ADAM DRIVER INVESTIGATES IN THE REPORT - Curzon Cinemas · 4 Winter at Curzon crackles from some of...
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NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 77 ADAM DRIVER INVESTIGATES IN THE REPORT
Transcript of ADAM DRIVER INVESTIGATES IN THE REPORT - Curzon Cinemas · 4 Winter at Curzon crackles from some of...
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 77
ADAM DRIVER INVESTIGATES IN
THE REPORT
4
Winter at Curzon crackles from some of the world’s hottest filmmakers, at a fascinating moment of change in how films are released. Traditionally, films are available to cinemas exclusively for 16 weeks, until the big cinema chains permit them to appear in the home. Confident that our customers will choose cinema first and appreciate greater choice as to when and how they can see films, for some time Curzon have pioneered a challenge to this old model, releasing films on Curzon Home Cinema and in our cinemas at the same time.
With their wealth of talent, producers such as Netflix, Amazon and others are now embracing the theatrical experience as an essential part of their strategies, bringing to Curzon and select independent theatres an exciting range of films to screen before they come available on their platforms. Like Roma, which went on to dominate the BAFTAs and Oscars, Curzon audiences can look forward to a selection of cinematic events that range from low to big budget, English and foreign language, award winning and critically acclaimed – all on the big screen, as they were intended.
The major highlight of ten titles from this brave new world comes fresh from closing the London Film Festival, The Irishman (p. 23). Martin Scorsese’s glorious gangster epic spans four decades, and stars an iconic triumvirate of De Niro, Pesci and, in his first Scorsese film ever, Pacino. Phewee!
Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story (p. 24) competes for my film of the year by being equally hilarious and heart- wrenchingly sad. It’s a stunning chronicle of a break-up between Scarlett Johansson and - earning his cover shot with three films in this magazine - Adam Driver. Driver also stars alongside Annette Bening in The Report (p.26), a must-see for fans of New Hollywood conspiracy thrillers like All the President’s Men.
Finally, Fernando Meirelles (City of God) brings us The Two Popes (p. 33), a touching drama about adversary and friendship in accession, starring Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Perkins.
CINEMAS 6
MEMBERSHIP 8
CURZON ON DEMAND 12
CURZON SELECTOR 14
BERTHA DOCHOUSE 18
NEW RELEASES 20
EVENTS 46
FEATURES 52
CONTENTS
EditorIan Haydn Smith
DesignerHannah Attwell
Contributors: Leigh Singer | Mia Bays | Jake Garriock | Aidan Doyle
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C U R Z O N M E M B E R S
MEMB
ERS MEMBERS’ PREVIEWS
Members’ preview screenings throughout November and December will include
THE REPORT See page 26 for synopsis
SO LONG, MY SON See page 37 for synopsis
For venues and times, go to: CURZONCINEMAS.COM/MEMBERSPREVIEWS
CURZON MEMBERSHIP CURZON.COM/MEMBERSHIP
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STUDENT FILM FANS CURZON.COM/STUDENT
You can now sign up for FREE cinema membership. Join Curzon Student at your local venue or online at curzon.com/student
START STREAMINGCurzon members can access all the titles on Curzon12 for free. Members automatically have a Curzon cinemas account, so just sign in and the collection will be yours to enjoy.
Find out more at:CURZONCINEMAS.COM/CURZON12
CURZON12To coincide with the release of Martin Scorsese’s thrilling new gangster drama The Irishman, the November Curzon12 selection will take a look under the veneer of respectable society and to the criminal networks that operate out of sight. From countries around the world, the selection will focus on the way crime invades our everyday lives and its impact upon us, whilst also providing us with stories that have excited and thrilled since cinema began.
The Report
Angels of Evil
CURZON - SINGLE PAGE (RIGHT SIDE OF SPREAD) NETFLIX: THE IRISHMANPUB DATE: 10/16/19TRIM: 148MM X 210MM BLEED: 154MM X 216MM
27 NOVEMBERI N C I N E M A S 8 N O V E M B E R A N D O N
“A MASTERPIECE”PETER TRAVERS, ROLLING STONEPETER TRAVERS, ROLLING STONE
“‘THE IRISHMAN’ IS VINTAGE
MARTIN SCORSESE”STEPHEN WHITTY, SCREEN DAILY
★★★★NEW YORK POST
★★★★THE GUARDIAN
CURZON - SINGLE PAGE (LEFT SIDE OF SPREAD) NETFLIX: THE IRISHMANPUB DATE: 10/16/19TRIM: 148MM X 210MM BLEED: 154MM X 216MM
13
RECOMMENDED
MEETING GORBACHEV 8 NOV A German born in the Second World War, Werner Herzog had always dreamed of the reunification of his country. He finally saw that dream realised in 1989. And to him, it happened because of Mikhail Gorbachev. In this fascinating documentary, Herzog looks back over the life of one extraordinary individual who tried to reform the Soviet Union. Key to this are three interviews Herzog conducted with Gorbachev. The result is an affectionate and insightful tribute.
A Werner Herzog season will accompany the release of this film on Curzon Home Cinema.
