A winner at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Screenplay in 2022, the hotly anticipated conspiracy thriller CAIRO CONSPIRACY is finally gaining a UK release on 14th April 2023 from Picturehouse Entertainment
The trailer above puts in a succinct nutshell the basis of a plot to insert a new Grand Iman amongst the Sunni Islam. Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) is the son of a fisherman, who is posited in a position to infiltrate certain cliques in the religious seat of learning and a game of cat and mouse between he and Colonel Ibrahim (Fares Fares - The Nile Hilton Incident) ensues.
A thriller based upon the power struggle between Egypt's religious and political elites. As one onlooker observes, power is a double edged sword and you may cut yourself upon it.
Directed by Tarik Saleh, who came to global prominence with The Nile Hilton Incident, he also recently directed the Amazon Prime release The Contractor starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster, which was a decent thriller of its own standing. He has also directed episodes of Westworld and Ray Donovan.
Saleh reunites with Fares who has garnered acclaim for his work on both sides of the Atlantic. This promises to be one of the best thrillers of this year and may well make end-of-year lists due to the bold and gripping nature of it.
CAIRO CONSPIRACY is out on limited release from Picturehouse Entertainment on 14th April
My thanks to Em Foundation for the opportunity to (p)review
The fourth feature from writer-director Clio Barnard has finished principal photography.
Ali & Ava is the fourth feature by Clio Barnard (Dark River, The Selfish Giant, The Arbor) starring Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions) and Claire Rushbrook (Secret and Lies)
Produced by long-term partner Tracy O'Riordan of Moonspun Films; the film is financed by BBC Films, BFI and Screen Yorkshire, with Altitude handing world sales and UK/Irish distribution. Principal photography and shooting recently took place on location in Bradford.
AVA (Rushbrook) is a devoted mother and from an Irish-Catholic background in a predominantly white Bradford estate; a teaching assistant who fills her time looking after others and listening to country and folk music, masking an abusive marriage with her ex-husband.
ALI (Akhtar) is a charismatic son, brother, boss and landlord, a music fan and book lover he is devoted to his family and Asian community in Bradford. Still living in an estranged marriage, he hides the estrangement from wider family, and carries on the charade because he is still in love with her.
Both lonely for different reasons, Ava and Ali find each other and sparks fly despite fears about the coupling within their respective family and communities.
Producer O'Riordan says of the film;
'It was wonderful to be
back in Bradford shooting Clio’s fourth feature; a love story, based on people
we have met whilst making our previous films there. Inspired by Fassbinder’s
‘Fear Eats the Soul’, ALI & AVA is a film about fear and courage, loneliness
and belonging, time and love’.
The critical acclaim given and the funding bodies behind this project bodes well for a film that follows in the footsteps of unlikely love pairing - think Harold and Maude, Last Tango in Halifax, Kelly + Victor - hopefully this will have as much to say about love in general as it does about the fraught racial tensions within the Yorkshire borders.
ALI & AVA will be released in cinemas later in 2020.
My thanks to Emfoundation for the review opportunity.
SUPER SIZE ME 2: HOLY CHICKEN available on Demand in UK
from 9th December
When Morgan Spurlock went on a life changing odyssey involving eating nothing but McDonalds for one calendar month, many could not believe what would happen and the gradual sea change he helped document in the renowned Super Size Me.
What started as a joke, became a global phenomenon turning Spurlock from a guy with a punchline of an idea into a respected film-maker culminating in garnering an Academy Award nomination (losing to Born into Brothels) for Best Documentary Feature.
Spurlock is back and this time he is attempting to open up a fast food restaurant serving fried chicken which is now grilled chicken (the same thing), and going into how branding warps consumers minds with key words and colour spelling. All at a perfectly reasonable price.
Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken (graphics by the team behind Despicable Me) is available on demand in the UK from this Monday 9th December from Samuel Goldwyn Films.
My thanks to AR:PR Publicity for the preview opportunity.
Very pleased to share with you the new clip from forthcoming movie, Stan and Ollie, out from Entertainment One.
The film chronicles the illustrious partnership of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, one of cinema's greatest partnerships, directed by Jon S. Baird.
