Previews: The Man Who Invented Christmas Trailer, More!

Plenty in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including The Man Who Invented Christmas trailer, Phantom Thread, Daddy’s Home 2 and more…

The Man Who Invented Christmas Trailer

Here is the first The Man Who Invented Christmas trailer. The film stars Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens, and tells the story behind the classic A Christmas Carol. Directed by Bharat Nalluri, the film also stars Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce, and Miriam Margolyes. The Man Who Invented Christmas hits UK screens on 1st December 2017.

Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built Trailer

This looks suitably chilling. Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is inspired by true events, and is about Winchester fortune heiress, who keeps construction going on her house for decades. The film stars Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, and Sarah Snook. Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is set for release in UK cinemas on 2nd March 2018.

Daddy’s Home 2 Clip

Here is a clip from upcoming comedy sequel Daddy’s Home 2. A follow-up to 2015’s Daddy’s Home, the film sees the return of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg’s characters as they celebrate Christmas. This time, they are joined by their own dads, played by John Lithgow and Mel Gibson. Daddy’s Home 2 is out in UK cinemas on 22nd November 2017, with previews on 18th and 19th November.

Darkest Hour Poster

Here is one of the latest posters for Darkest Hour. Directed by Joe Wright (Pan, Anna Karenina), the film is about the lead up to Britain entering World War II. Gary Oldman is unrecognisable as Winston Churchill. He is joined by Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, and Ben Mendelsohn. Darkest Hour hits UK screens on 12th January 2018.

Phantom Thread Trailer

Here is the trailer for the eagerly anticipated Phantom Thread. The film is the second collaboration between writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson and actor Daniel Day-Lewis. The film is about a fashion designer who falls in love with a young woman, who becomes his  muse. The film also stars Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps. Phantom Thread is out in UK cinemas on 2nd February 2018.

Journey’s End Trailer

Journey’s End is based on the play and novel of the same name. The film is about a company on the front-line trenches in France during World War I. Journey’s End stars Sam Claflin (My Cousin Rachel), Asa Butterfield, and Toby Jones. The film is set for release on 2nd February 2018.

Film Review: Another Year

Another Year is typical of a Mike Leigh film in that it concentrates firmly on the characters in a thoroughly British setting. There are some wonderful performances, as well as a real negativity about the film, which is haunting.

Another Year follows a year in the life of couple Tom and Gerri, focusing on their relationship with their family and friends. As time passes, some of these relationships change, but the characters don’t seem to follow suit…

A very obvious parallel is drawn between the lives of the couple and that of their friends. As is remarked a number of times, Tom and Gerri are a lucky pair; they appear to have a perfect marriage, and have a great relationship with their grown-up son Joe. Their friends, however, seem to have been afflicted with the opposite luck. In comparison to the couple, the friends appear to lead hollow and unfulfilling lives.

This is all a fairly realistic representation of how life is sometimes. Nevertheless, the two friends of the couple featured most in Another Year, Mary and Ken, as well as Tom’s brother Ronnie, all have alcohol problems. It is unclear what is the cause and what is the effect in each case, however there is an overriding insinuation that these characters do nothing to help themselves out of their situation. There seems to be no redemption for these doomed characters, particularly in the case of Mary.

Gerri’s colleague Mary is one of the most tragic characters you will see on the big screen this year. Middle-aged and single, her mask of calmness often slips, especially if she has been drinking. At times, it is hard to watch Mary in the midst of her upset. Mary’s obliviousness to how her behaviour is perceived is what is most tragic. There is an unequivocal pessimism that she will continue in this cycle indefinitely.

Lesley Manville gives a tremendous performance as Mary. She brings humour when exhibiting the dottiness of Mary, and a great sadness in more serious and poignant moments. Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen share a great chemistry as married pair Tom and Gerri, with Broadbent in particular a cause for many of the laughs.

The script is Mike Leigh at his best, accurately portraying a plethora of emotions in a single scene. The filmmaker’s greatest skill is how effortlessly the humour turns to sadness and back to joviality again in such a realistic fashion.

Another Year is thought-provoking in its exploration of the relationships between the characters. Although the lack of redemption for some of the characters is pessimistic, the film nevertheless is an engaging watch.

Another Year is being screened at the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival in October 2010.