COMING SOON:GAZA 4 NOVGWEN 11 NOVDIEGO MARADONA 11 NOVMRS LOWRY AND SON 20 DEC
O N D E M A N D
DISCOVERGems not to be missed
TELL IT TO THE BEES 8 NOV Lydia Weekes (Holliday Grainger) has been left by her husband. Penniless, she and her son are given a roof over their head by Jean Markham (Anna Paquin), a newly arrived GP. What begins as an act of charity and friendship soon transforms into something far more intimate as Lydia and Jean find an increasing attraction to each other. But in a small Scottish community, their behaviour prompts disdain and rancour amongst the locals. Annabel Jankel’s moving film profits from two excellent central performances, a wonderful sense of place in its evocation of 1950s and a timeliness with the issues it deals with.
IN CINEMAS. ON DEMANDFilms that appear on Curzon Home Cinema the same day that they are released in cinemas – allowing you to watch them your way.
SO LONG, MY SON 6 DEC | See page 37 for synopsis
THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY Director: Benjamin Berman Starring: The Amazing Johnathan, Eric André, Benjamin Berman, Simon Chinn, Judy Gold, Penn Jillette, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
How to describe The Amazing Johnathan? A comedian? Sure. A magician? Definitely. But a charlatan? A few years ago, the performer announced he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had little time left. Benjamin Berman decided to make a documentary tracing Johnathan’s life. But as the months passed and his subject’s condition remained pretty stable, suspicions began to creep in that this might just been another stunt. Like an Exit Through the Gift Shop of the magic world, this is a compelling exploration of truth in the celebrity age.
22 NOV ON CURZONHOMECINEMA.COM
ON D
EMAN
D
Meeting Gorbachev
CURZON SELECTORMEMBERS OF THE CURZON TEAM PICK THEIR FAVOURITES FROM THE UPCOMING RELEASES
THE AERONAUTS PG
Imagine a time when you could look up to the sky and the only objects populating it were the birds by day and the moon and stars at night. Mankind long dreamed of the ability to fly. For Amelia Wren and James Glaisher that dream became a reality. Tom Harper’s visually intoxicating drama recaptures the moment that humanity took to the heavens in the most rudimentary of flying machines – the hot air balloon. See page 22
MARRIAGE STORY 12A
The divorce drama has been a mainstay of relationship films, going all the way back to the Oscar-winning Kramer vs. Kramer. It’s likely that Noah Baumbach’s follow-up to the excellent The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) will also loom large come the awards season, in no small part thanks to the power of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver’s performances.See page 24
The Aeronauts, 2019
KNIVES OUT 15
Rian Johnson takes a break from the outer reaches of space and the Star Wars franchise to return to Earth with this whip-smart, fast- talking send-up of the Agatha Christie-style whodunit. Christopher Plummer is the victim. Daniel Craig is the eccentric detective. And a host of stars, including Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon and Don Johnson are the suspects. See page 32
CATS
It’s the last thing T.S. Eliot might have expected – that his 1939 collection of fanciful poems ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’ would be turned into a global musical phenomenon. Now, 38 years after its West End premiere, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit stage show transfers to the screen and is overseen by The King’s Speech and Les Misérables director Tom Hooper. See page 42
SHOOTING THE MAFIA TBC
Over the last three decades, Kim Longinotto has defined her place amongst the front-rank of documentary filmmakers. Her focus is primarily on women, as evinced by this immersive portrait of legendary Italian crime photographer Letizia Battaglia. Her images have recorded the violence of organised crime on the streets of Italy and Longinotto gives her subject ample space to talk about her life and work. See page 33
I N C I N E M A ST H U R S D A Y 1 9 D E C E M B E R
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StarWarsUK DisneyStudiosUK #StarWars #TheRiseOfSkywalker
StarWarsUK DisneyStudiosUK #StarWars #TheRiseOfSkywalker
StarWarsUK DisneyStudiosUK #StarWars #TheRiseOfSkywalker
StarWarsUK DisneyStudiosUK #StarWars #TheRiseOfSkywalker
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN UDirectors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON 12ADirectors: Tyler Nilson, Mike Schartz
BY THE GRACE OF GOD 15 Director: François Ozon
THE DIRTY WAR ON THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE TBCDirector: John Pilger
THE CAVE TBCDirector: Feras Fayyad
VOYAGER PROGRAMME NOVEMBER - DECEMBER
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: CURZON.COM/VOYAGER
NEW
REL
EASE
S “TOTALLY UNMISSABLE
CINEMA”
HHHHHThe Hollywood News
“POWERFUL”Variety
HHHHHThe Independent
“BRILLIANT”Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
HHHHHThe Guardian
“UTTERLY ABSORBING”
The Independent
IN CINEMAS NOVEMBER 1ST
EARTHQUAKE BIRD TBC
Director: Wash WestmorelandStarring: Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough, Jack Huston, Kiki Sukezane, Ken Yamamura, Crystal Kay, Yurino, Naoki Kobayashi
US 2019 | 107 mins
Lucy has been living in Japan for five years. Her desire is to completely assimilate into the cultural landscape. Lily sticks out like a sore thumb. But when she encounters Lucy and her strange, death- fixated boyfriend Teiji, a dangerous triangle is created. Set in late 1980s Tokyo, Wash Westmoreland’s (Still Alice, Colette) drama profits from a stunning performance by Alicia Vikander as Lucy.