The film stars Steve Coogan (Laurel) and John C. Reilly (Hardy) as we follow the pair through some of their landmark moments as they look back when on a variety tour of Great Britain. Gone are the golden days of Hollywood, and this is their farewell tour. Despite a hectic schedule for an ageing pair, the pair's love of performing and for each other endures.
Co-written by Steve Coogan, the film promises to be a faithful tale for a pair who deserve a great depiction on the form they helped path the way for.
Stan and Ollie will be in cinemas from 11th January 2019.
Out from Warner Bros. UK the new trailer for TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES coming to UK cinemas from August 3rd.
When the Teen Titans go to the big screen, they go big! “Teen
Titans GO! to the Movies” finds our egocentric, wildly satirical Super Heroes
in their first feature film extravaganza—a fresh, gleefully clever,
kid-appropriately crass and tongue-in-cheek play on the superhero genre,
complete with musical numbers. Full of knowing tongue in cheek references that the adults will get whilst the kids are transfixed by the colour and action, with voice talent including Will Arnett (Lego Batman), this is a self-referential funny film for all the family this summer.
The
film is being directed by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail, from a
screenplay by Michael Jelenic and Horvath, based on characters from DC.
Michail, Will Arnett and Peggy Regan are producing, with Sam Register, Jelenic,
and Horvath serving as executive producers. Apart from Arnett, all are
“Teen Titans GO!” series contributors. My thanks to ThinkJam for the trailer preview
Released from Warner Bros. Entertainment on Digital now, available on Blu-Ray Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD on May 14
The visually stunning Batman Ninja is the creative result of a trio of anime's finest - director Jumpei Mizuasaki, writer Kazuki Nakashima and character designer Takashi Okazaki - who produced the original film in Japan. The script was then reinterpreted and re-written for English language distribution.
The film transports Batman's worst enemies to feudal Japan along with the Dark Knight himself. The villains take over the forms of feudal lords that rule divided land, with the Joker taking the lead; along with Bane and Poison Ivy. Batman with his allies - including Catwoman - must restore order to the land and return to Gotham City.
Below is a featurette about the history of anime and enthusing the DC universe into the animation featuring the screenwriter Leo Chu.
Voice talent in the film include Roger Craig Smith (Batman: Arkham Origins) and Tony Hale (Veep) voice Batman and the Joker respectively. Other support comes from Grey Griffin and Tara Strong.
The trailer and featurette promises a feast for the senses and a thrill ride as Batman Ninja gives the best of both worlds in a new synergy of entertainment.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is pleased to make available a
brand new featurette for the incredible upcoming animation, BATMAN
NINJA, out now on Digital and available
on Blu-ray™ Steelbook, Blu-ray™ and DVD May 14.
Following on from my review of Follow The Money last week and on the eve of the film's European Premiere at the East End Film Festival at the Hackney Picturehouse on Saturday 17th June, I was granted the opportunity to interview Ben Unwin - one of the three intrepid British travellers - who follow a single $10 dollar bill across America where they encounter all manner of people from the centre of America to a shining sea in California.
Where did the idea for the film come about?
Steve and John met to watch football and Steve told him that he was writing a book about his experiences following a ten dollar bill around the states. John thought it would be a great idea for a documentary and told me about it. We then got Steve drunk and persuaded him to do it again!
When was this filmed? Did you plan the trip and say a specific time or was it a now or never situation to commit to?
We filmed it a few years ago but due to work commitments and being self funded it took around three years to edit and do all the post production. I guess we filmed it at the time as that was when we had the money to do it. I had just earned some extra money that I had never expected cutting a commercial and I thought well it is now or never.
From left to right: Steve Boggan, John Hardwick, Ben Unwin
Watching the film it is like a documentary on how to make a film when you guys look at each other in point of view or at the conclusion when you don't know what to do? Was it fun or stressful?
I won’t deny that there were stressful moments most probably due to lack of sleep. We had to spend one night sleeping in the car and I remember thinking I am too old for this shit. However in general I loved the experience. At the risk of sounding pretentious how often does one have a truly existential experience with the process of decision making being removed form everyday life?
