As a school of adaptation, the live-action take on anime and manga is only slightly less cursed than the live-action series or film based on a video game. Yet remarkably, 2023 is set to be a banner year for both. In January, HBO premiered “The Last of Us,” the hit drama that takes the same somber, character-driven approach to a zombie apocalypse as the 2013 game. With rave reviews, major ratings and a raft of Emmy nominations, “The Last of Us” successfully bucked a multi-decade trend. A few months later, “The Super Mario Bros.” movie would repeat the feat at the box office, if not quite with critics.
Netflix may have eyed this trend with some interest as the global streaming service has prepared the launch of “One Piece,” a series adapted from the long-running manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. Similar undertakings have a checkered history, a fact Netflix itself...
Netflix may have eyed this trend with some interest as the global streaming service has prepared the launch of “One Piece,” a series adapted from the long-running manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. Similar undertakings have a checkered history, a fact Netflix itself...
- 8/31/2023
- by Alison Herman
- Variety Film + TV
The last thing I heard about Susanne Bier's long-awaited "Serena" is that certain parties involved didn't want the film released in 2013. I have no idea if it's a bad film or not and would have hurt the Oscar prospects of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in "American Hustle," but it remains quite strange that a film starring that hot a duo coming off "Silver Linings Playbook" still hasn't been released, and moreover, still hasn't landed a distributor. It's also been in post-production for a long while, however, and films can be fashioned out of trouble with the right editorial care. Just ask, well, "American Hustle." I'm a big Susanne Bier fan (she took home the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar a few years back for "In a Better World" — more awards cache for the film) and I'm intrigued by this story, set in Depression Era North Carolina and based...
- 3/31/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
It's been nearly two years since we got a first look at the new drama Serena from director Susanne Bier (In a Better World). We're still not sure when the film starring Silver Linings Playbook duo Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper will arrive in theaters, but we do have some new photos from the film, showing off the period sets, not to mention Lawrence and Cooper looking rather dashing. The film follows the Pemberton couple, Boston natives who create a 1929 timber empire in North Carolina, as their intense, passionate marriage begins to unravel as the story moves toward a shocking reckoning. New photos below! New photos from Serena from production designer Richard Bridgland (more at The Film Stage): Serena is directed by Oscar-winner Susanne Bier (In a Better World, Things We Lost in the Fire) from a screenplay by Christopher Kyle (Alexander) adapting Ron Rash's novel of the same name.
- 3/31/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
The latest film to bring together Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper is director Susanne Bier's Serena, a Depression-era period piece adapted from Ron Rash's novel of the same name. It tells the story of newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton (Cooper and Lawrence, respectively), a couple who builds a timber empire in the North Carolina mountains only to turn against each other when Serena learns that she can't have children and launches a deadly vendetta against George's illegitimate son.The movie has now been in post-production for 18 months, apparently because Bier is a real perfectionist. Luckily for those who would at least like to catch a glimpse of the project, production designer Richard Bridgland just posted some photos of the beautiful-looking set to his website. See a couple more below:...
- 3/30/2014
- by Delia Paunescu
- Vulture
It’s still pretty murky territory trying to figure out when we may finally see Susanne Bier’s “Serena,” which paired Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper immediately after the duo did David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” together. “American Hustle” has already come and gone, but still, no “Serena.” What’s the hold up? Who knows, but at least today we’ve got some new stills from the film, which production designer Richard Bridgland uploaded to his website. Lawrence and Cooper play Serena and George Pemberton, respectively, a newlywed couple whose marriage is quickly tested when she finds out he fathered a child right [...]
The post New Images of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in ‘Serena’ appeared first on Up and Comers.
The post New Images of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in ‘Serena’ appeared first on Up and Comers.
- 3/30/2014
- by Linda Ge
- UpandComers
The Art Directors Guild (Adg) has announced nominations in 10 categories of Production Design for movies, television, commercials, and music videos. They are all vying for the Art Directors Guild's 18th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards. Winners will be revealed on Feb. 8 from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with comedian Owen Benjamin serving as host.