OPENS: TBC
AFTER THE WEDDING 12A
Director: Bart FreundlichStarring: Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Abby Quinn, Alex Esola, Will Chase, Azhy Robertson, Eisa Davis
US 2019 | 112 mins
Isabel is an idealistic charity worker who travels from an orphanage in India to New York in order to secure funds for her work. However, on encountering Theresa, she finds herself seduced by the attraction of vast wealth. Flipping the gender of the characters from Susanne Bier’s 2006 original, director Bart Freundlich’s film features great performances by Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore.
OPENS: FRI 1 NOV
22 23
N E W R E L E A S E S
KLAUS TBC
Director: Sergio Pablos Featuring: Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzmann, Mila Brener, Sky Alexis, Teddy Blum, Bailey Ray Fenderson
US 2019 | TBC mins
Jesper’s only claim to fame is achieving the worst scores at the postal academy, resulting in his being sent to an arctic town that revels in its own misery. But upon finding the mysterious Klaus, once a great toymaker, he decides to change the fortunes of the local populace. Sergio Pablos’s film is an animated festive delight.
OPENS: TBC
THE GOOD LIAR 15
Director: Bill CondonStarring: Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Russell Tovey, Bessie Carter, Jim Carter, Mark Lewis Jones, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Lily Dodsworth-Evans
US 2019 | 109 mins
One is a crafty swindler, the other his mark. Betty seems like an easy target for Roy, a charming criminal with years of experience. But it soon becomes clear that each has a past that will affect the outcome of this cat-and-mouse game. Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren gleefully spark off each other in Bill Condon’s thriller.
OPENS: FRI 8 NOV
THE IRISHMAN 15
Director: Martin ScorseseStarring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Graham, Bobby Cannavale, Aleksa Palladino, Domenick Lombardozzi
US 2019 | 209 mins
Frank Sheeran was a union worker who became a major player in the mob and a friend of the legendary Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. This friendship lies at the heart of Martin Scorsese’s stunning portrait of American greed and criminality. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino shine as the pair, but an understated Joe Pesci steals the film.
OPENS: FRI 8 NOV
N E W R E L E A S E S
DOCTOR SLEEP 15
Director: Mike Flanagan Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Jacob Tremblay, Cliff Curtis, Carel Struycken, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Zahn McClarnon
US 2019 | 151 mins
Whatever happened to Danny, the gifted young boy from ‘The Shining’? It’s a question that must have vexed Stephen King enough to produce a sequel 37 years later. In Doctor Sleep, a grown-up Danny finds himself in the role of protector to young girl who is on the run from a cult that is hell-bent on harvesting her gift.
OPENS: FRI 1 NOV
THE AERONAUTS PG
Director: Tom HarperStarring: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Anne Reid, Tim McInnerny, Phoebe Fox, Vincent Perez, Tom Courtenay, Rebecca Front
US 2019 | 101 mins
Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne take to the skies as pilot Amelia Wren and scientist James Glaisher in this tale of the early pioneers of manned flight. Set in the mid-18th century, Tom Harper’s (Wild Rose, War Book) dazzling romantic adventure makes the most of his leads and breathtaking backdrops for his lyrical and evocative drama.
OPENS: MON 4 NOV
SORRY WE MISSED YOU 15
Director: Ken LoachStarring: Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Stone, Katie Proctor, Ross Brewster, Mark Birch, Mark Burns, Alfie Dobson
UK 2019 | 101 mins
Ken Loach follows up his Cannes-winning I, Daniel Blake with a similarly powerful tale of class and income inequality in the north of England. Focussing on the travails of a delivery driver, whose pittance of a wage barely covers his family’s needs, Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty’s film is a rage against the gig economy system and those that continue to exploit it.
OPENS: FRI 1 NOV
24
from Paul Feig director of Bridesmaids & writer Emma Thompson
EMILIA
ClarkeHENRY
GoldingMICHELLE
YeohEMMA
Thompson
featuring the music of
George Michael and Wham!
“The Christmas film of the decade”
STORY BY Emma Thompson & Greg WiseSCREENPLAY BY Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings DIRECTED BY Paul Feig
IN CINEMAS NOVEMBER 15
heLLo!
N E W R E L E A S E S
LE MANS ‘66 TBC
Director: James Mangold Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitrona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon, JJ Field, Jack McMullen
US 2019 | 152 mins
In the 1960s, Ferrari ruled motor racing. But Ford wanted in, so they hired former champion and whizz mechanic Carroll Shelby to build a car and find a driver that could win. The car was easy, but Shelby chose the wayward Ken Miles as his driver. James Mangold recaptures the spirit of an era with this turbo-charged drama.
OPENS: FRI 15 NOV
LAST CHRISTMAS 12A
Director: Paul FeigStarring: Emilia Clarke, Emma Thompson, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Patti LuPone, Ingrid Oliver, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Delaney
US, UK 2019 | 102 mins
Last Christmas, Kate almost died. This year, she’s determined to bring in some changes, particularly after an encounter with the dashing Tom. But it looks like a long journey in this romantic comedy, co-written by Emma Thompson, directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters) and inspired by the music of George Michael.