You say in the film you preferred to not know what was coming. Was that the same for everyone?
For me yes and I think in general for all of us. Perhaps late on in the process it may have worn a bit thin for Steve but then he had been through the whole process before.
Had you travelled to America previously? How different was this trip?
John had studied in America for a year, Steve had been a reporter there and I had lived in LA for a bit trying to make films. I had not experienced this amount of variety before though and that was what has made it a lifelong memory. I mean when else am I going to hang on a ranch with genuine cowboys?
What was the most surprising experience?
In reality the fact that no body said no to being in the film. Americans just love a big idea and their warmth and hospitality never ceases to amaze me.
Did any interview have to be cut? (i.e. the Texas trip in the bar?)
I would not say cut exactly but very careful thought was put it as to what to include and what to leave out. One individual had some views about Obama not being born in America. In an hour long program about them you would delve into this but when you only have five minutes to show on them that is not fair. They were decent kind-hearted people but just misinformed by certain media. I figured of you include that in a five minute segment it is what the viewer will remember about them rather than a true reflection of their characters. Obviously if they had been screaming members of the KKK that would be different but this was not the case.
What did you take away from the whole trip?
That you can’t use phrases like “Americans think this or that”. The USA is like a hundred different countries under one flag. A person from Nebraska is very different from and person from Chicago. Having said that I was constantly amazed at how warm people were. At the end of the day real people may have differences of opinion but we just have a beer together and get on with it. We don’t end up shouting at each other like politicians.
Have you been pleased by the critical response at film festivals?
Very much so and it has made me confront some of my own prejudices. In Mississippi we won the Audience Award which was a great honour (and relief as they have lot of guns there and I did not want to be run out of town!) and also the fact that we were able to have great discussions after the film. I found myself having a beer with a Christian Pastor who was a staunch advocate of gay rights. You have to delve below the surface and you find that there is always a better story below the headlines. Also a guy in Kentucky (where we won best documentary) told me how great it was to see a documentary where Native Americans were portrayed in a uplifting light. You can’t help but feel good when you get that kind of response.
What is the hope for this film in terms of release?
We just want as many people to see the film as possible. At the end of the day you don’t make documentaries to get rich but if in some small way it makes people feel a little bit better about how we can interact with one another and get on then I will be happy with that. I will also take an Oscar though if it’s on offer.
What is next for the three of you or in a solo role?
We are all good friends so I am sure we will think of something. John has been mainly directing drama recently (Including the film Svengali, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and Delicious for Sky). Steve has another great book out called Gold Fever and is working on another. As for me I am researching two projects one about the USA and one about Sport. I dare say we will all combine on something in the future but I am definitely not sleeping in the same car with them again! Follow The Money won Best Documentary at the Louisville International Film Festival, Audience Award at FSFX, Mississippi and was Highly Commended by the LA Film Review of Los Angeles. If you have a spare evening then please attend the European Premiere at the East End Film Festival on Saturday 17th June and support British documentary film-making, Follow The Money is the sort of film that will leave you with something everlasting.
In a segment I have not done for some time, I am looking at a newly released trailer and wondering what can we expect.
My Cousin Rachel is based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier, whose work - The Birds, Rebecca - has been subjected to cinematic adaptations by the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock previously. This second cinematic adaptation (previously made in 1952 starring Richard Burton and Olivia de Havilland) is directed by Roger Michell and stars Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin (Me Before You).
The trailer begins with word that 'she is here' meaning Rachel has landed in Plymouth to visit her cousin Philip. The novel is about an estate that Philip is heir to, but Rachel feels she has a right to as being married to the owner of the estate Ambrose, whilst being eloped in Italy.
Ambrose has passed away and Rachel has come to gain what is hers, Philip is the heir and she bends to his whim, but a connection grows between the two; a kinship that is not as illicit as the title nor trailer makes out as they are not blood relatives and merely related by law.
The film is shot from Philip's point of view and sees Claflin struggling with his emotions towards a woman who only has her own interests at heart.
