following the trail blazed by women like Claire Danes' character in "Stage Beauty" -- and Rochester determines to make her the leading light of the London theater. He succeeds. Known for his brutal honesty, he demands truth from Lizzie's performances, and the fiercely independent actress, overcoming her wariness, flourishes under his tutelage. She also becomes his lover, igniting a passion that Rochester recognizes too late.
Although capable of listening respectfully to the advice of a favorite whore (Kelly Reilly), the earl shows his pious mother (Francesca Annis) only disdain. Matters are more complex with his wife, Elizabeth (Rosamund Pike), who has her eyes wide open to his philandering. Pike is extraordinarily affecting as the woman who began her relationship with Rochester as his teenage kidnap victim and ended it as his devoted caretaker. Morton, though underused, conveys Lizzie's ardor and formidable ambition.
Almost unrecognizable in fake nose and massive wig, Malkovich has a contained intensity as the free-thinking sovereign who embraces the wonders of scientific and intellectual progress and who, beneath the official ire, seems to enjoy the raunchy irreverence of Rochester's literary output. Bawdiness notwithstanding, there's a touch of the conventional in the dialogue's self-consciously literary profusion of language. And however flavorful all the supporting turns, the piece is clearly a vehicle for its star.
Contributions by production designer Ben Van Os, costume designer Dien Van Straalen and especially hair and make-up designer Peter Owen ("The Lord of the Rings") are key to the sense of Restoration-era England in the throes of a hangover from post-Puritan excess. The film is dedicated to casting director Mary Selway, Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson.
THE LIBERTINE
The Weinstein Co.
The Weinstein Co. and Odyssey Entertainment in association with Isle of Man Film present a Mr. Mudd production
Credits:
Director: Laurence Dunmore
Screenwriter: Stephen Jeffreys
Based on the play by: Stephen Jeffreys
Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith
Executive producers: Chase Bailey, Steve Christian, Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill
Director of photography: Alexander Melman
Production designer: Ben Van Os
Music: Michael Nyman
Costume designer: Dien Van Straalen
Editor: Jill Bilcock. Cast: Rochester: Johnny Depp
Elizabeth Barry: Samantha Morton
Charles II: John Malkovich
Elizabeth Malet: Rosamund Pike
Etherege: Tom Hollander
Sackville: Johnny Vegas
Jane
Kelly Reilly
Harris: Jack Davenport
Alcock: Richard Coyle
Countess: Francesca Annis
Downs: Rupert Friend
No MPAA rating -- running time 115 minutes...
He delivers a haunting portrait of the 17th-century poet, provocateur and debauchee John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, who achieved literary acclaim only after his lingering death at 33, ravaged by syphilis and alcohol. One of the achievements of director Laurence Dunmore's insistently gritty first feature is that his protagonist, a repellent creature of rapacious sensual appetites, grows more recognizable the more physically grotesque he becomes. A dark cousin to such screen rapscallions as Raoul Duke, Jack Sparrow and, yes, Willy Wonka, Depp's dissolute earl possesses a staggering allure beneath the blood-chilling sneer.
Originally scheduled for September release in the midst of Miramax's crowded housecleaning slate, the unrated Weinstein Co. release world-premiered Friday at AFI Fest. (Not an MPAA signatory, the new shingle de-clined the organization's NC-17.) It bows Nov. 25 in Los Angeles and New York, where it should perform lustily. Wide release in January will be more of a challenge, even with Depp starring.
Like its protagonist, the self-proclaimed cynic of a golden age, "Libertine" makes no concessions to expectation. Shot as if through layers of grime, it takes an ad-mirably different approach to costume fare than high-sheen features like "Shakespeare in Love", which put the Weinsteins' Miramax on the Oscar map.
There's a stark power to Alexander Melman's grainy, candlelit cinematography (Dunmore himself operated the mostly handheld camera) that is in keeping with the unapologetic subject matter. But the drained-of-red palette and fetid green light, artifices in their own right, are at times more tiring than expressive. Audiences used to being spoon-fed dazzling period regalia might feel mired in the sludge. For those who can stick with it, the rewards are considerable.
"You will not like me", Rochester promises from the shadows in his to-the-camera prologue. Stephen Jeffreys' screenplay, based on his play, doesn't explain or excuse the behavior of a man devoted to pleasure and yet numb to it. A favorite in the king's court, though no worshipper of the throne, Rochester accepts a commission to write a major work of literature for Charles II (John Malkovich, who shepherded the project over its nine-year development after playing the title role in the U.S. premiere of the play). Rather than get to work, Rochester pursues his commitment to drink and sex, between escapades trading pornographic ripostes with writers George Etherege (Tom Hollander) and Charles Sackville (Johnny Vegas).
Rochester is shaken from licentious routine when he sees struggling actress Lizzie Barry (Samantha Morton) booed offstage. She's one of the first generation of female actors -- following the trail blazed by women like Claire Danes' character in "Stage Beauty" -- and Rochester determines to make her the leading light of the London theater. He succeeds. Known for his brutal honesty, he demands truth from Lizzie's performances, and the fiercely independent actress, overcoming her wariness, flourishes under his tutelage. She also becomes his lover, igniting a passion that Rochester recognizes too late.
Although capable of listening respectfully to the advice of a favorite whore (Kelly Reilly), the earl shows his pious mother (Francesca Annis) only disdain. Matters are more complex with his wife, Elizabeth (Rosamund Pike), who has her eyes wide open to his philandering. Pike is extraordinarily affecting as the woman who began her relationship with Rochester as his teenage kidnap victim and ended it as his devoted caretaker. Morton, though underused, conveys Lizzie's ardor and formidable ambition.