OPENS: FRI 15 NOV
MARRIAGE STORY TBC
Director: Noah BaumbachStarring: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Azhy Robertson, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Alan Alda, Mary Hollis Inboden, Wallace Shawn, Merritt Wever
US 2019 | 136 mins
Nicole and Charlie seem to have the perfect family. But their ambitions at work are pulling them apart. Finally they agree to separate. What they hadn’t expected was the ruthless industry that the business of divorce has become. Noah Baumbach’s exceptional drama presents a balanced and moving portrait of the end of a relationship.
OPENS: FRI 15 NOV
26
N E W R E L E A S E S
FROZEN II TBC
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Voices: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Evan Rachel Wood, Jason Ritter, Sterling K. Brown, Martha Plimpton
US 2019 | TBC mins
The characters from one of the most popular recent Disney animations return to entertain us. This time around, the gang of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle in order to uncover the source of Elsa’s powers so that they can save their threatened kingdom. Expect fun, twists and hopefully another classic song.
OPENS: FRI 22 NOV
THE REPORT 15
Director: Scott Z. BurnsStarring: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Ted Levine, Maura Tierney, Corey Stoll, Douglas Hodge, Michael C. Hall, Ted Levine
US 2019 | 120 mins
Senate staffer Dan Jones, supported by Senator Dianne Feinstein, heads an inquiry to investigate illegal practices by US security forces in the wake of 9/11. What he uncovers is torture and malfeasance carried out on an industrial scale. Adam Driver and Annette Bening excel in Scott Z. Burns’ riveting 1970s conspiracy thriller-tinged drama.
OPENS: FRI 15 NOV
GREENER GRASS TBC
Directors: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn LuebbeStarring: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Bennett, Neil Casey, Mary Holland, D’Arcy Carden, Jim Cummings
US 2019 | 95 mins+ ON CURZON HOME CINEMA
In a pathologically manicured community, a group of high-earning Americans live their lives. But they’re not happy, for material jealousy both rules and undermines their lives. Improv stars Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe’s Sundance favourite is a hilarious satirical takedown of consumer culture that hits every target it aims for.
OPENS: FRI 22 NOV
ALSO SHOWING IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
BFI SOUTHBANKCINEMAS | MEDIATHEQUE | LIBRARY | SHOP | BARS | RESTAURANTS
MAURICE PIALAT AND THE NEW FRENCH REALISM
SORRY WE MISSED YOU
MED HONDO Africa from the Seine
EYES WIDE SHUT
Image: Singin’ in the Rain © 1952 Loew’s Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON SCREEN
IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE / ON BFI PLAYERO C T O B E R — J A N U A R Y
#BFIMUSICALS
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28
I LOST MY BODY TBC
Director: Jérémy ClapinVoices: Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois, Patrick d’Assumçao
France 2019 | 81 mins French with English subtitles
With a premise that accurately reflects its title, Jérémy Clapin’s animation finds a severed hand in search of its missing body. The set-up might sound macabre, but the resulting film is as far from horror as you could imagine. Instead, it is a moving, often funny, and wonderfully left-field portrait of the world around us. This is arguably the most original animated film since My Life as a Courgette.
OPENS: TBC
PERMISSION TBC
Director: Soheil Beiraghi Starring: Baran Kosari, Amir JadidiLeili Rashidi, Hoda Zeinolabedin, Sahar Dowlatshahi
Iran 2018 | 86 mins Farsi with English subtitle+ ON CURZON HOME CINEMA
Afrooz is delighted to lead the national women futsal (indoor soccer) team to the Asian Nations Cup in Malaysia. However, to leave the country she needs her husband’s permission, which he seems unwilling to give. Soheil Beiraghi’s second feature explores the role of women in Iranian society with this drama based on actual events.
OPENS: FRI 22 NOV
LA BELLE ÉPOQUE 15
Director: Nicolas BedosStarring: Daniel Auteuil, Guillaume Canet, Doria Tillier, Fanny Ardant, Pierre Arditi, Denis Podalydès
France 2019 | 115 mins French with English subtitles
Victor is depressed. His marriage is over, he’s at a dead-end professionally and his life seems to be going nowhere. So, when entrepreneur Antoine offers him a chance to relive moments of his life again, through an alternative virtual world, he accepts. Nicolas Bedos’ comedy drama plays out like a domestic, non- violent variation on Westworld.
OPENS: FRI 22 NOV
N E W R E L E A S E S
IN CINEMAS WED NOV 27
HHHHHMirror Online
HHHHHThe Times
“A wonderfully devious Agatha Christie homage”Benjamin Lee – The Guardian
HHHHH “A murder mystery masterpiece”Ali Plumb – BBC Radio 1
HHHHH “Ingenious…Delectably entertaining”Tim Robey – The Daily Telegraph
“A brilliant director, two great actors, a script which is a blessing from on high.”