Whilst Weisz has been able to play this sort of spinster evil woman before her role is one painted by the eyes of Claflin who seemingly goes through the ringer from independent man to fool in love. Weisz is reunited with the director of Enduring Love and Michell has always been able to generate good chemistry between leads (Notting Hill), ensemble (the under-rated Morning Glory) and odd partnerships (Venus/The Mother). Whilst it has his familiar tropes of love unrequited with a certain streak of National Trust promotional material the trailer shows a tip of the hat to the Gothic tradition of British film-making from the 1950s/60s.
My Cousin Rachel is out on 9th June this summer from Fox Searchlight
Following on from the recent release of the trailer from Warner Bros. for John Wick, NTTA is back with the poster poser of the week for the new one sheet of John Wick before its scheduled release on April 10th in the UK.
The new one sheet is not cryptic or as mysterious as others, instead it puts all the eggs in one basket of the prospective audience member being a big Keanu Reeves fan. Reeves has had more hot and cold hits than many Hollywood stars and yet he still remains an enigma partly due to his zen like modesty and his very shrouded style of acting which can appear to be one tone, yet carries weight in reserve.
In that sense, he is much like those famous Hollywood actors Gary Cooper and Charles Bronson. Men who had a presence in their build, yet a magnetism that would have the camera in thrall to them.
The reason I bring up Cooper and Bronson, is that John Wick is the kind of role that those two legends would portray. Individualistic and yet trying to get away from the past life they left behind; devoid of a partner they only have themselves as company and walk alone in search of redemption by putting the law in their own hands. Think of Cooper in High Noon and Bronson in Michael Winner's series of Death Wish films; are they vigilantes or just men out to serve justice.
The poster has Reeves in brooding form, besuited as he is throughout the majority of the trailer, striding towards the camera confident and brazen in his ability. Unlike the trailer though, which shows plenty of carnage and gunplay you only have in the poster Wick on a street with only an overturned car. For taste purposes, no poster can really have dead bodies lying around and because of the dark tones used in the blues and blacks any fires would be distracting, as Keanu is put front and centre.
However, compare it to the poster or US poster below, and you can see a stark difference in the tone of the film. Keanu holding a gun which he does throughout most of the film, with the barrel of the gun forming the 'O' in John, perhaps a nod to James Bond in terms of adulation but the need to thrust the gun into the face of the audience looking at the poster speaks more about the relationship American viewers have with guns than the UK audience who have stricter gun control policy.
The trailer is dynamite and it shows what Reeves does well, actions speak louder than his words although it has two good points - one where he says, 'Am I back? Yeah I'm back' perhaps speaking for himself as well as his character and a piece of dialogue with a concierge about laundry, he has always been under-rated with his timing and delivery.
Directed by Chad Stahelski (a stunt co-ordinater on The Matrix and The Wolverine), the film has done well in America garnering positive reviews for Reeves in particular with a sequel already touted following the $42m gross in the three months since release in October 2014.
Whilst the avenging hitman and grieving husband is nothing new, it is positive to see Reeves up his action star potential again in a vehicle suited to his range of acting ability. When harnessed properly as in The Matrix and Point Break it can be golden, and John Wick promises to not disappoint on this occasion.
John Wick is released by Warner Bros. in the UK on April 10th
Starring the breakout potential of Amy Schumer, and directed by Judd Apatow, Trainwreck from Universal Pictures looks likely to enjoy the exalted company of The 40 Year Old Virgin/Knocked Up as the summer smash comedy hits.
Schumer has been on a role of late gaining cult status for her stand up material, and this is her first major starring role and the coupling with Apatow promises big things.
Schumer plays a near 30 year old single girl called Amy who has been instructed by her distant father to not believe in monogamy. This leads to her sleeping with men from week to week with no question of commitment. This provides ample comic potential in the trailer with various hook-ups and several put-downs, including possibly the funniest thing John Cena (the WWE wrestler) has ever said, when he plays one of Amy's dates.
Amy's character works for a men's magazine and she is instructed to do an expose/interview on a sports injury surgeon Aaron played by Bill Hader. During the interview, they hit it off and go for a drink which leads to hilarity and then the next morning. Aaron phones Amy hoping to go out again, which leads to the thrust of the second half of the trailer with Amy dithering about what to do as she has never experienced this before leading to a longer than usual conversation with her friend.