Almost unrecognizable in fake nose and massive wig, Malkovich has a contained intensity as the free-thinking sovereign who embraces the wonders of scientific and intellectual progress and who, beneath the official ire, seems to enjoy the raunchy irreverence of Rochester's literary output. Bawdiness notwithstanding, there's a touch of the conventional in the dialogue's self-consciously literary profusion of language. And however flavorful all the supporting turns, the piece is clearly a vehicle for its star.
Contributions by production designer Ben Van Os, costume designer Dien Van Straalen and especially hair and make-up designer Peter Owen ("The Lord of the Rings") are key to the sense of Restoration-era England in the throes of a hangover from post-Puritan excess. The film is dedicated to casting director Mary Selway, Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson.
THE LIBERTINE
The Weinstein Co.
The Weinstein Co. and Odyssey Entertainment in association with Isle of Man Film present a Mr. Mudd production
Credits:
Director: Laurence Dunmore
Screenwriter: Stephen Jeffreys
Based on the play by: Stephen Jeffreys
Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith
Executive producers: Chase Bailey, Steve Christian, Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill
Director of photography: Alexander Melman
Production designer: Ben Van Os
Music: Michael Nyman
Costume designer: Dien Van Straalen
Editor: Jill Bilcock. Cast: Rochester: Johnny Depp
Elizabeth Barry: Samantha Morton
Charles II: John Malkovich
Elizabeth Malet: Rosamund Pike
Etherege: Tom Hollander
Sackville: Johnny Vegas
Jane
Kelly Reilly
Harris: Jack Davenport
Alcock: Richard Coyle
Countess: Francesca Annis
Downs: Rupert Friend
No MPAA rating -- running time 115 minutes...
- 11/14/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical theater powerhouse "The Phantom of the Opera" still contains its memorable lyrics and score, but this "Phantom" is a pale -- dare we say ghostly? -- copy of the original coup de theatre directed by Harold Prince. Part of the problem can be laid to miscasting and an overindulgence in set design. But the element of camp, which admittedly lurked in the wings of the stage musical, explodes into full view here before unforgiving cameras.
A Baz Luhrmann might have found a way to make the film version hip and relevant to younger audiences. But Webber clearly maintained a tight grip on his baby as producer and screenplay collaborator with director Joel Schumacher, so little rethinking of the stage show went into the filmization. Consequently, audiences for the musical skew older, with little to attract young males.
The story from Gaston Leroux's 1911 pulp horror novel tells of a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs of a Paris opera house. He secretly mentors a young female singer, whom he adores, but a hideous face behind a half mask forces him to hide both himself and his love from the woman.
The film opens strongly with a black-and-white prologue in 1919, where the aging Vicompte Raoul de Chagny buys an old music box at auction in a decaying theater. As an organ strikes the Phantom's theme, the movie then flashes back in brilliant color to that theater in full swing in 1870 where singers, costumers, set builders and the ballet corps ready the next grand production.
The film gains further momentum when the brilliant and beautiful Emmy Rossum comes onscreen as the young chorus girl Christine Daae. A classically trained singer who made a dazzling debut in the underrated "Songcatcher" in 2000, Rossum has a crystal-pure voice that conveys the soft innocence of the Phantom's beloved. She also handles the mood shifts well, confused when caught in a romantic tug of war between the Phantom and her lover, Raoul, then later finding the backbone to stand up to her mentor.
Alas, the movie stumbles badly with the appearance of Scottish actor Gerard Butler as the Phantom. The role, so memorably created by Michael Crawford onstage, usually falls to an older actor since the Phantom has supposedly been Christine's "angel of music" since childhood. Yet Butler is nearly the same age as Patrick Wilson, who plays Christine's childhood friend Raoul. The change possibly reflects a misguided notion that a younger Phantom will attract a younger crowd, but it throws off the dynamics of the romantic triangle. Much more damaging is the fact Butler is not a trained singer. He manages to get by but lacks the vocal range and richness to do justice to some of the show's finest songs.
The role of Raoul is always problematic. Webber and Schumacher invent a ludicrous sword fight between Raoul and the Phantom in a graveyard so his character is a little less wimpy than onstage. Nevertheless, Wilson struggles, as do all Raouls, to give the character color or dimension.
Minnie Driver, as the opera's impossible diva, is terrific fun, hamming things up in a fake Italian accent and raging ego. Miranda Richardson is suitably grave and levelheaded as the ballet mistress who knows more than she pretends.
Simon Callow and Ciaran Hinds give comic zest to the theater's two new managers, but the roles have always been the show's weakest as they require vaudevillian turns at odds with the musical's often horrific tone.
What the film most damagingly lacks though is a sense of mystery and danger. When the Phantom magically transports Christine through the bowels of the opera to his lair, Schumacher has cinematographer John Mathieson light the passages so brightly -- the better to show off all those expensive sets, apparently -- it feels more like a fun frolic than a journey into the heart of darkness. There is even a horse standing by to help out. What on earth is a horse doing down there?
Similarly, in the scene where Christine visits her father's grave to sing "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," Schumacher has Rossum traipse miles through a grotesque set of towering, campy headstones and monuments before she finally arrives at a sarcophagus befitting an emperor. The only trouble is, her father was a poor violinist.