Fionnuala Halligan, SCREEN DAILY
★★★★★THE TIMES
★★★★★
★★★★AWARDS CIRCUIT
★★★★★★★★★★
★★★★THE GLOBE AND MAIL
32 33
N E W R E L E A S E S N E W R E L E A S E S
THE TWO POPES TBC
Directors: Fernando Meirelles Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujín
UK, Italy, Argentina, US 2019 | 125 mins | English, Spanish, Italian, French Portuguese, German and Latin with English subtitles
Pope Benedict made history by retiring, rather than dying in office. Pope Francis, whose outlook on life is starkly different, replaced him. In Fernando Meirelles’ (City of God) wonderful chamber drama, the two Pontiffs go head-to-head on all manner of topics. It’s an acting masterclass by Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.
OPENS: FRI 29 NOV
SHOOTING THE MAFIA TBC
Director: Kim LonginottoFeaturing: Letizia Battaglia
Ireland 2019 | 94 mins
For over five decades, Italian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia has placed her life in danger, recording the activities of organised crime in her home city of Palermo, Sicily. She has photographed the victims, the perpetrators and their crimes. And in doing so has captured generations of the carnage and chaos caused by the Cosa Nostra. In acclaimed filmmaker Kim Longinotto’s (Dreamcatcher) compelling documentary, Battaglia talks about her extraordinary life.
OPENS: FRI 29 NOV
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PG
Director: Marielle HellerStarring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper, Enrico Colantoni, Maryann Plunkett, Tammy Blanchard
US 2019 | 107 mins
For 50 years, Fred Rogers was a mainstay on US children’s television. Inspired by an interview conducted by journalist Tom Junod, Marielle Heller’s (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) heartfelt drama has Matthew Rhys’ cynic challenge Rogers authenticity (a brilliant Tom Hanks), only to see in him a truly unselfish man. Never cloying, the film is an unalloyed joy.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
ATLANTICS TBC
Directors: Mati Diop Starring: Mama Sané, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Traoré, Nicole Sougou, Amina Kane, Coumba Dieng, Mariama Gassama
France, Senegal, Belgium 2019 | 105 mins | Wolof, French and English with English subtitles
Ada is due to be married to Omar, but is in love with Souleiman. However, the tragic events of one evening bring Ada’s romance to an end and force her to look at her place in the wider world. Actor-turned-director Mati Diop’s powerful Cannes winner is both a ravishing romantic drama and a powerful magical realist polemic.
OPENS: TBC
KNIVES OUT 12A
Director: Rian JohnsonStarring: Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, LaKeith Stanfield
US 2019 | 130 mins
There’s been a murder – Christopher Plummer of all people! – and someone very close to the victim is responsible. If you think this sounds like the creaky plot of an old Agatha Christie ‘sleuther’, you’re not wrong. Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper) takes the set-up of the whodunit and with his luminous all-star cast turns it on its head. Murder hasn’t been this much fun for a long time.
OPENS: WED 27 NOV
THE NIGHTINGALE TBC
Director: Jennifer KentStarring: Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie
Australia, US, Canada 2019 | 136 mins | English, Scottish Gaelic and Aboriginal with English subtitles+ ON CURZON HOME CINEMA
The brutality of life in 19th century Australia is realised in this shattering drama about a young Irish immigrant who pursues a British officer on a vendetta. What Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook did for the horror genre, The Nightingale does for history, offering a visceral female-driven take on a nation’s bloody past.
OPENS: FRI 29 NOV
36 37
N E W R E L E A S E S
THE CAVE TBC
Director: Feras Fayyad
Syria, Denmark, Germany, US, Qatar 2019 | 95 mins | English and Arabic with English subtitles
Beneath Eastern Ghouta, in Syria, almost half a million civilians found themselves trapped in an escalating and deadly conflict. With many injured, particularly children, the only salvation came in the form of a cadre of female medics. Many powerful films have documented this terrible war, but Feras Fayyad’s unflinching portrait is an extraordinary tribute these tireless saviours.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
HONEY BOY TBC
Director: Alma Har’elStarring: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs, Clifton Collins Jr., Maika Monroe
US 2019 | 93 mins
She portrayed the dispossessed in Bombay Beach and those looking for love in LoveTrue. Now Alma Har’el tells the story of frequently outspoken actor Shia LaBeouf’s own childhood. LaBeouf plays his father in a film that profits from his involvement – he’s never been better. And Har’el blends style with emotion to perfect effect.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN TBC
Director: Edward NortonStarring: Edward Norton, Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bobby Cannavale, Leslie Mann, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe
US 2019 | 144 mins
Adapting Jonathan Lethem’s novel, actor-writer- director Edward Norton moves the drama’s action back 50 years to the heyday of film noir. It blends the rise of the city through the vision of infamous planner Robert Moses with a murder investigation. The result is a labyrinthine detective thriller with gorgeous visuals.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
ORDINARY LOVE 12A
Directors: Lisa Barros D’Sa, Glenn LeyburnStarring: Lesley Manville, Liam Neeson, David Wilmot, Amit Shah
UK 2019 | 92 mins
