Previews: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Trailer, More!

Plenty to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer, Downton Abbey, The Flood, and more…

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Trailer

Here is the brand new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer. Earlier in-world posters from the film were revealed. Quentin Tarantino’s latest stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor, and Brad Pitt as his stunt double. Also starring Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood hits UK screens on 14th August 2019.

Downton Abbey Trailer

Above is the first full trailer for the upcoming Downton Abbey film. Written by television series creator Julian Fellowes, the film sees the return of the main cast including Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, and Michelle Dockery. Downton Abbey will be released in UK cinemas on 13th September 2019.

The Flood Trailer

Here is the trailer for The Flood. The film, directed by Anthony Woodley, is about an immigration officer and her interrogation of a young man seeking asylum. Starring Game of Thrones‘ Lena Headley and Iain Glen, and Ivanno Jeremiah, The Flood will be released in cinemas and on demand from 21st June 2019.

Framing John DeLorean Trailer

Framing John DeLorean is a documentary-drama about the rise and fall of automotive executive John DeLorean. The film mixes interviews and archival footage with re-enactments featuring Alec Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, and Josh Charles. Directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce, Framing John DeLorean will be available on Digital Download from 29th July 2019.

Pavarotti Trailer

Here is the first trailer for upcoming film Pavarotti. Directed by Ron Howard, the documentary focuses on the life and career of the late opera legend Luciano Pavarotti. With unique access to home movies, family archives, and behind the scenes footage, Pavarotti will be released in UK cinemas on 15th July 2019.

Film Review: Viceroy’s House

 

Gurinder Chadha’s Viceroy’s House gives an overview of the complex topic of India’s partition in an entertaining and somewhat informative manner. However, some aspects of the film are stronger than others.

In 1947, Lord Mountbatten becomes the last Viceroy, tasked with handing India back to its people. The family live in a house with hundreds of Indian servants, whilst Mountbatten meets with politicians to decide the country’s future…

From the opening montage sequence of the Viceroy’s palatial home being prepared, it seems as if the Viceroy’s House is going to have an ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ feel. To a certain extent, it does. The story is told through two main strands; the Mountbatten family and the political wrangling of the final days of British rule, and the romance story of servants Jeet and Alia. As the film continues, certain elements take on more importance. 

Director and co-writer Gurinder Chadha’s film focuses on a look inside the negotiating rooms of the last Viceroy. The film does not shy away from political intrigue, nor does it negate the consequences of these negotiations on citizens. The characters are portrayed with light and shade. Chadha seeks to give depth to Mountbatten, suggesting that he shouldered to much of the blame for Partition. Instead, the film suggests a different antagonist later in proceedings. The film is something of a revisionist account.

Where the film falters is in its love story strand. This aspect of the film never really convinces. The need to include Indian characters in a film such as this is more than understandable. However, the relationship between Jeet and Aalia is not convincing, and lacks passion. When things become more serious later in the film, it feels like the film has not done enough to warrant a depth of feeling.

Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson give decent performances. The more memorable performances come from the supporting cast, however. Denzil Smith, Simon Callow, and the late Om Puri all standout. Costumes in the film are wonderful, and the large cast of extras give the film a sense of legitimacy. It is a shame that the use of superimposed newsreel distracts from this authenticity.

The epilogue of Viceroy’s House reveals the personal connection of Gurinder Chadha to the events depicted. It seems a shame that this did not feature in the film in place of the less-compelling love story.

Previews: Lady Macbeth trailer, Raw, More!

This week’s preview of coming attractions include the Lady Macbeth trailer, Raw, Logan, The Founder and more…

Lady Macbeth Trailer

This Lady Macbeth trailer is most striking. Based on a nineteenth-century novella, the film is about a young woman stifled by her loveless marriage to a much older man. Starring Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, and Paul Hilton, Lady Macbeth will be released in UK cinemas on 28th April 2017.

Raw Trailer

Raw is about a vegetarian student who is forced to eat meat during hazing rituals at veterinary college. So far so strange, but the coming-of-age film takes a darker turn. Julia Ducournau’s debut film was screened at last year’s BFI London Film Festival. Raw will hit UK screens on 7th April 2017.

Logan Poster

This new poster for the upcoming Wolverine movie Logan evokes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ever so slightly. With director James Mangold at the helm, this latest X-Men film sees a weathered Logan and a fading Professor Xavier trying to stop the destruction of the world. Starring Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, Logan bounds on to UK screens on 1st March 2017.