In the story's one major change, the famous scene in which the Phantom causes a chandelier to crash during a performance has been moved to the end to put more "wow" into the climax. Fine, only the audience now has no idea until the end how far this mad genius will go to claim his love from his rival. Except when Rossum is onscreen, this "Phantom" is but a hallow visual effects show.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Odyssey Entertainment A Really Useful Films/Scion Films production
Credits:
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenwriters: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joel Schumacher
Based on the novel by: Gaston Leroux
Producer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Executive producers: Austin Shaw, Paul Hitchcock, Louise Goodsill, Ralph Kamp, Jeff Abberley, Julia Blackman, Keith Cousins
Director of photography: John Mathieson
Production designer: Anthony Pratt
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Charles Hart
Additional lyrics: Richard Stilgoe
Choreographer: Peter Darling
Costumes: Alexandra Byrne
Visual effects supervisor: Nathan McGuinness
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Cast:
Phantom: Gerard Butler
Christine: Emmy Rossum
Raoul: Patrick Wilson
Mme. Giry: Miranda Richardson
Andrew: Simon Callow
Firmin: Ciaran Hinds
Carlotta: Minnie Driver
Buquet: Kevin R. McNally
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 140 minutes...
A Baz Luhrmann might have found a way to make the film version hip and relevant to younger audiences. But Webber clearly maintained a tight grip on his baby as producer and screenplay collaborator with director Joel Schumacher, so little rethinking of the stage show went into the filmization. Consequently, audiences for the musical skew older, with little to attract young males.
The story from Gaston Leroux's 1911 pulp horror novel tells of a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs of a Paris opera house. He secretly mentors a young female singer, whom he adores, but a hideous face behind a half mask forces him to hide both himself and his love from the woman.
The film opens strongly with a black-and-white prologue in 1919, where the aging Vicompte Raoul de Chagny buys an old music box at auction in a decaying theater. As an organ strikes the Phantom's theme, the movie then flashes back in brilliant color to that theater in full swing in 1870 where singers, costumers, set builders and the ballet corps ready the next grand production.
The film gains further momentum when the brilliant and beautiful Emmy Rossum comes onscreen as the young chorus girl Christine Daae. A classically trained singer who made a dazzling debut in the underrated "Songcatcher" in 2000, Rossum has a crystal-pure voice that conveys the soft innocence of the Phantom's beloved. She also handles the mood shifts well, confused when caught in a romantic tug of war between the Phantom and her lover, Raoul, then later finding the backbone to stand up to her mentor.
Alas, the movie stumbles badly with the appearance of Scottish actor Gerard Butler as the Phantom. The role, so memorably created by Michael Crawford onstage, usually falls to an older actor since the Phantom has supposedly been Christine's "angel of music" since childhood. Yet Butler is nearly the same age as Patrick Wilson, who plays Christine's childhood friend Raoul. The change possibly reflects a misguided notion that a younger Phantom will attract a younger crowd, but it throws off the dynamics of the romantic triangle. Much more damaging is the fact Butler is not a trained singer. He manages to get by but lacks the vocal range and richness to do justice to some of the show's finest songs.
The role of Raoul is always problematic. Webber and Schumacher invent a ludicrous sword fight between Raoul and the Phantom in a graveyard so his character is a little less wimpy than onstage. Nevertheless, Wilson struggles, as do all Raouls, to give the character color or dimension.
Minnie Driver, as the opera's impossible diva, is terrific fun, hamming things up in a fake Italian accent and raging ego. Miranda Richardson is suitably grave and levelheaded as the ballet mistress who knows more than she pretends.
Simon Callow and Ciaran Hinds give comic zest to the theater's two new managers, but the roles have always been the show's weakest as they require vaudevillian turns at odds with the musical's often horrific tone.
What the film most damagingly lacks though is a sense of mystery and danger. When the Phantom magically transports Christine through the bowels of the opera to his lair, Schumacher has cinematographer John Mathieson light the passages so brightly -- the better to show off all those expensive sets, apparently -- it feels more like a fun frolic than a journey into the heart of darkness. There is even a horse standing by to help out. What on earth is a horse doing down there?
Similarly, in the scene where Christine visits her father's grave to sing "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," Schumacher has Rossum traipse miles through a grotesque set of towering, campy headstones and monuments before she finally arrives at a sarcophagus befitting an emperor. The only trouble is, her father was a poor violinist.
In the story's one major change, the famous scene in which the Phantom causes a chandelier to crash during a performance has been moved to the end to put more "wow" into the climax. Fine, only the audience now has no idea until the end how far this mad genius will go to claim his love from his rival. Except when Rossum is onscreen, this "Phantom" is but a hallow visual effects show.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Odyssey Entertainment A Really Useful Films/Scion Films production
Credits:
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenwriters: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joel Schumacher
Based on the novel by: Gaston Leroux
Producer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Executive producers: Austin Shaw, Paul Hitchcock, Louise Goodsill, Ralph Kamp, Jeff Abberley, Julia Blackman, Keith Cousins
Director of photography: John Mathieson
Production designer: Anthony Pratt
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Charles Hart
Additional lyrics: Richard Stilgoe
Choreographer: Peter Darling
Costumes: Alexandra Byrne
Visual effects supervisor: Nathan McGuinness
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Cast:
Phantom: Gerard Butler
Christine: Emmy Rossum
Raoul: Patrick Wilson
Mme. Giry: Miranda Richardson
Andrew: Simon Callow
Firmin: Ciaran Hinds
Carlotta: Minnie Driver
Buquet: Kevin R. McNally
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 140 minutes...