Here's your complete list of nominees:
Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2013:
Period Film
American Hustle - Production Designer: Judy Becker
The Great Gatsby - Production Designer: Catherine Martin
Inside Llewyn Davis - Production Designer: Jess Gonchor
Saving Mr. Banks - Production Designer: Michael Corenblith
12 Years A Slave - Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen
Fantasy Film
Elysium - Production Designer: Philip Ivey
Gravity - Production Designer: Andy Nicholson
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug - Production Designer: Dan Hennah
Oblivion - Production Designer: Darren Gilford...
Here's your complete list of nominees:
Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2013:
Period Film
American Hustle - Production Designer: Judy Becker
The Great Gatsby - Production Designer: Catherine Martin
Inside Llewyn Davis - Production Designer: Jess Gonchor
Saving Mr. Banks - Production Designer: Michael Corenblith
12 Years A Slave - Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen
Fantasy Film
Elysium - Production Designer: Philip Ivey
Gravity - Production Designer: Andy Nicholson
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug - Production Designer: Dan Hennah
Oblivion - Production Designer: Darren Gilford...
- 1/10/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Art Directors Guild and the Costume Designers Guild have become the latest groups to announce their nominees for 2013. They may not be considered as big or as important as the Producers Guild, the Directors Guild, or the Writers Guild, but they are still a pretty good prognosticator for who will eventually take home the Oscar in their respective categories.
The Art Directors split their categories up into Period, Fantasy, and Contemporary Films (along with various TV categories), but the main one of importance here is the Period, where we find the more fanciful, eye-catching designs. Here, we find what was mostly expected: American Hustle, The Great Gatsby, Inside Llewyn Davis, Saving Mr. Banks, and 12 Years a Slave. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that The Great Gatsby has this one in the bag. There were those who didn’t enjoy the film (I actually found...
The Art Directors split their categories up into Period, Fantasy, and Contemporary Films (along with various TV categories), but the main one of importance here is the Period, where we find the more fanciful, eye-catching designs. Here, we find what was mostly expected: American Hustle, The Great Gatsby, Inside Llewyn Davis, Saving Mr. Banks, and 12 Years a Slave. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that The Great Gatsby has this one in the bag. There were those who didn’t enjoy the film (I actually found...
- 1/9/2014
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
FusedFilm.com is proud to present some sweet gifts for the upcoming action/thriller, Unknown, starring Liam Neeson and Diane Krueger. This new identity theft thriller that finds a doctor awakening from a car crash only to discover that another man has assumed his life, his wife, and his name. We’re celebrating this pulse-pounding ride with a contest you don’t want to miss. Feel like you are in the action with a 9-1 car escape tool, leather journal and much, much more!
We’re Giving Away the Following Prizes: Built NY Laptop Case 9-in-1 Car Escape Tool Leather Journal with Custom Page Leather Passport Holder Digital Travel Alarm Clock Men’s Crews Neck T-shirt Baseball Cap Bottle Opener Key Chain Synch Sack Bag Here’s How To Win!
Just “Like” (fan) the FusedFilm.com Facebook page (below), then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!
We’re Giving Away the Following Prizes: Built NY Laptop Case 9-in-1 Car Escape Tool Leather Journal with Custom Page Leather Passport Holder Digital Travel Alarm Clock Men’s Crews Neck T-shirt Baseball Cap Bottle Opener Key Chain Synch Sack Bag Here’s How To Win!
Just “Like” (fan) the FusedFilm.com Facebook page (below), then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!
- 2/8/2011
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
Face the Unknown with Liam Neeson and January Jones in this new trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Synopsis:
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run.
Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.
Academy Award® nominee Liam Neeson (Schindler’S List), Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) and January Jones (TV’s “Mad Men”) star in the contemporary thriller Unknown. The film also stars Aidan Quinn (TV’s “The Book of Daniel”), Bruno Ganz (The Reader) and Oscar® nominee...
Synopsis:
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run.
Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.
Academy Award® nominee Liam Neeson (Schindler’S List), Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) and January Jones (TV’s “Mad Men”) star in the contemporary thriller Unknown. The film also stars Aidan Quinn (TV’s “The Book of Daniel”), Bruno Ganz (The Reader) and Oscar® nominee...