Viceroy’s House Clip

Here is a clip from the upcoming Viceroy’s House. I was thinking ‘this is a bit Downton in India’ then Hugh Bonneville popped up. Set during the final months of British rule in India, the film also stars Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal, and Michael Gabon. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, Viceroy’s House will be released in UK cinemas on 3rd March 2017.

The Founder Trailer

You could probably sell most film’s on the charisma of Michael Keaton alone. The Founder, however, seems to offer more than this. Focusing on the salesman who turned McDonald’s into a international franchise, the film also stars Laura Dern and Nick Offerman. The Founder hits UK screens on 10th February 2017.

Paddington Cast and Crew Q&A

Last weekend, Paddington‘s writer-director Paul King, producer David Heyman, and cast members Hugh Bonneville, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin gathered in London for a question and answer session following a screening of the film. Here is what they had to say…

On bringing Paddington to the big screen…

David Heyman: My mother gave me a Paddington Bear when I was around five years old, and this was the beginning of the journey. Rosie in my office around eleven years ago said “why don’t we do Paddington?”. I mentioned it to my mum, who is a hoarder, and she brought out that Paddington Bear. Then I met Paul King, who cam along to write and direct Paddington. When you find the right person, the film all of a sudden takes shape. And Paul was the right person. He is Paddington Bear! My son was born six years ago, and then comes the urgency to get things going. It’s not often that you get to make the film that your young child can go and see.

Paul King: I was very keen to get it right. I met David and we had the same sort of ideas about the character. Part of you does sort of fear the idea of doing a Paddington film because I loved the Ivor Wood [illustrations] so much. We thought there was a proper, movie-sized story to be told about Paddington.

On the appeal of Paddington…

Hugh Bonneville: It was sort of like, “you had me at Paddington” really! Like millions of people, I grew up with this beloved bear as part of my childhood. I was concerned when the script arrived, but when I read it, I was in. I was surprised at how moving the script is.

Madeleine Harris: I knew of Paddington before the auditions, but as I went through the auditions, and when I got the job I learnt so much about him, so much about the story of him.

On the technical achievements in the film…

David Heyman: The ability to put a bear, to have a central digitial character, was just not possible [many years ago]. Technology really has moved on. Fur, for example, you just couldn’t do it. And now we can.

Hugh Bonneville: I think it is astonishing; the work of Framestore and all the other effects teams that worked on the film. It shows the level to which animation and digital effects animation has got to. I am so convinced that bear is real, and that we worked with him!

On casting the film…

Paul King: We asked, and Nicole Kidman’s agent said that it’s definitely not going to happen, but they would send her the script. And she said “Paddington Bear? I love Paddington Bear!”. She read the script overnight, and the following morning, she got on the phone saying she would love to do it. She was the easiest person to cast.

David Heyman: Much easier than Bonneville!

Paul King: Ben Whishaw wasn’t our first choice for the voice of Paddington. We started with Colin Firth, and we worked with Colin for a while and we recorded him for a piece of the film. And you heard the voice, and you didn’t believe that it was coming out of this small creature. We sat down and we all felt it wasn’t working.

David Heyman: To give Colin his credit, he sensed it before even we did.

Paul King: It all worked out brilliantly. I think Ben is wonderful; he’s got a lighter, younger, slightly sort of ‘other’ voice. We’re thrilled with the results.

Paddington is out in UK cinemas on 28th November 2014.

Film Review: Paddington

Paul King’s Paddington is a perfectly pitched comedy adventure that should satisfy all demographics.

Paddington is a young bear in darkest Peru who is brought up b his aunt and uncle. When he travels to London to look for a new home, Paddington is spotted by the Brown family, who offer a temporary home…

Based on Michael Bond’s books which first appeared in the late 1950s, Paddington could have easily misstepped the mark in bringing the character to the big screen for contemporary audiences. Thankfully, the film avoids this, instead offering a lovingly crafted picture that is sure to win over audiences.

Director and screenwriter Paul King has created a film that will appease fans of the original series of books, whilst also attracting a new audience. Paddington works well because it suits different audiences without alienating any demographic.

The film is peppered with humour from the very beginning. Whilst some of this is the more physical kind aimed at young viewers, for the most part the film with have older viewers laughing throughout. The narrative is a simple one, but one that works well thanks to the endearing characters and good pacing.

Themes in the film are conveyed successfully. The main theme of the outsider is effective in this context. It is a theme that feels pertinent in the landscape of contemporary British politics. Paddington does offer emotion as well as laughs. The more dramatic or pensive moments never become too mawkish, thankfully.