- 1/10/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A self-consciously bittersweet comedy, "The Martins" contains a fair amount of laughs, but these are largely negated by an overriding sense that the film is not quite the dark social comedy it thinks it is. The key performances are excellent -- Lee Evans ("Mouse Hunt", "There's Something About Mary") never better and Kathy Burke confirming her "national treasure" status in British cinema -- but tyro writer-director Tony Grounds can't make the project work.
The film could be a cult success in the United Kingdom but might prove a tough proposition to release overseas. The social characterizations are very English, the language consistently strong and the humor not strong enough. "Martins" could well find a home on video shelves.
The film's premise is quite simple: The Martins are a suburban family from hell. Robert (Evans) is an unemployed dreamer who thinks his great escape will come from winning newspaper competitions. He is adored by wife Angie (Burke). The couple have a heavily pregnant 14-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son who can't deal with school. And Angie's tartly dressed mother lives just across the road with a mission to make her son-in-law's life miserable.
One morning, as Robert is cooking bacon on an improvised barbecue in the garden (involving throwing tires onto a fire), his neighbor starts shooting water at the fire. Robert pulls a gun and frightens off the neighbor. He explains to his angry wife that he is just keeping the weapon for a friend.
Things then spiral downward: Robert pulls the gun on son Little Bob's teacher and later uses it to threaten the editor of the local newspaper, which had been staging a competition with a dream holiday as the main prize.
Finally, Robert uses to gun to hold up the elderly couple who won the prize (nice cameo performances by Frank Finlay and Barbara Leigh Hunt), steals their ticket to the "dream holiday" (which turns out to be a trip to a cottage on the Isle of Man) and convinces his family that he won the competition and is taking them away. With the police on their trail, they head up the motorway from London to take a ferry to the Isle of Man, where eventually things come to a head with a blazing row between Robert and Angie, their daughter giving birth and the arrival of armed police.
The idea of a comedy built around a supremely dysfunctional family is appealing -- look at the success of Australian film "The Castle". But Grounds is determined to make the characters as unappealing as possible, so it's hard to sympathize with a man who thinks the world owes him everything and, when it doesn't come through, starts waving a gun at innocent people.
That being said, Evans forsakes his usual physical comedy to give a subtle, at times endearing performance as a common man pushed to his edge. Burke is great as the wife who loves him for his strengths -- compassion for his family and general good intentions -- but eventually despairs of his weaknesses. There is a deliriously enjoyable cameo by tough-guy actor Ray Winstone as a children's entertainer who goes berserk at Robert when he tries to persuade him to perform at Little Bob's birthday party.
Grounds has a good reputation from British television, where he scripted the series "Births, Marriages and Deaths". It was a brave move by the producers of "Martins" to let him take on directing chores, but sadly it hasn't paid off. There is a lot of talent there, though, and his will be a career worth following.
THE MARTINS
Icon Entertainment International
Tiger Aspect Pictures and Icon Prods.
Producers: Greg Brenman, Dixie Linder, Bruce Davey
Screenwriter-director: Tony Grounds
Executive producers: Peter Bennett-Jones, Paul Tucker, Ralph Kamp, Steve Christian
Director of photography: David Johnson
Production designer: Michael Carlin
Costume designer: Stewart Meachem
Editor: Robin Sales
Music: Richard Hartley
Color/stereo
Cast:
Robert Martin: Lee Evans
Angie Martin: Kathy Burke
Little Bob: Eric Byrne
Katie: Terri Dumont
Anthea: Linda Bassett
DI Tony Branch: Jack Shepherd
PC Alex: Lennie James
Running time -- 86 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The film could be a cult success in the United Kingdom but might prove a tough proposition to release overseas. The social characterizations are very English, the language consistently strong and the humor not strong enough. "Martins" could well find a home on video shelves.
The film's premise is quite simple: The Martins are a suburban family from hell. Robert (Evans) is an unemployed dreamer who thinks his great escape will come from winning newspaper competitions. He is adored by wife Angie (Burke). The couple have a heavily pregnant 14-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son who can't deal with school. And Angie's tartly dressed mother lives just across the road with a mission to make her son-in-law's life miserable.
One morning, as Robert is cooking bacon on an improvised barbecue in the garden (involving throwing tires onto a fire), his neighbor starts shooting water at the fire. Robert pulls a gun and frightens off the neighbor. He explains to his angry wife that he is just keeping the weapon for a friend.
Things then spiral downward: Robert pulls the gun on son Little Bob's teacher and later uses it to threaten the editor of the local newspaper, which had been staging a competition with a dream holiday as the main prize.
Finally, Robert uses to gun to hold up the elderly couple who won the prize (nice cameo performances by Frank Finlay and Barbara Leigh Hunt), steals their ticket to the "dream holiday" (which turns out to be a trip to a cottage on the Isle of Man) and convinces his family that he won the competition and is taking them away. With the police on their trail, they head up the motorway from London to take a ferry to the Isle of Man, where eventually things come to a head with a blazing row between Robert and Angie, their daughter giving birth and the arrival of armed police.
The idea of a comedy built around a supremely dysfunctional family is appealing -- look at the success of Australian film "The Castle". But Grounds is determined to make the characters as unappealing as possible, so it's hard to sympathize with a man who thinks the world owes him everything and, when it doesn't come through, starts waving a gun at innocent people.