- 10/25/2010
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ever since Alien was pitched as “a haunted house movie in space” 30 years ago, it seems like there have been more of those damned houses out amongst the stars than there have been on Earth. Genre fans (particularly those who have frequented the Sci Fi/Syfy channel) have long gotten used to the sight of interstellar travelers creeping/running down futuristic corridors in search of/away from some cosmic threat or other. Pandorum, produced by the team behind one of the bigger/gorier examples of the subgenre, Event Horizon, is a fairly successful attempt to do something a little different with the formula.
The opening scenes get the movie off to an effectively claustrophobic/mysterious start, as a young man suddenly awakens in a cryogenic sleep pod somewhere within the bowels of an expansive spacecraft (which we’re told at the start is the Elysium, on a colonization run to...
The opening scenes get the movie off to an effectively claustrophobic/mysterious start, as a young man suddenly awakens in a cryogenic sleep pod somewhere within the bowels of an expansive spacecraft (which we’re told at the start is the Elysium, on a colonization run to...
- 9/25/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Alien vs. Predator combines two of Fox's best-known science fiction titles, but let's give an assist to a third, non-Fox title. That would be The Mummy. To bring together those Alien dudes, who prefer deep space, with Predator, invisible hunters that prefer the jungles and inner cities of Earth, British sci-fi director Paul W.S. Anderson places the action inside a pyramid. The pyramid is, bewilderingly, buried under Antarctic ice -- why would it be there? -- but once inside, "AVP" bears greater kinship to movies involving Egyptian corpses, Indiana Jones and Lara Croft.
Fox can count on young males to give the film above-average grosses and no doubt boost DVD sales of the six previous Alien and Predator movies. But asking "AVP" to reignite interest in more sequels involving these alien monsters, either together or apart, may be asking too much.
Back in 1979, Alien was a breakthrough science fiction work. Its artistic look and strategies for frightening audiences were downright revolutionary. But in this, the fifth outing for the slime-dripping, shape-changing creatures, the Aliens are looking a little dogged, perhaps ready for the Alien Retirement Home. Meanwhile, the Predator warriors, who never achieved the artistic heights of their counterpart, look better invisible. When visible, they resemble robotic can openers gone berserk.
Anderson, who wrote the script from a screen story by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett and himself, finds a replacement for Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, the principal hero of the Alien films. The new heroine is Alexa "Lex" Woods, played with straightforward intensity by Sanaa Lathan. She leads a hastily assembled expedition down to the ancient pyramid underneath all that ice, a group thrown together by billionaire industrialist Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen).
Sebastian (Italian actor Raoul Bova), a guy who can miraculously read the ancient hieroglyphics that don't belong to any particular culture, is the first to puzzle out the expedition party's dilemma. It seems they have stumbled into a war between two alien races that has been going on for thousands of years.
It goes something like this: Predators like to hunt, and they especially like to hunt Aliens. Every hundred years, an Alien Queen, kept captive in the ice pyramid, lays hundreds of eggs. The Predators have lured the humans down to her lair to play their role as incubators to the offspring. Once they hatch, the Predator warriors will have a great time hunting and killing Aliens.
No, this is not a very smart premise, but how else to bring the two franchises together?
Shot in Prague and at a fairly modest price for a sci-fi monster film, "AVP" benefits from a stellar crew behind the camera. The most inventive thing is the set design by Richard Bridgland. The pyramid is a dark, diabolical maze that reconfigures itself every 10 minutes. This causes blocks of the floor, ceiling and walls to move this way and that, separating characters and trapping them in new and more frightening cubicle and passages.
The creatures, on the other hand, have grown too familiar. Whatever improvements the new designers, Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., have made to H.R. Giger's original Alien design or Stan Winston's Predator creations, the boo factor is definitely missing.
