Vanessa Redgrave

Winners Announced for British Independent Film Awards; TYRANNOSAUR Wins Best Picture, Debut Director, and Actress

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 4th, 2011 at 7:18 pm

The 14th Annual British Independent Film Awards were held tonight and the brutal drama Tyrannosaur took home trophies for Best Film, Best Debut Director (Paddy Considine), and Best Actress (Olivia Colman).  Other BIFA winners included Senna for Best Documentary, Lynne Ramsay for Best Director (We Need to Talk about Kevin), Michael Fassbender for Best Actor (Shame), and Richard Ayoade for Best Screenplay (Submarine).

I thought Tyrannosaur failed to derive honest drama from its ugliness and violence, but I can understand why the movie struck a chord with most viewers.  As for the other winners, I think Ramsay is still an outsider in the Oscar race, but Fassbender, Ayoade, and Colman may have boosted their chances, although Colman will probably compete in the Best Supporting Actress category since that’s where she has a better chance for a nomination.  Hit the jump for the full list of winners.

New Posters for THE FLOWERS OF WAR, CORIOLANUS, UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, and GOON

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 11th, 2011 at 1:49 pm

We’ve got a batch of new posters to share with you today. First up is the extraordinary new poster for Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War. Poster art is definitely not dead, and this gorgeous one-sheet is proof. The film stars Christian Bale in the Chinese period pic about the invading Japanese Imperial Army taking over Nanking. The UK quad for Coriolanus is pretty great as well. Marking Ralph Fiennes’s feature directorial debut, the film is based on Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name. The new poster for Underworld: Awakening is a bit uninspired (not to mention confusing; why does Kate Beckinsale want to shoot met?), and the poster for the hockey comedy Goon is underwhelming as well, especially when compared with the film’s previous posters.

Hit the jump to take a look at the posters. The Flowers of War opens in China on December 16th (and in the U.S. sometime in December), Coriolanus opens January 20th, 2012, Underworld: Awakening opens January 20th as well, and Goon will be available VOD February 24th, and in theaters March 30th. [Update: We've been asked to take the Underworld poster down. An official version should be released soon.]

ANONYMOUS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 27th, 2011 at 9:28 pm

[This is a re-print of my review from the 2011 Toronto Film Festival]

In Anonymous, Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) tells young playwright Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto), “All artists have something to say because otherwise they’d just make shoes.” It’s a funny quote when you consider that director Roland Emmerich‘s previous filmography is mainly comprised of brainless blockbusters like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012. Anonymous, a political thriller wrapped in a conspiracy theory, could not be further from those movies and Emmerich sets out like a man with something to prove. There are no monsters, aliens, cataclysms, and the only explosion is the destruction of the Globe Theatre, which actually did burn to the ground in 1613. The film plays fast and loose with most historical facts (including why the Globe burned down), but it manages to craft an intriguing period piece before getting bogged down in political intrigue and tearing down historical figures.

TIFF 2011: ANONYMOUS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 15th, 2011 at 7:34 pm

In Anonymous, Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) tells young playwright Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto), “All artists have something to say because otherwise they’d just make shoes.”  It’s a funny quote when you consider that director Roland Emmerich’s previous filmography is mainly comprised of brainless blockbusters like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012.  Anonymous, a political thriller wrapped in a conspiracy theory, could not be further from those movies and Emmerich sets out like a man with something to prove.  There are no monsters, aliens, cataclysms, and the only explosion is the destruction of the Globe Theatre, which actually did burn to the ground in 1613.  The film plays fast and loose with most historical facts (including why the Globe burned down), but it manages to craft an intriguing period piece before getting bogged down in political intrigue and tearing down historical figures.

5 Clips from Roland Emmerich’s ANONYMOUS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 15th, 2011 at 8:57 am

We’ve been provided with 5 clips from director Roland Emmerich’s period drama Anonymous to share with our readers.  Best known for big-budget films like 2012 and Independence Day, the film marks quite a departure for the director.  The story centers on a conspiracy to cover up the true authors of William Shakespeare’s plays, as the works were used to criticize the monarchy.  The cast includes Jamie Campbell Bower, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave.  Hit the jump to watch the clips. Anonymous opens October 28th.

Kick-Ass UK Trailer for Ralph Fiennes Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s CORIOLANUS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 10th, 2011 at 7:33 am

Before now, my reaction to Coriolanus was “Oh, Ralph Fiennes is making his directing debut by adapting Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and setting it in a modern-day battlefield.  That’s nice.”  But the UK trailer just makes me go, “This is Fiennes’ directing debut?  Holy hell.”  The dialogue and plot may be Shakespeare’s but Fiennes has clearly amped up the setting with some sweet looking action and intense drama.  I hope this all comes together because it has an outstanding cast (Fiennes in the title role and joined by Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, Gerard Butler, Jessica Chastain, and James Nesbitt).

As you’ll gather from the trailer, the plot centers on a banished former war hero who plans to conquer his homeland.  Hit the jump to check out the madness.  Coriolanus will play at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.  It opens in the US on December 2nd and in the UK on January 20, 2012.

New Trailer for Roland Emmerich’s ANONYMOUS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 5th, 2011 at 9:42 am

A new trailer for Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous has gone online.  Like the previous trailer, there’s the poor decision to use Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place”, but we also get a better explanation of the plot.  The movie isn’t simply about the controversial theory that William Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays.  The controversy is wrapped up in a much larger period drama involving political intrigue and how the plays were used to criticize the monarchy while protecting the identities of the true authors.  The larger question isn’t whether or not Shakespeare wrote his plays and poems, but if a big-budget director like Emmerich can go through an entire movie without destroying a revered building or monument.