That being said, Evans forsakes his usual physical comedy to give a subtle, at times endearing performance as a common man pushed to his edge. Burke is great as the wife who loves him for his strengths -- compassion for his family and general good intentions -- but eventually despairs of his weaknesses. There is a deliriously enjoyable cameo by tough-guy actor Ray Winstone as a children's entertainer who goes berserk at Robert when he tries to persuade him to perform at Little Bob's birthday party.
Grounds has a good reputation from British television, where he scripted the series "Births, Marriages and Deaths". It was a brave move by the producers of "Martins" to let him take on directing chores, but sadly it hasn't paid off. There is a lot of talent there, though, and his will be a career worth following.
THE MARTINS
Icon Entertainment International
Tiger Aspect Pictures and Icon Prods.
Producers: Greg Brenman, Dixie Linder, Bruce Davey
Screenwriter-director: Tony Grounds
Executive producers: Peter Bennett-Jones, Paul Tucker, Ralph Kamp, Steve Christian
Director of photography: David Johnson
Production designer: Michael Carlin
Costume designer: Stewart Meachem
Editor: Robin Sales
Music: Richard Hartley
Color/stereo
Cast:
Robert Martin: Lee Evans
Angie Martin: Kathy Burke
Little Bob: Eric Byrne
Katie: Terri Dumont
Anthea: Linda Bassett
DI Tony Branch: Jack Shepherd
PC Alex: Lennie James
Running time -- 86 minutes
No MPAA rating...
With more erection jokes than "American Pie" and more shagging references than "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," no one will ever accuse "Kevin and Perry Go Large" of being a subtle comedy of manners.
Its wonderfully broad British humor is, in fact, crude, rude, embarrassing -- and often downright hilarious. The film promises to be a bit of a hit in the United Kingdom -- it grossed a smash $3.2 million in its opening last weekend, toppling "Pokemon the First Movie" from the No. 1 slot -- though how overseas audiences will react remains to be seen. (Icon Entertainment International is handling international sales.)
Kevin and Perry are well-known to English audiences from TV's "The Harry Enfield Show" as hormonally challenged teenagers who are desperately uncool and desperate to lose their virginity. What makes them rather unusual is that Kevin is played by Enfield, a thirtysomething comedian, while best pal Perry is played by Kathy Burke, who won the best actress award at Cannes for her role in "Nil by Mouth".
These are two typically grungy teens -- rude and angry with parents who don't understand them, obsessed with girls who ignore them and blessed with no dress sense and plenty of spots. As a rule, Kevin and Perry usually get about 10 minutes airtime on "The Harry Enfield Show". But in this expanded film format, there is a chance for them to really let loose.
The concept is familiar to any fan of "American Pie" or nearly any angst-ridden teen comedy: They need to stamp their mark on the world via their deejay skills and lose their virginity along the way. To accomplish these feats, the duo decides to go to the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza, where it is wellknown that "the deejay reigns supreme and the girls will shag anyone."
The first third of the film sees Kevin and Perry trying to raise money for the trip. This is achieved while in a bank trying to use Kevin's father's credit card. A robber holds up the bank and tells the pair to sit down at a table. Kevin gets sidetracked staring at the breasts of the bank teller, and his erection sets off the under-table emergency alarm. An indication of things to come.
Kevin's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson (James Fleet and Louisa Rix), offer to take the boys to Ibiza. The pair reluctantly agree but spend the money they have been awarded for foiling the robbery on top gear (a k a cool clothing) and a suitcase full of condoms.
Whether hiding erections in the sand, crashing scooters or urinating (and worse) in the sea, these two stand no chance. Eventually, they meet the top deejay, Eye Ball Paul Rhys Ifans), who gets them into the cool club but just makes fun of them.
The pair do meet the girls of their dreams (Laura Fraser and Tabitha Wady, who initially out-grunge even Kevin and Perry); they do get to spin their records at the top club; and yes, they do lose their virginity.
In their big-screen versions, Kevin and Perry aren't quite as spotty as they are on TV, but the writing of Enfield and David Cummings manages to capture (with great humor) the anger and angst of a teen.
Enfield is great as the troubled Kevin struggling to make that teenage transition. Even better, though, is Burke as the genial Perry, who will follow his best pal anywhere and also quite fancies Mrs. Patterson. Burke is one of the great British talents of the moment, at ease in high drama as she is in broad comedy.
Director Ed Bye does a fine job easing the transition of small-screen characters onto the big screen, and the Ibiza sequences -- especially in the nightclub -- are especially good. Costumes by Denise Simmons are spot on, and all other technical credits are very good.
KEVIN AND PERRY GO LARGE
Tiger Aspect Pictures in association with Icon Prods.
and Fragile Films
Producers: Peter Bennett-Jones,
Jolyon Symods, Harry Enfield
Director: Ed Bye
Screenwriters: Harry Enfield, David Cummings
Executive producers: Bruce Davey,
Ralph Kamp, Barnaby Thompson
Director of photography: Alan Almond
Production designer: Tom Brown
Editor: Mark Wybourn
Costume designer: Denise Simmons
Color/stereo
Cast:
Kevin: Harry Enfield
Perry: Kathy Burke
Eye Ball Paul: Rhys Ifans
Candice: Laura Fraser
Mr. Patterson: James Fleet
Mrs. Patterson: Louisa Rix
Gemma: Tabitha Wady
Bouncer: Paul Whitehouse
Running time -- 82 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Its wonderfully broad British humor is, in fact, crude, rude, embarrassing -- and often downright hilarious. The film promises to be a bit of a hit in the United Kingdom -- it grossed a smash $3.2 million in its opening last weekend, toppling "Pokemon the First Movie" from the No. 1 slot -- though how overseas audiences will react remains to be seen. (Icon Entertainment International is handling international sales.)