While the conversation and dialogue between the pair is funny, it feels a bit unnecessary to have such a protracted segment of the film in the trailer but then there are enough laughs in the trailer to pique your interest without ruining the final outcome. This is a film that will be seen by many, and promises bundles of laughs in the same way Bridesmaids did.
Like many Apatow films the film will more than likely run over two hours, and it appears that we witness a lot of Amy's missteps with people like John Cena before we and she encounter Bill Hader's character, and it is good to see Hader given this sort of leading man romantic role instead of secondary status.
Trainwreck is scheduled for release in the UK on August 28th from Universal Pictures
Soda Pictures are pleased to release the trailer for the forthcoming Kumiko The Treasure Hunter starring Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi as the eponymous heroine of the film.
Kumiko is a disillusioned soul in a city of 35 million people. She works in a dead end job that makes her unhappy and unappreciated, has a nagging mother and successful peers.
Yet while living alone she watches a copy of an American independent film. Night after night she watches the film for clues as to where the stash of money in the film has been buried, with the belief that the film is a real document. So begins Kumiko's journey to America to find her treasure in this beguiling and equally bizarre tale.
Written and directed by the Zellner Brothers and produced by Alexander Payne (a director not adverse to films about journeys); the film looks like one of those rare breakout independent films due to the original content, eccentric lead performances and brilliant screenplay.
Kumiko the Treasure Hunter is released in UK cinemas on Friday 20th February from Soda Pictures
Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the writer of The Truman Show, Good Kill sees Niccol reunited with the star of his other famous work Gattaca, Ethan Hawke.
Hawke plays Las Vegas fighter pilot turned drone pilot Tom Egan who fights the Taliban via remote control for half the day and then goes home to his lovely wife (January Jones) for the other half.
Yet following a comprised mission Hawke's character learns to question the objectives of his position in this war pushing away his family when he comes to terms with what constitutes a good kill.
The trailer marks the film out as a character driven piece taking a different slant on the war overseas by focusing on the torment it causes at home. Often soldiers or pilots are away from their loved ones, in Tom's case he goes home every night safely to his bed and his loving family, however the torment of war clouds his emotions and complicates matters such as is Tom creating more terrorists than killing them?
As Lt. Colonel Johns played by Bruce Greenwood states, 'Don't ask me if its a just war. For us its just war'.
With Hawke enjoying a hot streak following the critical acclaim of Boyhood, this allows Niccol to again bring a philosophical and intellectual slant on current affairs - with Gattaca it was about cloning and stem cell research, with the Truman Show it was about everyday celebrity and Big Brother. Niccol again seems to have struck the right note between entertainment and discussion.
2015 promises a lot in the world of film with undoubtedly the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in December having half the world frothing at the mouth and the other half wiping up the froth and wondering what the fuss is about.
Yet for one actor it may be the year he goes truly global and creates a market for himself, with three known films coming out in the calendar year that may well guarantee box office returns for him and the films themselves.
A few years ago there was a game where you could do a fantasy box office team like pick five actors or actresses that would star in the films that make the most money for example you pick stars like Gary Oldman or Samuel L. Jackson who appear frequently but in films that garner large returns. For the first six months of the year you should put your money on Chris Hemsworth.
The Australian actor is following a career path not too dissimilar to his fellow Antipodeans, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, like him actors of immense presence, whereas he has not had the great role like Crowe in Gladiator his casting decisions are nonetheless impressive.
Released this week in America is Blackhat, where he plays Nicholas Hathaway, a crack hacker who is the government's only hope of beating an even better hacker. So far, so Swordfish a la Jackman; but the film is directed by Michael Mann who again films in that digital camera where it feels like the camera is merely floating about the action and yet is very much kinetic when it comes to the balletic gunplay as eschewed in the trailer. And there is no blowjob under the table going on as far as the trailer tells us.