Hit the jump to check out the new trailer.  The film stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave.  Anonymous will play at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and hit theaters on October 28th.

Redgrave, Stamp, Arterton, and Eccleston to Star in SONG FOR MARION

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 8th, 2011 at 8:21 am

Vanessa Redgrave, Terence Stamp, Gemma Arterton, and Christopher Eccleston are set to star in the British comedic drama Song for Marion.  The story has Stamp playing a grumpy retiree who reluctantly joins a local choir at the urging of his wife Marion (Regrave).  There he learns valuable life lessons through “musical self discovery”.  I know that synopses that are from press releases don’t always do the best job of conveying the tone of a film, and so I hope Song for Marion isn’t as saccharine as it sounds.  Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton) will direct from his own screenplay.

Hit the jump to check out the press release and feel doubtful about this movie.

Trailer for THE WHISTLEBLOWER Starring Rachel Weisz

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 27th, 2011 at 8:47 am

The US trailer for The Whistleblower has gone online.  Based on real events, Rachel Weisz stars as a UN peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia who uncovers rampant corruption and a massive cover-up of criminal activity.  The film played the festival circuit last year to positive notices and I’m glad I’ll finally get a chance to see it in the near future.  In addition to Weisz, the impressive cast features David Strathairn, Monica Bellucci, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jason Isaacs, and Vanessa Redgrave.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The Whistleblower opens August 5th.

First Trailer for Roland Emmerich’s ANONYMOUS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 7th, 2011 at 9:25 am

Columbia Pictures has released the first trailer for Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous, a political thriller based on the controversy of who really wrote the plays credited to William Shakespeare.  Per the official synopsis, “Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power of the throne were exposed in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.”  Since this is Emmerich’s first film where he’s not obliterating a city, the curiosity factor is too high to avoid, but this trailer does an awful job of explaining the plot beyond “Shakespeare didn’t write his plays.  Now please enjoy 16th century CGI England.”  The release date is still a ways off so I’m sure we’ll get a more plot-heavy trailer a few months from now.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave.  Anonymous hits theaters on September 30th.

French Trailer for Julian Schnabel’s MIRAL Starring Freida Pinto

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 16th, 2010 at 1:42 am

The French trailer for Miral has just gone online.  Directed by Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), the film revolves around a real orphanage in Jerusalem set up by a Palestinian woman (Hiam Abbass).  Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) plays Miral, a young woman who grew up in the orphanage and who becomes an activist when she is assigned to teach at a refugee camp and sees that Israelis and Palestinians actually don’t get along too well.

I had to look up that synopsis because even though the dialogue is English (with French subtitles), this trailer doesn’t do a good job of conveying what the film is about.  However, Diving Bell blew my mind and so I’m on board for this movie.  In addition to Pinto and Abbass, the cast also includes Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Miral is slated to open on December 3rd.

The Weinstein Company Acquires North American Rights for Julian Schnabel’s MIRAL

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 8th, 2010 at 1:55 pm

Director Julian Schnabel chose to follow up his Oscar-nominated Diving Bell and the Butterfly gig with Miral, which “chronicles Hind Husseinis efforts to establish an orphanage in Jerusalem after the 1948 partition of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel.”  Miral is an adaptation of the novel by Rula Jebreal, who also penned the script.  The film stars Hiam Abbass, Freida Pinto, Willem Defoe, and Vanessa Redgrave.

Luckily for me, Miral just landed a North American release courtesy of The Weinstein Company, who promise the film will hit theaters by the end of the year.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

New Images from CORIOLANUS Starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 1st, 2010 at 3:27 pm

Today brings the first images from Ralph Fiennes’ adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, a family-political tragedy set in ancient Rome.  Making his directorial debut, Fiennes transplants the action to contemporary times, which explains the modern military garb in the photos.  Fiennes stars as the titular character opposite Gerard Butler, who plays an army commander and nemesis of Coriolanus.  The cast also includes William Hurt, Eddie Marsan, Jessica Chastain, and Vanessa Redgrave.

Hit the jump for a closer look at the behind-the-scenes pics from Coriolanus.

Promo Trailer for THE WHISTLEBLOWER Starring Rachel Weisz

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 30th, 2010 at 9:07 pm

Collider reader Freddy turned us on to a new promo trailer for The Whistleblower.  The film stars Rachel Weisz as a female cop from Nebraska who serves as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia but ends up exposing a United Nations cover-up of a sex trafficking scandal.  I ragged on the premise a bit when we reported Weisz’ casting in May 2009, but looking at this trailer, the film looks good.  There will be comparisons to Weisz’s role in The Constant Gardener (a role for which she earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), but she’s a fantastic actress and knows how to deliver.  The film’s also got a strong supporting cast including David Strathairn, Monica Bellucci, Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Brødre), and Vanessa Redgrave.  It will be interesting to see what co-writer/director Larysa Kondracki pulls off with her first feature-length film.

Hit the jump to check out the promo trailer plus the promo poster.

11 Movie Clips from LETTERS TO JULIET Starring Amanda Seyfried and Gael García Bernal

by David Lane    Posted: May 4th, 2010 at 4:42 pm

Opening May 14 is Summit Entertainment’s Letter’s To Juliet and it stars Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero.  Here’s the synopsis:

When a young American (Amanda Seyfried) travels to the city of Verona, home of the star-crossed lover Juliet Capulet of Romeo and Juliet fame, she joins a group of volunteers who respond to letters to Juliet seeking advice about love. After answering one letter dated from 1957, she inspires its author (Vanessa Redgrave) to travel to Italy in search of her long-lost love, which sets off a chain of events that will bring a love into both their lives unlike anything they have ever imagined.

We’ve been given 11 clips from the movie.  Hit the jump to check them out:

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