Not content with an Oscar for his portrayal of a stuttering King, Colin Firth is once again turning to a period drama which as awards-bait written all over it. Based on a true story Firth will star in The Railway Man as Eric Lomax, a former POW who searches for his captors decades after his experiences on the “death railway” between Thailand and Burma. This is likely to appeal to Academy voters – we all know there’s nothing guaranteed to stir them more than a little World War II tragedy.
Moneyball Trailer
14 September 2011 by 4 Comments
Moneyball is Brad Pitt’s latest film and I must admit when I heard about it I wasn’t that interested. Pitt stars as the coach of a poverty-stricken baseball team who turns to a computer programmer to help identify which players he needs to buy. Sound good? No not to me either but the trailer has made me wonder. Pitt appears to be in charismatic form as the determined coach and I am now beginning to see the appeal of Moneyball.
Can Cancer Be Funny?
14 September 2011 by 2 Comments
It’s a thorny subject which can polarise opinions. Is it appropriate to create comic responses to tragic events? Should we really look for the funny side of something that isn’t in any way amusing? Where do we draw the line between edgy humour and being offensive…
Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe confirmed for Les Mis
13 September 2011 by Leave a Comment
Producer Cameron Mackintosh has confirmed that Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe will star in the film version of Les Miserables. As you know, my love for Les Mis knows no bounds so I’m slightly worried. I like Hugh Jackman and providing Crowe is a good singer he could make a wonderfully intense Javert, but the idea of celebrity casting trumping genuine musical talent is disturbing. Still, Working Title, Cameron Mackintosh and director Tom Hooper have a decent record – it could be all right. We’ll find out in December 2012.
Contagion Tops US Box Office
12 September 2011 by Leave a Comment
A couple of weeks ago I called Contagion one of my must-see films of the year. It seems I’m not alone. The star-studded thriller about a deadly virus spreading across the US debuted at the top of the US box-office this weekend making a healthy $23 million in its first two days. The buzz on Twitter is good too – looks like I picked well.
18 World Premieres at Raindance
6 September 2011 by 2 Comments
The 19th Raindance Film Festival was launched today in London and it looks like it will be the strongest year yet. In just 12 days the festival will host 18 World Premieres, 21 European Premieres and 49 UK Premieres…
A cappella tribute to John Williams
4 September 2011 by 1 Comment
One of my friends shared this video with me when he found out I was going to be watching and reviewing all six Star Wars films this week. It’s a four piece a cappella tribute to John Williams which made me laugh but also appreciate the talent of the guy involved. Enjoy.
Ides of March Trailer
1 September 2011 by 6 Comments
The Venice International Film Festival opened this week with a showing of George Clooney’s fourth film in the director’s chair – The Ides of March. Feedback so far has been very positive, particularly about Ryan Gosling’s performance. The cast is strong with Clooney, Gosling and the always impressive Philip Seymour Hoffman. The trailer promises a slick political thriller and it’s definitely one of my must-sees for what looks like a very impressive autumn at the cinema. What upcoming releases have caught your eye?
Do you hear the Hollywood stars sing?
30 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
The overwhelming success of the Les Miserables 25th anniversary concert has given a boost to the possibility of a film adaptation actually happening. Rumours have been flying around for a while now and it seems almost certain that Tom Hooper will direct and Hugh Jackman will star as Jean Valjean. I’m quite excited by this as I love Jackman’s voice and I think he’ll do the part justice. Some of the other names suggested are a little worrying….
This is what World War Z looks like….
26 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
I’ve been having a sneak peek at some photos from the set of World War Z, next year’s Brad Pitt film currently being filmed in Glasgow. These are just a few of the images…