Ben Whishaw is well cast as the voice of the title character. Nicole Kidman appears to be having fun in her role, while Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins are believeable are the Brown parents. Special effects in the film are excellent; particularly the rendering of Paddingon’s fur. Music also works well in the film, especially with the appearances of the band.

Paddington is a delightful film, which should prove to be highly entertaining for children and a most pleasant surprise for adults.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of cinematic delights this week, including the latest trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Into The Woods, Paddington and more…

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Here is the latest trailer for the final instalment of Peter Jackson’s second Tolkien franchise, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Sadly Gollum is nowhere to be seen, but there is plenty of hobbits, eleves, wizards and the like. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will hit UK screens on  12th December 2014.

Into The Woods

Carrying on with the fantasy theme, a full trailer for Into The Woods dropped this week. It seems to have all the winning ingredients; fairy tales, musical numbers, and a great cast. Meryl Streep in particular looks wonderfully hammy as the witch. Into The Woods will be released in UK cinemas on 9th January 2015.

Horrible Bosses 2

Above is a clip from the forthcoming sequel Horrible Bosses 2. The film unites the main cast from the first film with newcomers Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz. It was refreshing to see Jennifer Aniston in a different kind of role in the first film, and it looks like this is no different. Horrible Bosses 2 is out on 28th November 2014.

Paddington

Oh my! Paddington in the snow. I recently bought a red duffle coat, and was told that I looked like a cross between Paddington Bear and Red Riding Hood. It was the greatest compliment ever. Anyway, Paddington, featuring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters, will reach UK screens on 28th November 2014.

The Gambler

What is interesting about this trailer for The Gambler is that it uses The Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’, a song that many film fans will associate with The Departed, which also memorably starred Marky Mark. The Gambler, which also stars John Goodman and Brie Larson, is set for release in UK cinemas on 19th December 2014.

The Pyramid

Above is a featurette on upcoming horror The Pyramid. What I want to know is what exactly is in these pyramids. Is it mummies come to life? Or is it a more Indiana Jones-style bent? The Pyramid is out in UK cinemas on 5th December 2014.

Annie

Contemporary remake of the classic musical Annie is out just in time for Christmas. It is unclear how much singing will be involved from the above trailer, and how much Cameron Diaz’s Miss Hannigan will replicate the original. But here’s hoping. Annie hits UK screens on 20th December 2014.

Film Review: Burke and Hare

John Landis’ first feature film for over ten years, Burke and Hare is perfect for those who want a touch of the macabre this Halloween without the frights. It is an interesting tale, but as a black comedy it is not as funny as it should be.

Burke and Hare are two Irishmen struggling to make a living in nineteenth-century Edinburgh. When they need to get rid of the dead body of a lodger, the pair stumbles into a lucrative business providing cadavers for one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious medical schools…

Based on the true story, albeit with a healthy supply of embellishment, Burke and Hare offers a humorous and sympathetic portrayal of the grave robbers. Rather than depict the pair as cold-blooded murders, screenwriters Nick Moorcroft and Piers Answorth instead paint them as opportunists, capitalising on a macabre demand. It is difficult to see how the film would work otherwise, given the tone.

Burke and Hare exudes an air of camp reminiscent of the later Hammer horror films. This is assisted greatly by the supporting a cast, which includes Christopher Lee. Tim Curry is wonderfully camp as Dr Monroe, one of the movie’s villains. Elsewhere, Ronnie Corbett, Tom Wilkinson and Hugh Bonneville play as if they are very much in on the joke. The result is a film that does not take itself too seriously; an attitude that works very well.

Given that Burke and Hare‘s narrative centres on corpses, the presence of gore is unsurprising. However, there is not an excess, and any such depictions are not overly realistic. The film has a limited palette of dark and drab colours, so blood does stand out. It is so bright, nevertheless, that it appears fake rather than shocking. This appears to be the aim of the filmmakers, given that Burke and Hare is a black comedy.

Simon Pegg as Burke and Andy Serkis as Hare are great as the bumbling duo. It is just a shame that they were not given better lines by the screenwriters. Isla Fisher is bubbly as Burke’s love interest Ginny, although her accent is patchy. Jessica Hynes is solid as the sometimes alcoholic Lucky, delivering a number of laughs with her physical comedy.

Not the first film based on the story of the grave-robbing duo, Burke and Hare takes a light-hearted approach to quite a sombre topic. It is just a shame that laughs were not more frequent.