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
20th Century Fox
A Davis Entertainment Co./Brandywine production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Screen story: Paul W.S. Anderson, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Producers: John Davis, David Giler, Walter Hill
Executive producers: Wyck Godfrey, Thomas M. Hammel, Mike Richardson
Director of photography: David Johnson
Production designer: Richard Bridgland
Music: Harald Kloser
Co-producer: Chris Symes
Costume designer: Magali Guidasci
Visual effects supervisor: John Bruno
Editor: Alexander Berner
Cast:
Alexa Woods: Sanaa Lathan
Sebastian De Rosa: Raoul Bova
Charles Bishop Weyland: Lance Henriksen
Graeme Miller: Ewen Bremmer
Maxwell Stafford: Colin Salmon
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 110 minutes...
Fox can count on young males to give the film above-average grosses and no doubt boost DVD sales of the six previous Alien and Predator movies. But asking "AVP" to reignite interest in more sequels involving these alien monsters, either together or apart, may be asking too much.
Back in 1979, Alien was a breakthrough science fiction work. Its artistic look and strategies for frightening audiences were downright revolutionary. But in this, the fifth outing for the slime-dripping, shape-changing creatures, the Aliens are looking a little dogged, perhaps ready for the Alien Retirement Home. Meanwhile, the Predator warriors, who never achieved the artistic heights of their counterpart, look better invisible. When visible, they resemble robotic can openers gone berserk.
Anderson, who wrote the script from a screen story by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett and himself, finds a replacement for Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, the principal hero of the Alien films. The new heroine is Alexa "Lex" Woods, played with straightforward intensity by Sanaa Lathan. She leads a hastily assembled expedition down to the ancient pyramid underneath all that ice, a group thrown together by billionaire industrialist Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen).
Sebastian (Italian actor Raoul Bova), a guy who can miraculously read the ancient hieroglyphics that don't belong to any particular culture, is the first to puzzle out the expedition party's dilemma. It seems they have stumbled into a war between two alien races that has been going on for thousands of years.
It goes something like this: Predators like to hunt, and they especially like to hunt Aliens. Every hundred years, an Alien Queen, kept captive in the ice pyramid, lays hundreds of eggs. The Predators have lured the humans down to her lair to play their role as incubators to the offspring. Once they hatch, the Predator warriors will have a great time hunting and killing Aliens.
No, this is not a very smart premise, but how else to bring the two franchises together?
Shot in Prague and at a fairly modest price for a sci-fi monster film, "AVP" benefits from a stellar crew behind the camera. The most inventive thing is the set design by Richard Bridgland. The pyramid is a dark, diabolical maze that reconfigures itself every 10 minutes. This causes blocks of the floor, ceiling and walls to move this way and that, separating characters and trapping them in new and more frightening cubicle and passages.
The creatures, on the other hand, have grown too familiar. Whatever improvements the new designers, Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., have made to H.R. Giger's original Alien design or Stan Winston's Predator creations, the boo factor is definitely missing.
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
20th Century Fox
A Davis Entertainment Co./Brandywine production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Screen story: Paul W.S. Anderson, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Producers: John Davis, David Giler, Walter Hill
Executive producers: Wyck Godfrey, Thomas M. Hammel, Mike Richardson
Director of photography: David Johnson
Production designer: Richard Bridgland
Music: Harald Kloser
Co-producer: Chris Symes
Costume designer: Magali Guidasci
Visual effects supervisor: John Bruno
Editor: Alexander Berner
Cast:
Alexa Woods: Sanaa Lathan
Sebastian De Rosa: Raoul Bova
Charles Bishop Weyland: Lance Henriksen
Graeme Miller: Ewen Bremmer
Maxwell Stafford: Colin Salmon
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 110 minutes...
LONDON -- "Gangster No. 1" is a brutal but stylish gangland tale. It pulls no punches as it deals with the deceit, violence and pure evil that surround the criminal underworld. And while the undercurrent of violence and strong language may be uncomfortable for some, there is much to enjoy in the impressively intense performances and in the clever direction of Paul McGuigan. A smart poster campaign and a hip soundtrack have done much to boost its United Kingdom release.
Certainly, "Gangster" sets itself apart from the current crop of British crime melodramas with its 1960s setting. The period lends itself to flash cars (Jaguar E-Types and Aston Martins) and dapper Jermyn Street clothes. When these screen gangsters are not wielding axes, guns or knives, they are tucking into the bubbly or checking out dancers at trendy nightclubs.