Joan and Tom live a happy, if quiet and secluded life. But when Joan is diagnosed with cancer, their way of living is torn apart. Tom is there to support her as best he can, but the fight is Joan’s alone. Liam Neeson is excellent in this drama but the film belongs to Lesley Manville, who is devastating as a woman facing up to her own mortality.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
SO LONG, MY SON 12A
Director: Wang XiaoshuaiStarring: Wang Jingchiun, Yong Mei, Qi Xi, Wang Yuan, Du Jiang, Ai Liya, Xu Cheng, Li Jingjing, Zhao Yanguozhang
US 2019 | 144 mins | Mandarin with English subtitles
Wang Xiaoshuai’s film explores the impact of China’s one child policy. Spanning the 1980s to the present, but shifting back and forth in time, Wang uncompromisingly details the changing fortunes of a family and those around them, and how government policy has affected their lives. It’s an extraordinary, intelligent and moving epic.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
SONS OF DENMARK TBC
Director: Ulaa SalimStarring: Zaki Youssef, Mohammed Ismail Mohammed, Imad Abul-Foul, Rasmus Bjerg, Ari Alexander, Ivan Alan Ali
Denmark 2019 | 120 mins Danish and Arabic with English subtitles
Copenhagen, 2025. A terrorist bomb has claimed almost two dozen lives. Young Muslim Zakaria is fed up with the anti- Islamic climate and, when he befriends a local elder, he finds himself drawn into a world of extremism. Ulaa Salim’s impressive debut is a politically- charged and chilling vision of an all-to-believable future.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
N E W R E L E A S E S
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A F I L M B YL I S A B A R R O S D ’ S A & G L E N N L E Y B U R N
AN EX T RAORDINA R Y T A L E OF ORDINAR Y L O V E
IN C IN EMAS DEC EM B ER 6
OL_Curzon_Pg_Ad_148x210.indd 1 17/10/2019 17:42
N E W R E L E A S E S
JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL TBC
Director: Jake KasdanStarring: Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Madison Iseman, Danny DeVito, Ashley Scott, Kevin Hart, Awkwafina
US 2019 | TBC mins
Following the breakout success of the 2017 reboot Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, this sequel takes us further down the rabbit hole of the crazy game that draws its players into a dangerous battle for survival. This time, as the team attempt to rescue one of their own, they find themselves battling both hostile climates as well as creatures large and small.
OPENS: FRI 13 DEC
CITIZEN K TBC
Director: Alex GibneyStarring: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Leonid Nevzlin, Igor Malashenko, Anton Drel, Maria Logan, Alexei Navalny, Tatyana Lysova
UK, US 2019 | 126 mins | Russian and English with English subtitles
Like so many post-Soviet oligarchs, Mikhail Khodorkovsky made his money from the post-Perestoika boom. He then made an enemy of Vladimir Putin, was imprisoned and is now an outspoken dissident. This riveting and complex portrait by Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) offers a stunning overview of contemporary Russian politics.
OPENS: FRI 13 DEC
SYSTEM CRASHER TBC
Director: Nora FingscheidtStarring: Helena Zengel, Albrecht Schuch, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Lisa Hagmeister, Melanie Straub, Victoria Trauttmansdorff
Germany 2019 | 118 mins German with English subtitles
The film is a phrase applied to children whose behaviour is so uncontrollable that they’re impossible to place in any school. One such child is nine-year-old Benni, the main focus of Nora Fingscheidt’s involving drama, a rallying cry for a new way to treat children who desperately require more attention than they’re given.
OPENS: FRI 6 DEC
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WALLPINK
TALLAND FILMS IN ASSOCIATION WITH TWO FLOWERS AND A KING PICTURES AND ALLIANCE MEDIA PARTNERS INTERNATIONALPRESENT A NORTHERN STORIES PRODUCTION OF “PINK WALL” TATIANA MASLANY JAY DUPLASS AND RUTH OLLMANCOSTUME PRODUCTION ALLIE EDGE DESIGNER GWYN EIDDIOREDITOR GINA HIRSCH DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOBBY SHORE COMPOSER CHRIS HYSON EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CHRIS REED JAMES NORRIE BOB PORTALPRODUCED BY MAGGIE MONTEITH JAMIE ADAMS NIGEL GOLDSACK RICHARD ELIS WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY TOM CULLEN © PINK WALL FILM COMPANY LIMITED 2018
GOLDEN GLOBE® NOMINEE
TATIANA MASLANY
JAY DUPLASSWRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY TOM CULLEN
“Raw, bleeding, and explosively truthful, with knockout performances” Tim Robey, The Telegraph
IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 13 pinpointpresents.com/pinkwall
N E W R E L E A S E S
THE KINGMAKER TBC
Director: Lauren GreenfieldFeaturing: Imelda Marcos
US, Denmark 2019 | 101 mins
In Lauren Greenfield, Imelda Marcos might just have found her perfect chronicler. The photographer behind the era-defining ‘Generation Wealth’ and director of The Queen of Versailles presents a fascinating and disturbing portrait of the former wife of Filipino despot Ferdinand Marcos. Famed for her material excesses – particularly her shoe collection – Marcos here is a strange figure, with a dark and cruel past.
OPENS: FRI 13 DEC
PINK WALL TBC
Director: Tom CullenStarring: Tatiana Maslany, Jay Duplass, Sarah Owens, Tom Cullen, Nigel Goldsack, Kyle Lima, Katharine Mangold, Joseph Ollman
UK 2019 | 85 mins
Unfolding in six scenes that span six years, actor Tom Cullen’s (Weekend) directorial debut details the beginning of a relationship between Jenna and Leon and follows it through to its end. It charts the highs and lows of romantic love and profits from fine performances by Tatiana Maslany and Jay Duplass as the couple.
