2012’s Most Anticipated

As 2012 arrives imminently, I thought I would share some of my cinematic picks for next year. Below are the films I am most looking forward to seeing next year. These do not include films that I have already seen that are due for general release in the next few months, such as Shame or Martha Marcy May Marlene.

1. The Muppets

Although The Muppets was released in America months ago, it is not due for UK release until February. It seems that we have reverted back to the 1980s in that the UK is getting such a big movie as this months after the US. I love the Muppets, so cannot wait for the film. I have tried not to read too much about it, but all that I am hearing so far is positive. The Muppets is released on 10th February 2012.

2. The Raven

From the trailer, this film seems to have everything; macabre murder mystery, Edgar Allan Poe and John Cusack. I love Poe’s work and the premise of The Raven sounds great; Poe pursues a serial killer who bases his crimes on the author’s work. Hopefully the execution will do the idea justice. The Raven is released on 9th March 2012.

3. Prometheus

Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated new addition to the Alien franchise, the teaser trailer for Prometheus has recently been released. It does not give too much away, but it looks very interesting. Hopefully with Scott at the helm, Prometheus will return to Alien‘s combination of science fiction and horror. With a cast which boasts Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace, Prometheus is very exciting on paper. The film is released on 1st June 2012.

4. The Dark Knight Rises

The grandaddy of them all, the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy will be one of the biggest movies of the summer. I recently watched the prologue, which was impressive on the Imax screen. Like others, I was concerned that I couldn’t understand Bane properly. The trailer looks magnificent, so as long as Bane’s voice becomes clearer, the film should be a fitting end to a fantastic franchise. The Dark Knight Rises is released 20th July 2012.

5. Frankenweenie

Another remake from Tim Burton, but at least this time he is remaking his own work. Frankenweenie was a live action short from the director’s time at Disney. Stills from the film were recently released; Burton aficionados are likely to find them reminiscent of Vincent, a short directed by the filmmaker around the same time as Frankenweenie. The stop-motion remake tells the story of a boy who tries to bring his dog back to life, a homage to Shelley’s Frankenstein. Frankenweenie is released 5th October 2012.

6. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings was a triumphant film series, and fans of the books were no doubt pleased when it was announced that the director would return for The Hobbit. On a personal level, I am excited for the film because I love Gollum. The trailer shows the return of familiar faces; hopefully the film will be of the same quality as the earlier series. The Hobbit is released 14th December 2012.

London Film Festival Debriefing

So the BFI London Film Festival is over for another year. I managed to catch thirty-five films this year, as well as a smattering of press conferences and a round table interview. Having seen less than a quarter of the films shown throughout the festival, I have undoubtedly missed some gems. With this in mind, the following is a very brief appraisal of the festival.

The Best Films I Saw: The Artist, Shame, The Ides of March

The Films That Were As Good As Expected: This Must Be the Place, Headhunters, Martha Marcy May Marlene

The Unexpected Gem: The Monk

The Films I Wish I Had Seen: 50/50, Nobody Else But You

The Film I Wish I Could Unsee: Shock Head Soul

London Film Festival – One Week In

It has been a busy week since the BFI London Film Festival began on the 12th October. There have been some fantastic films screened so far. Of these, The Artist tops the list. The film is simply wonderful, and heartily recommended. The video above features clips from the film, as well as brief interviews. Shame last week was also excellent. Tuesday evening also saw a screening of Headhunters, a thriller which was fantastic fun and a pleasant antidote to some of the more serious films. We Need To Talk About Kevin was shown on Monday evening. The powerful film is discussed in the video below. George Clooney strolled into town on Wednesday for The Ides of March screening. Clooney was keen to answer questions at the press conference in the afternoon. Also screening on Wednesday evening was Miss Bala, a sombre but effective Mexican film.

Shame Press Conference

There was a palpable sense of anticipation on Friday morning, as Steve McQueen’s Shame was screened for the press. Straight after the screening a press conference was held for the film. Director McQueen was joined by screenwriter Abi Morgan, producer Iain Canning and star Michael Fassbender. The panel discussed the conception of the film, the research they undertook to find out more about sex addiction, and the reason why McQueen and Fassbender chose to collaborate again. Highlights from the conference are below.

Read the I Heart The Talkies review of Shame

Film Review: Shame

Steve McQueen’s Shame is a compelling picture. It is difficult to fault the film; it is an excellent character study.

Brandon has a good job, a great apartment in New York City, and a sex addiction. His desires are insatiable, and spill over into his professional life, although he covers his tracks. When Brandon’s sister turns up unannounced, her presence disrupts the routines he has become so used to…

Shame is wonderfully crafted by McQueen and screenwriter Abi Morgan. All the aspects combine together spectacularly; with the narrative, visuals, sound and performances creating a world of both familiarity and discomfort. In several scenes dialogue is sparse, making the conversations that take place all the more pivotal. Moreover, so much is conveyed by the speech-free scenes themselves.

In exploring the areas of sex addiction and relationship boundaries, Shame confronts some rather controversial issues. These are dealt with in an objective manner; there is no judgement or consternation here. Instead, McQueen’s film is comparable to Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend is carefully dealing with a topic that can be a bit of a taboo for audiences.

Imagery in the film is beautiful. There is a contrast between the sometimes graphic imagery and the beautiful cinematography that depicts it. Music is also used to great affect in the picture. One of the most memorable scenes features Sissy singing at the bar. The vocals, combined with the shots of Michael and Sissy are goose bump-inducing, such is the power of the scene.

Michael Fassbender gives a superlative performance as Brandon. No doubt much of the success of the film is due to his commanding performance. Carey Mulligan is also fantastic as Sissy.

Shame is one of this year’s must-see films. Steve McQueen’s film will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Shame is screening at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2011.

London Film Festival 2011 Launch

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Well ok, it isn’t quite Christmas yet, but it is almost time for the BFI London Film Festival! Today was the launch of the festival in a heavily-gridlocked Leicester Square. BFI chief executive Amanda Nevill took the stage first to introduce this year’s event, and to say thanks to the numerous parties involved. Following this, the festival’s artistic director Sandra Hebron spoke, mentioning with sadness that this was her last LFF. A reel of clips and trailers from selected films due to be screened at the October festival was then shown.

The range of films being shown at the London Film Festival is as diverse as ever. Some of the big films have already been screened at Venice, even so there are some interesting prospects such us A Dangerous Method and Madonna’s W.E. Also being shown are Coriolanus, Shame, Anonymous and The Ides of March. Other films which peaked my interest included Let the Bullets Fly (currently China’s highest grossing film), Nick Broomfield’s Sarah Palin – You Betcha!, Norwegian film Headhunters and Tales of the Night, which is the Family Gala screening. Perhaps the film I am most looking forward is The Artist, a French homage to the silent movie era.

To see the full programme and find out more about the London Film Festival 2011 click here.