Kevin and Perry are well-known to English audiences from TV's "The Harry Enfield Show" as hormonally challenged teenagers who are desperately uncool and desperate to lose their virginity. What makes them rather unusual is that Kevin is played by Enfield, a thirtysomething comedian, while best pal Perry is played by Kathy Burke, who won the best actress award at Cannes for her role in "Nil by Mouth".
These are two typically grungy teens -- rude and angry with parents who don't understand them, obsessed with girls who ignore them and blessed with no dress sense and plenty of spots. As a rule, Kevin and Perry usually get about 10 minutes airtime on "The Harry Enfield Show". But in this expanded film format, there is a chance for them to really let loose.
The concept is familiar to any fan of "American Pie" or nearly any angst-ridden teen comedy: They need to stamp their mark on the world via their deejay skills and lose their virginity along the way. To accomplish these feats, the duo decides to go to the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza, where it is wellknown that "the deejay reigns supreme and the girls will shag anyone."
The first third of the film sees Kevin and Perry trying to raise money for the trip. This is achieved while in a bank trying to use Kevin's father's credit card. A robber holds up the bank and tells the pair to sit down at a table. Kevin gets sidetracked staring at the breasts of the bank teller, and his erection sets off the under-table emergency alarm. An indication of things to come.
Kevin's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson (James Fleet and Louisa Rix), offer to take the boys to Ibiza. The pair reluctantly agree but spend the money they have been awarded for foiling the robbery on top gear (a k a cool clothing) and a suitcase full of condoms.
Whether hiding erections in the sand, crashing scooters or urinating (and worse) in the sea, these two stand no chance. Eventually, they meet the top deejay, Eye Ball Paul Rhys Ifans), who gets them into the cool club but just makes fun of them.
The pair do meet the girls of their dreams (Laura Fraser and Tabitha Wady, who initially out-grunge even Kevin and Perry); they do get to spin their records at the top club; and yes, they do lose their virginity.
In their big-screen versions, Kevin and Perry aren't quite as spotty as they are on TV, but the writing of Enfield and David Cummings manages to capture (with great humor) the anger and angst of a teen.
Enfield is great as the troubled Kevin struggling to make that teenage transition. Even better, though, is Burke as the genial Perry, who will follow his best pal anywhere and also quite fancies Mrs. Patterson. Burke is one of the great British talents of the moment, at ease in high drama as she is in broad comedy.
Director Ed Bye does a fine job easing the transition of small-screen characters onto the big screen, and the Ibiza sequences -- especially in the nightclub -- are especially good. Costumes by Denise Simmons are spot on, and all other technical credits are very good.
KEVIN AND PERRY GO LARGE
Tiger Aspect Pictures in association with Icon Prods.
and Fragile Films
Producers: Peter Bennett-Jones,
Jolyon Symods, Harry Enfield
Director: Ed Bye
Screenwriters: Harry Enfield, David Cummings
Executive producers: Bruce Davey,
Ralph Kamp, Barnaby Thompson
Director of photography: Alan Almond
Production designer: Tom Brown
Editor: Mark Wybourn
Costume designer: Denise Simmons
Color/stereo
Cast:
Kevin: Harry Enfield
Perry: Kathy Burke
Eye Ball Paul: Rhys Ifans
Candice: Laura Fraser
Mr. Patterson: James Fleet
Mrs. Patterson: Louisa Rix
Gemma: Tabitha Wady
Bouncer: Paul Whitehouse
Running time -- 82 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 4/27/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It is clear that Kevin Spacey can turn his hand to just about anything, and in "Ordinary Decent Criminal", playing a charismatic Dublin gangster, he masters the accent and manner with consummate ease. But despite Spacey's witty, elegant central performance, the sum of the film is not as good as its parts. While there is much to enjoy, it's unlikely that "Criminal" will do much to set the boxoffice alight. Produced and released in the United Kingdom via Mel Gibson's Icon Entertainment, the film will be handled Stateside by Miramax, which may manage to make good use of Spacey's name.
Spacey stars as crime boss Michael Lynch, a character based loosely on the Dublin crook Martin Cahill, whose antics were the basis of John Boorman's excellent "The General". A clever criminal who enjoys poking fun at the Garde (the Irish police) as much as making off with the money, Lynch has a loyal gang and the love of two sisters (Linda Fiorentino and Helen Baxendale) who happily share him and have children by him.
Lynch protects his identity by keeping his black hood up during his many court cases or wearing a black motorcycle helmet around town. He is something of a folk hero to Dubliners, though his plans begin to misfire when, after irritating the police too much, the Garde take to following and harassing Lynch and his family. To get his ultimate one-up, Lynch plans and executes the theft from an art gallery of a Caravaggio painting valued in the millions.
Police pressure continues, and the gang begins to lose faith in him and negotiates with the IRA to sell the picture. But the IRA sells out the gang, and several members are killed in a shootout while the IRA robs a bank across town. Lynch has gotten wind of the double cross, though. He arrives at the bank early and, despite the hail of bullets, manages to fake his own death and escape.