Director McGuigan (who made his debut with FilmFour's feature-length trilogy "The Acid House") makes great use of split-screen as well as clever fragmented mirror images. He is greatly aided by the lovely production design of Richard Bridgland and costumes by Jany Temime.
The film opens in present-day London. Elderly mobsters are enjoying a boxing-match dinner at a posh hotel with Gangster 55 (played with brutal charm by Malcolm McDowell) enjoying being at the top of the pile -- until he hears that his old boss Freddie Mays is about to be released from prison.
McDowell narrates the film, which flashes back to 1968, when young Gangster (this time played by newcomer Paul Bettany) is first invited to join Mays' gang. Young Gangster is entranced by the stylish clothes, smart flats and delicious thuggery. His enjoyment for violence means he soon becomes a vital gang member, but he increasingly starts to envy Mays (David Thewlis), especially when he discovers the boss's plan to marry a beautiful singer, Karen (Saffron Burrows).
So when he finds out about a plot by rival mobster Lennie Taylor (Jamie Foreman) to kill Mays, he decides to let it happen. From a car, he watches while Mays is shot and Karen's throat is cut. Then, in an uncomfortable sequence, Gangster takes his revenge on Taylor -- using ax, gun and knife.
Surprised to learn that Mays survives his assault, Gangster stands by and lets Mays be jailed for the Taylor killing. The young pretender is now in place to take over the gang. The film then switches back to the present day for a final confrontation between Gangster 55 and the now gray-haired Freddie Mays.
While the film is packed with violence, it's all largely implied. It is to McGuigan's credit that he brings much style and panache to the scenes of violence. And while not one of these characters is likable, at least the viewer is absorbed by the great locations and costumes.
The find of the film is newcomer Bettany. With stark blond hair and graceful moves, he looks like a young Michael Caine in "Zulu" and does a fine job of giving depth to a character who is purely evil. Thewlis seems miscast as the supposedly charismatic Mays. Burrows is given little to do except look stunning.
(What really doesn't work, though, is having two actors play Gangster 55 while Thewlis and Burrows are simply given gray hair and a few wrinkles to imply their passing of years.)
"Gangster No. 1", (think "Gangster No One") remains a fascinating delve into a world of violence.
GANGSTER NO. 1
FilmFour
A Pagoda Film production
in association with Road Movies
with the participation of British Screen, BSkyB
and Filmboard Berlin Brandenburg
Producers: Norma Heyman, Jonathan Cavendish
Director: Paul McGuigan
Executive producer: Peter Bowles
Screenplay adapted by: Johnny Ferguson
Director of photography: Peter Sova
Production designer: Richard Bridgland
Editor: Andrew Hulme
Costume Designer: Jany Temime
Music: John Dankworth
Color/stereo
Cast:
Gangster 55: Malcolm McDowell
Freddie Mays: David Thewlis
Young Gangster: Paul Bettany
Karen: Saffron Burrows
Tommy: Kenneth Cranham
Lennie Taylor: Jamie Foreman
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Certainly, "Gangster" sets itself apart from the current crop of British crime melodramas with its 1960s setting. The period lends itself to flash cars (Jaguar E-Types and Aston Martins) and dapper Jermyn Street clothes. When these screen gangsters are not wielding axes, guns or knives, they are tucking into the bubbly or checking out dancers at trendy nightclubs.
Director McGuigan (who made his debut with FilmFour's feature-length trilogy "The Acid House") makes great use of split-screen as well as clever fragmented mirror images. He is greatly aided by the lovely production design of Richard Bridgland and costumes by Jany Temime.
The film opens in present-day London. Elderly mobsters are enjoying a boxing-match dinner at a posh hotel with Gangster 55 (played with brutal charm by Malcolm McDowell) enjoying being at the top of the pile -- until he hears that his old boss Freddie Mays is about to be released from prison.
McDowell narrates the film, which flashes back to 1968, when young Gangster (this time played by newcomer Paul Bettany) is first invited to join Mays' gang. Young Gangster is entranced by the stylish clothes, smart flats and delicious thuggery. His enjoyment for violence means he soon becomes a vital gang member, but he increasingly starts to envy Mays (David Thewlis), especially when he discovers the boss's plan to marry a beautiful singer, Karen (Saffron Burrows).