OPENS: FRI 13 DEC
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER TBC
Director: J.J. AbramsStarring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams
US 2019 | TBC mins
The end is finally here and it’s more than likely that the last part of this epic, nine-part, generation-spanning, galaxy- crossing, planet destroying, regime-toppling, myth-making, hero-worshipping, rebel- rousing, Jedi-jousting, light-sabreing, visual effects- revolutionising, romance-tinged, battle-scarred space saga will go out with an almighty bang.
OPENS: THU 19 DEC
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FROM ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER TOM HOOPER, DIRECTOR OF LES MISÉRABLES AND THE KING’S SPEECHBASED ON THE LEGENDARY ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER MUSICAL
JAMESCORDEN
J UDIDENCH
J ASONDERULO
IDRISELBA
DIRECTED BY TOM HOOPERIN CINEMAS DECEMBER 20
JENNIFERHUDSON
IANMCKELLEN
TAYLORSWIFT
REBELWILSON
INTRODUCING
FRANCESCAHAYWARD
N E W R E L E A S E S
CATS TBC
Director: Tom HooperVoices: Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Taylor Swift, James Corden, Ray Winstone, Jennifer Hudson, Mette Towley
US, UK 2019 | TBC mins
Based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot and with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats has become one of the most popular musicals ever staged. After years of speculation, it finally reaches the screen. Directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables) and with an all-star cast, it might be Purrfect Christmas entertainment.
OPENS: FRI 20 DEC
LITTLE WOMEN TBC
Director: Greta GerwigStarring: Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, James Norton, Chris Cooper
US 2019 | TBC mins
After the success of Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig turns her eye to one of the classics of American literature. But this version of Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ is likely to be given a knowingly modern spin. And it features an outstanding cast, including Lady Bird co-stars Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet.
OPENS: THU 26 DEC
O U T N O W O N D V D & D I G I TA LO U T N O W O N D V D & D I G I TA LMarianneAndLeonard.co.uk #MarianneAndLeonard
A FILM BY NICK BROOMFIELDA FILM BY NICK BROOMFIELD
★★★★THE I
★★★★METRO
★★★★RECORD COLLECTOR
★★★★THE SUN
★★★★TOTAL FILM
★★★★★FINANCIAL TIMES
★★★★THE GUARDIAN
★★★★DAILY EXPRESS
★★★★THE TELEGRAPH
★★★★THE TIMES
© Passion Pictures (Films) Limited 2017. All Rights Reserved
★★★★Culturefl y
“PLAYS LIKE A COMPANION PIECETO RUPERT GOOLD’S NEW BIOPIC JUDY”
The Hollywood Reporter
“LIVELY ANDENTERTAINING”
Backseat Mafi a
★★★★“ENLIVENED BY INTIMATE AND
FREQUENTLY HEART-RENDING ACCESS TO
GARLAND’S LIFE” Flickering Myth
“HEART-BREAKING, WITTY AND VIVIDLY
ATMOSPHERIC”Frankly My Dear UK
The DrawIt won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Not only that, Parasite was the popular winner, receiving some of the most positive reviews of any film in the main competition. It’s also a film that you’re best entering into with as little knowledge as possible of what is going to happen. Which makes writing about it something of a challenge. Suffice to say, the film is a study of class difference, between the wealthy, privileged haves and barely-getting-by have-nots of Seoul. But anyone familiar with the work of Parasite’s director Bong Joon-ho will have some idea of just how quickly a seemingly straightforward film can transform into something very different – from a bright but satirical portrait of economic inequality to a dark and unnerving tale. Add to that a twist that makes the director’s work so compelling.
ON YOUR RADAR: PARASITE TBC
The DirectorDirector Bong’s career is one of surprises. He followed his acclaimed debut Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), with the ruthlessly efficient police procedural Memories of Murder (2003) which shares a similarly dark tone with his later Mother (2009). The Host (2006) came next, which found Bong working on a much larger scale and was the first part of a loose sci-fi trilogy that continued with the dystopian Snowpiercer (2013) and madcap Okja (2017). Parasite is another change in gear for the filmmaker and one that will introduce him to an even wider audience. But beyond his position alongside Park Chan-wook at the vanguard of Korean filmmaking, Parasite cements Bong’s position as a world-class filmmaker.
OPENS: 8 FEB 2020
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E V E N T S
DOCDAYS
SOLIDARITY 12A+ Q&ADate: Wed 11 Dec | 18:30 Where: OxfordUK | 76 mins
Lucy Parker’s documentary is a startling exploration of the subversive activity by state and law enforcement agencies in the UK to infiltrate activist and trade union organisations.
THE DIRTY WAR ON THE NHS ADV 15+ Q&A WITH JOHN PILGER Date: Wed 4 Dec | 18:15 Where: SohoUK 2019 | TBC mins
John Pilger’s latest, powerful documentary focuses on one of the most important institutions in this country and how its future is under threat.