The initial setup of "Criminal", directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, points to it being played with black humor (Spacey's smile is perfect for the smug but highly talented thief). Lynch drops his trousers to flash his buttocks to police as they try to arrest him, and he later digs up a golf course before the police chief's game.
Unfortunately, the film tends to lose its way, sometimes lurching into violence that doesn't fit or dialogue exchanges that don't quite work. Most problematic is the relationship between Lynch and the sisters.
He is married to Christine (Fiorentino) but pops off, with her full knowledge, for passionate interludes with Lisa (Baxendale). Fiorentino seems lost in this film, which gives little or no space for her character to develop. Baxendale gets even less screen time and no development at all.
Other casting is very good, with Scottish actors David Hayman and Peter Mullan terrific as loyal Lynch gang members and Patrick Malahide playing top policeman Commissioner Daly strictly for laughs.
To Spacey's credit, he keeps his focus on playing Lynch as a self-absorbed but charming rogue, easily holding center ground while fine actors work around him.
O'Sullivan directs perfectly well, though there is a feeling that during the editing stage there were problems in finding the right balance. Other technical credits are fine, with British popster Damon Albarn of the group Blur providing a jaunting soundtrack that tallies well with the film's humor.
ORDINARY DECENT CRIMINAL
Icon Entertainment International
presents a Little Bird production
in association with Tatfilm and Trigger Street Prods., Miramax Films, the Irish Film Board, the Greenlight Fund, Filmstiftung NRW, supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England
Producer:Jonathan Cavendish
Director:Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Screenwriter:Gerard Stembridge
Executive producers:James Mitchell, Christine Ruppert, Ralph Kamp, Paul Tucker, Rod Stoneman
Director of photography:Andrew Dunn
Production designer:Tony Burrough
Music:Damon Albarn
Editor:William Anderson
Costume designer:Jane Robinson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Michael Lynch:Kevin Spacey
Christine Lynch:Linda Fiorentino
Stevie:Peter Mullan
Noel Quigley:Stephen Dillane
Lisa:Helen Baxendale
Tony Brady:David Hayman
Commissioner Daly:Patrick Malahide
Harrison:Gerard McSorley
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Spacey stars as crime boss Michael Lynch, a character based loosely on the Dublin crook Martin Cahill, whose antics were the basis of John Boorman's excellent "The General". A clever criminal who enjoys poking fun at the Garde (the Irish police) as much as making off with the money, Lynch has a loyal gang and the love of two sisters (Linda Fiorentino and Helen Baxendale) who happily share him and have children by him.
Lynch protects his identity by keeping his black hood up during his many court cases or wearing a black motorcycle helmet around town. He is something of a folk hero to Dubliners, though his plans begin to misfire when, after irritating the police too much, the Garde take to following and harassing Lynch and his family. To get his ultimate one-up, Lynch plans and executes the theft from an art gallery of a Caravaggio painting valued in the millions.
Police pressure continues, and the gang begins to lose faith in him and negotiates with the IRA to sell the picture. But the IRA sells out the gang, and several members are killed in a shootout while the IRA robs a bank across town. Lynch has gotten wind of the double cross, though. He arrives at the bank early and, despite the hail of bullets, manages to fake his own death and escape.
The initial setup of "Criminal", directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, points to it being played with black humor (Spacey's smile is perfect for the smug but highly talented thief). Lynch drops his trousers to flash his buttocks to police as they try to arrest him, and he later digs up a golf course before the police chief's game.
Unfortunately, the film tends to lose its way, sometimes lurching into violence that doesn't fit or dialogue exchanges that don't quite work. Most problematic is the relationship between Lynch and the sisters.
He is married to Christine (Fiorentino) but pops off, with her full knowledge, for passionate interludes with Lisa (Baxendale). Fiorentino seems lost in this film, which gives little or no space for her character to develop. Baxendale gets even less screen time and no development at all.
Other casting is very good, with Scottish actors David Hayman and Peter Mullan terrific as loyal Lynch gang members and Patrick Malahide playing top policeman Commissioner Daly strictly for laughs.
To Spacey's credit, he keeps his focus on playing Lynch as a self-absorbed but charming rogue, easily holding center ground while fine actors work around him.
O'Sullivan directs perfectly well, though there is a feeling that during the editing stage there were problems in finding the right balance. Other technical credits are fine, with British popster Damon Albarn of the group Blur providing a jaunting soundtrack that tallies well with the film's humor.
ORDINARY DECENT CRIMINAL
Icon Entertainment International
presents a Little Bird production
in association with Tatfilm and Trigger Street Prods., Miramax Films, the Irish Film Board, the Greenlight Fund, Filmstiftung NRW, supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England
Producer:Jonathan Cavendish
Director:Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Screenwriter:Gerard Stembridge
Executive producers:James Mitchell, Christine Ruppert, Ralph Kamp, Paul Tucker, Rod Stoneman
Director of photography:Andrew Dunn
Production designer:Tony Burrough
Music:Damon Albarn
Editor:William Anderson
Costume designer:Jane Robinson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Michael Lynch:Kevin Spacey
Christine Lynch:Linda Fiorentino
Stevie:Peter Mullan
Noel Quigley:Stephen Dillane
Lisa:Helen Baxendale
Tony Brady:David Hayman
Commissioner Daly:Patrick Malahide
Harrison:Gerard McSorley
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 3/23/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The crowd-pleasing, relatively lightweight closing-night film of the dramatically uneven 52nd Cannes International Film Festival, "An Ideal Husband" is a late-19th-century romantic comedy based on an Oscar Wilde play. The upcoming Miramax release has solid boxoffice potential with adult audiences.
Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett headline the small but fine cast allowed to pitch the material at an involvingly brisk pace under the light-handed direction of Oliver Parker ("Othello"). Lushly mounted but largely a chamber piece, "Ideal Husband" concerns the efforts of eligible bachelor Lord Arthur Goring (Everett) to preserve the marriage and career of his friend, politician Sir Robert Chiltern (Jeremy Northam).
Married to Lady Gertrude Chiltern (Blanchett), Robert is blackmailed by devious Mrs. Cheveley (Julianne Moore), who possesses knowledge of a secret in his past. She wants his support for an expensive boondoggle, knowing that Gertrude will be devastated if she learns Robert deceived her in any way.
The privileged lives of the upper crust leads are shaken by forged notes, conversations overheard by the wrong parties and shocking revelations. While Robert struggles with his conscience, Cheveley sets her sights on becoming Lady Arthur Goring. Unaware of the simmering scandal, Arthur's Father John Wood) encourages the reluctant bachelor to choose a wife.
Robert's sister Mabel (Minnie Driver) also has a crush on Arthur, but he is tempted by Cheveley's seductive final offer and wrongly assumed of betraying Robert before things get sorted out in the happy ending.
Underplaying the character but looking fabulous in formal wear, Everett stands to gain the most from such a plum role as he embodies the kind of wily but impossibly well-groomed rogue to which one's attention naturally gravitates. The scenario's most resonant, serious emotional material is reserved for Robert and Gertrude's marital crisis when she realizes he's not the ideal husband and waits to see how he resolves the threat posed by Cheveley.
Blanchett, Driver and Moore are well-cast and look great in Caroline Harris' costumes. Filmed on location and at Leavesden Studios in Herts, England, "Ideal Husband" is an evocative re-creation of the times, thanks to the luxurious production design of Michael Howells ("Ever After").
AN IDEAL HUSBAND
Miramax Films
Icon Entertainment International presents
a Fragile Film in association with Icon Prods.,
Pathe Pictures, the Arts Council of England
Writer-director: Oliver Parker
Producers: Barnaby Thompson, Uri Fruchtmann, Bruce Davey
Executive producers: Susan B. Landau, Ralph Kamp, Andrea Calderwood
Director of photography: David Johnson
Production designer: Michael Howells
Editor: Guy Bensley
Costume designer: Caroline Harris
Music: Charlie Mole
Color/stereo
Cast:
Lady Gertrude Chiltern: Cate Blanchett
Lord Arthur Goring: Rupert Everett
Mrs. Cheveley: Julianne Moore
Sir Robert Chiltern: Jeremy Northam
Mabel Chiltern: Minnie Driver
Lord Caversham: John Wood
Running time -- 97 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett headline the small but fine cast allowed to pitch the material at an involvingly brisk pace under the light-handed direction of Oliver Parker ("Othello"). Lushly mounted but largely a chamber piece, "Ideal Husband" concerns the efforts of eligible bachelor Lord Arthur Goring (Everett) to preserve the marriage and career of his friend, politician Sir Robert Chiltern (Jeremy Northam).
Married to Lady Gertrude Chiltern (Blanchett), Robert is blackmailed by devious Mrs. Cheveley (Julianne Moore), who possesses knowledge of a secret in his past. She wants his support for an expensive boondoggle, knowing that Gertrude will be devastated if she learns Robert deceived her in any way.
The privileged lives of the upper crust leads are shaken by forged notes, conversations overheard by the wrong parties and shocking revelations. While Robert struggles with his conscience, Cheveley sets her sights on becoming Lady Arthur Goring. Unaware of the simmering scandal, Arthur's Father John Wood) encourages the reluctant bachelor to choose a wife.
Robert's sister Mabel (Minnie Driver) also has a crush on Arthur, but he is tempted by Cheveley's seductive final offer and wrongly assumed of betraying Robert before things get sorted out in the happy ending.
Underplaying the character but looking fabulous in formal wear, Everett stands to gain the most from such a plum role as he embodies the kind of wily but impossibly well-groomed rogue to which one's attention naturally gravitates. The scenario's most resonant, serious emotional material is reserved for Robert and Gertrude's marital crisis when she realizes he's not the ideal husband and waits to see how he resolves the threat posed by Cheveley.
Blanchett, Driver and Moore are well-cast and look great in Caroline Harris' costumes. Filmed on location and at Leavesden Studios in Herts, England, "Ideal Husband" is an evocative re-creation of the times, thanks to the luxurious production design of Michael Howells ("Ever After").
AN IDEAL HUSBAND
Miramax Films
Icon Entertainment International presents
a Fragile Film in association with Icon Prods.,
Pathe Pictures, the Arts Council of England
Writer-director: Oliver Parker
Producers: Barnaby Thompson, Uri Fruchtmann, Bruce Davey
Executive producers: Susan B. Landau, Ralph Kamp, Andrea Calderwood
Director of photography: David Johnson
Production designer: Michael Howells
Editor: Guy Bensley
Costume designer: Caroline Harris
Music: Charlie Mole
Color/stereo
Cast:
Lady Gertrude Chiltern: Cate Blanchett
Lord Arthur Goring: Rupert Everett
Mrs. Cheveley: Julianne Moore
Sir Robert Chiltern: Jeremy Northam
Mabel Chiltern: Minnie Driver
Lord Caversham: John Wood
Running time -- 97 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 5/28/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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