So when he finds out about a plot by rival mobster Lennie Taylor (Jamie Foreman) to kill Mays, he decides to let it happen. From a car, he watches while Mays is shot and Karen's throat is cut. Then, in an uncomfortable sequence, Gangster takes his revenge on Taylor -- using ax, gun and knife.
Surprised to learn that Mays survives his assault, Gangster stands by and lets Mays be jailed for the Taylor killing. The young pretender is now in place to take over the gang. The film then switches back to the present day for a final confrontation between Gangster 55 and the now gray-haired Freddie Mays.
While the film is packed with violence, it's all largely implied. It is to McGuigan's credit that he brings much style and panache to the scenes of violence. And while not one of these characters is likable, at least the viewer is absorbed by the great locations and costumes.
The find of the film is newcomer Bettany. With stark blond hair and graceful moves, he looks like a young Michael Caine in "Zulu" and does a fine job of giving depth to a character who is purely evil. Thewlis seems miscast as the supposedly charismatic Mays. Burrows is given little to do except look stunning.
(What really doesn't work, though, is having two actors play Gangster 55 while Thewlis and Burrows are simply given gray hair and a few wrinkles to imply their passing of years.)
"Gangster No. 1", (think "Gangster No One") remains a fascinating delve into a world of violence.
GANGSTER NO. 1
FilmFour
A Pagoda Film production
in association with Road Movies
with the participation of British Screen, BSkyB
and Filmboard Berlin Brandenburg
Producers: Norma Heyman, Jonathan Cavendish
Director: Paul McGuigan
Executive producer: Peter Bowles
Screenplay adapted by: Johnny Ferguson
Director of photography: Peter Sova
Production designer: Richard Bridgland
Editor: Andrew Hulme
Costume Designer: Jany Temime
Music: John Dankworth
Color/stereo
Cast:
Gangster 55: Malcolm McDowell
Freddie Mays: David Thewlis
Young Gangster: Paul Bettany
Karen: Saffron Burrows
Tommy: Kenneth Cranham
Lennie Taylor: Jamie Foreman
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/17/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Caught somewhere between sex farce and romantic comedy, Rose Troche's "Bedrooms & Hallways" slyly peeks in both places to explore the modern male psyche. Although this British film's outlook is predominantly gay, it has a sure instinct for human foibles no matter what one's sexual identity is.
A lighthearted entry in this year's Outfest in Los Angeles, the film will be released by First Run Features in the United States, where its themes will undoubtedly limit its playability to gay audiences.
In her second film, Troche, the director of the 1994 lesbian romantic comedy "Go Fish", takes satiric digs at what it means to be male in the final days of the 20th century. Her targets include bonding rituals, group therapy, sexual-identity confusion and the insatiable need to commingle risk with romance.
Not that women don't figure prominently in Troche's story. But the females mostly stand aside in bemused wonder, alternately appalled and amazed at the muddle these men manage to get into as they struggle to make sense of their lives.
The film focuses on three flatmates -- two gay men and one straight woman. Darren (Tom Hollander) has taken up with a real estate agent, whose biggest attraction is a set of keys to other people's houses where they carry on high-risk liaisons when no one (they hope) is at home.
Leo (Kevin McKidd), however, is in enough of a mess that a straight co-worker suggests he join a "New Man" therapy group. This group, led by New Age guru Keith (the irrepressible Simon Callow), goes in for such rituals as passing the "honesty stone" and sitting in ersatz Eskimo igloos where everyone gets in touch with his inner self by grasping a harpoon.
It is while the honesty stone gets passed that Darren admits he is attracted to another group member, Brendan (James Purefoy). Startled but flattered, Brendan is in the process of extricating himself from a long-term relationship with his girlfriend and business partner (Jennifer Ehle).
This confession causes no less than two members of the group to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side of the sexual equation. That leads to the mental meltdown of a homophobic member of the "New Man" group.
These intertwining stories in Robert Farrar's script play out in ways that are not always predictable and often quite funny. Farrar has created likable blokes for his characters, although none is especially compelling.