This is one of those roles where Hemsworth appears in a degree of normalcy, of this world and not of his alter ego Thor whom re-appears in the other must see blockbuster forthcoming in May Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Whilst Thor has already had two stand alone films of his own with another Ragnarok scheduled for 2017 from Marvel, Thor is nevertheless critical to the film. In the first film Avengers Assemble, it was his character who had some of the best lines - 'You humans are so petty. And tiny' and the classic 'He's adopted', when having to explain Loki's homocidal tendencies.
That film is guaranteed to be gold at the box office if Joss Whedon can work the magic again, however, the third film of his first half of 2015 may be his most impressive decision and grant him his best role of his career in In the Heart of the Sea.
Like Crowe in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, it will show a seafaring Hemsworth who will don the apparel of late 18th century sailors as Owen Chase aboard the Essex the infamous vessel that was attacked by a giant whale becoming the inspiration for Herman Melville's Moby Dick
Directed by Ron Howard with whom Hemsworth worked with on Rush, it appears Hemsworth has grasped a mixture of intelligence and charisma to work with such luminaries as Howard and Mann in quick succession.
Hemsworth has hit his purple patch it seems and whilst he will always have the character of Thor to fall back on and it appears he works best in an ensemble. Blackhat gives him the platform to carry a film on his own without a known face amongst the supporting cast, even the love interest is not known to American audiences, leaving Hemsworth to make sure the film can be elevated above a mere hacker thriller but to something more than that.
Blackhat is out in the UK on February 20th from Universal Pictures In the Heart of the Sea is released on March 13th from Warner Bros. Avengers: Age of Ultron is released on April 24th from Marvel
Soda Pictures is proud to release a new UK trailer for the forthcoming release of Electricity directed by Bryn Higgins and starring Agyness Deyn, in a breakthrough role.
Based on the novel by Ray Robinson, Deyn plays Lily a young woman from Lancashire who whilst on medication for her epilepsy experiences a wealth of hallucinations when looking for her long lost brother in London,in a modern twist on Alice in Wonderland.
The trailer starts with Deyn walking along a sea-front promenade with the camera cutting between close-ups and point of view shots of Alice as she stumbles whilst walking. Then we flit from other characters, when we first encounter that who we know to be her brother, the trailer does not make that so clear. She asks, 'Does he think of me?' meaning we think this is a romantic tryst she wishes to rekindle. Another man tells her to forget about the past.
Borrowing from the visual strength of Kieran Evans' startling Kelly + Victor - a criminally underrated film - Electricity will be helped by what looks to be a mind-blowing lead performance by former model Deyn, who has a role where she is in every shot of the film. Her strength and also her vulnerability in the role will lead to many plaudits for her. Here is hoping the film can create a spark with an audience.
Electricity is out from Soda Pictures on Friday 12th December
Entertainment One is pleased to release a new Quad poster for the forthcoming release of the highly anticipated Foxcatcher which will be released on 9th January 2015.
The poster tellingly gives attention to the trio of the heralded threesome - Steve Carell (John du Pont), Channing Tatum (Mark Schulz) and Mark Ruffalo (Dave Schulz) - who in the trailer all appear to give career best performances.
From Tatum's sheer intensity and physicality, to Carell's spine-tingling depiction of a conflicted individual to Ruffalo's typically cool performance.
Foxcatcher tells the unexpected tale of millionaire benefactor John du Pont, who gave his home to the US Wrestling team in preparation for the Olympics in Atlanta 1996. However, slowly du Pont's vision for the scheme became odder and slowly a psychological twist about desire and loyalty appears leading to tragic consequences.
Also featured in the trailer was Vanessa Redgrave as du Pont's mother, and also in the film but not featured in the trailer are Sienna Miller as Nancy Schulz, Dave's wife and Anthony Michael Hall, as du Pont's valued assistant.
The film is directed by Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote), a director who is slowly becoming established as one of the finest in the business, when depicting real life events in an entertaining manner. Miller won the Best Director Award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Miller should be applauded for having the gall to cast Steve Carell in a physically different and mentally demanding role showing he can act dramatically as well as be a master of comedy. Credit also to Tatum who nails his most dramatic role to date without resorting to macho histrionics.