The film's gay sensibilities serve to give a curious ambiguousness to all its male characters, even those ostensibly straight. The film also seems to labor under the now-discredited belief that gayness is a matter of choice rather than genetics.
But the film is too weightless to bear much psychological scrutiny. Its players roam a fanciful patch of London where worries about anything other than one's love life are banished.
Cinematographer Ashley Rowe and production designer Richard Bridgland do an excellent job of bringing the viewer into its London milieu without the cloying slickness of a film such as "Notting Hill".
BEDROOMS & HALLWAYS
First Run Features
Bedrooms & Hallways Prods. Ltd.
Producers: Ceci Dempsey, Dorothy Berwin
Director: Rose Troche
Writer: Robert Farrar
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Richard Bridgland
Music: Alfredo Troche
Costumes: Annie Symons
Editor: Chris Blunden
Color/stereo
Cast:
Leo: Kevin McKidd
Jeremy: Hugo Weaving
Sally: Jennifer Ehle
Keith: Simon Callow
Sybil: Harriet Walter
Darren: Tom Hollander
Angie: Julie Graham
Adam: Christopher Fulford
Brendan: James Purefoy
John: Paul Higgins
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating...
A lighthearted entry in this year's Outfest in Los Angeles, the film will be released by First Run Features in the United States, where its themes will undoubtedly limit its playability to gay audiences.
In her second film, Troche, the director of the 1994 lesbian romantic comedy "Go Fish", takes satiric digs at what it means to be male in the final days of the 20th century. Her targets include bonding rituals, group therapy, sexual-identity confusion and the insatiable need to commingle risk with romance.
Not that women don't figure prominently in Troche's story. But the females mostly stand aside in bemused wonder, alternately appalled and amazed at the muddle these men manage to get into as they struggle to make sense of their lives.
The film focuses on three flatmates -- two gay men and one straight woman. Darren (Tom Hollander) has taken up with a real estate agent, whose biggest attraction is a set of keys to other people's houses where they carry on high-risk liaisons when no one (they hope) is at home.
Leo (Kevin McKidd), however, is in enough of a mess that a straight co-worker suggests he join a "New Man" therapy group. This group, led by New Age guru Keith (the irrepressible Simon Callow), goes in for such rituals as passing the "honesty stone" and sitting in ersatz Eskimo igloos where everyone gets in touch with his inner self by grasping a harpoon.
It is while the honesty stone gets passed that Darren admits he is attracted to another group member, Brendan (James Purefoy). Startled but flattered, Brendan is in the process of extricating himself from a long-term relationship with his girlfriend and business partner (Jennifer Ehle).
This confession causes no less than two members of the group to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side of the sexual equation. That leads to the mental meltdown of a homophobic member of the "New Man" group.
These intertwining stories in Robert Farrar's script play out in ways that are not always predictable and often quite funny. Farrar has created likable blokes for his characters, although none is especially compelling.
The film's gay sensibilities serve to give a curious ambiguousness to all its male characters, even those ostensibly straight. The film also seems to labor under the now-discredited belief that gayness is a matter of choice rather than genetics.
But the film is too weightless to bear much psychological scrutiny. Its players roam a fanciful patch of London where worries about anything other than one's love life are banished.
Cinematographer Ashley Rowe and production designer Richard Bridgland do an excellent job of bringing the viewer into its London milieu without the cloying slickness of a film such as "Notting Hill".
BEDROOMS & HALLWAYS
First Run Features
Bedrooms & Hallways Prods. Ltd.
Producers: Ceci Dempsey, Dorothy Berwin
Director: Rose Troche
Writer: Robert Farrar
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Richard Bridgland
Music: Alfredo Troche
Costumes: Annie Symons
Editor: Chris Blunden
Color/stereo
Cast:
Leo: Kevin McKidd
Jeremy: Hugo Weaving
Sally: Jennifer Ehle
Keith: Simon Callow
Sybil: Harriet Walter
Darren: Tom Hollander
Angie: Julie Graham
Adam: Christopher Fulford
Brendan: James Purefoy
John: Paul Higgins
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/15/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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