THE CAVE ADV 15+ Q&A Date: Thu 5 Dec | 18:20 Where: SohoSyria, Germany, Denmark, US, Qatar | 103 mins
Feras Fayyad’s startling film focuses on the daily life of female doctors who are working to save lives at the heart of the Syrian conflict.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK GO TO CURZON.COM
EVEN
TSTHE SOUVENIR 15+ INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER JOANNA HOGGDate: Wed 27 Nov | 18:15 Where: BloomsburyDate: Tue 10 Dec | 18:15 Where: Soho
We welcome back Joanna Hogg, who will discuss her moving semi-autobiographical portrait of youth.
PARASITE 15+ INTERVIEW WITH BONG JOON-HODate: Mon 9 Dec | 18:10 Where: Mayfair
In advance of its 8 February 2020 opening, we are delighted to welcome acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and his Cannes Palme d’Or-winning film to Curzon Mayfair.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK GO TO CURZON.COM
CURZON Q&As
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ROMEO AND JULIET: BEYOND WORDS Date: Mon 16 Dec | 17:15 | 90 minsWhere: Richmond
Date: Mon 16 Dec | 18:15 | 90 mins Where: Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
Stars of the Royal Ballet present this alternative take on Prokofiev’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic love story.
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 2019-2020 SEASON
Where: Aldgate Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
CONCERTO, ENIGMA VARIATIONS & RAYMONDA ACT IIIDate: Tue 5 Nov | 19:15 | 180 mins
Three different compositions make up this enticing triptych by the Royal Ballet.
COPPÉLIADate: Tue 10 Dec | 19:15 | 150 mins
A perfect tale of a story of love, mischief and mechanical dolls, with rapturous music by Léo Delibes and the Royal Ballet exuding grace and charm.
THE NUTCRACKERDate: Tue 17 Dec | 19:15 | 135 mins
The Royal Ballet return with this seasonal favourite by Tchaikovsky.
E V E N T S
SPECIAL EVENTS
42ND STREET: THE MUSICAL Date: Tue 12 Nov | 18:00 | 155 minsWhere: Knutsford
The great Hollywood musical makes its transition to the stage in this fabulous production.
E V E N T S
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Where: Knutsford Oxford Richmond Ripon Victoria Wimbledon
TIMON OF ATHENSDate: Wed 20 Nov | 19:00 | 210 mins
The esteemed theatre company present one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays.
METROPOLITAN OPERA 2019-2020 SEASON
Where: Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
MADAME BUTTERFLYDate: Sat 9 Nov | 17:55 | 222 mins
Few operas have proven as popular as Pucinni’s tale of US naval officer Pinkerton and the woman he betrays.
AKHNATENDate: Sat 23 Nov | 17:55 | 236 mins
Philip Glass’ astounding portrait of ancient Egypt returns to the Met.
BOLSHOI BALLET 2019-2020 SEASON
Where: Canterbury Knutsford Oxford Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
LE CORSAIREDate: Sun 17 Nov | 15:00 | 210 mins
Love and tragedy collide in this glorious Bolshoi production.
THE NUTCRACKERDate: Sun 15 Dec | 15:00 | 210 mins
The Bolshoi also take on Tchaikovsky’s delight. Don’t choose between this and the ROH version – see both to contrast and compare.
BRANAGH THEATRE COMPANY
Where: Aldgate Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
THE WINTER’S TALEDate: Wed 4 Dec | 18:00 | 182 mins
Kenneth Branagh directs Judi Dench and a sterling cast in this production of Shakespeare’s dark comedy.
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE
Where: Aldgate Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
HANSARDDate: Thu 7 Nov | 19:00 | 110 mins
Lindsay Duncan and The Crown’s Alex Jennings shine in Simon Wood’s politically -tinged drama.
PRESENT LAUGHTERDate: Thu 28 Nov | 19:00 | 180 mins
Following his sterling performance in Fleabag, Andrew Scott shows his versatility as a comic actor in production of Noel Coward’s classic play.
Present Laughter
Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words
The Winter’s Tale
BOOK CLUB
THE BLUE ANGEL PG+ DISCUSSION WITH AUTHOR AMANDA LEE KOEDate: Wed 6 Nov | 18:20 | 99 mins Where: Bloomsbury
This screening of the restored version of Josef Von Sternberg’s classic drama will be followed by a discussion with the author of a new book on Marlene Dietrich. With thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing
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RUSSIAN FILM WEEK
Date: 24 Nov - 1 Dec Where: Mayfair Oxford
Each screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. For more information on the full festival programme, go to russianfilmweek.org
E V E N T S
FESTIVALSTHE NEXT TWO MONTHS SEE CURZON PLAYING HOST TO FOUR FESTIVALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
DOC’N’ROLL FILM FESTIVAL
Date: 5-8 Nov Where: Soho
The 6th London edition of the Doc’n’Roll film festival, the documentary film festival dis-covering, supporting and exhibiting compelling music stories, returns to Curzon Soho. For more information on the full festival programme, go to curzoncinemas.com/docnroll
LONDON PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL
Date: 15-30 Nov Where: Soho
Each screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. For more information on the full festival programme, go to palestinefilm.org.uk
UKRAINIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Date: 7 Dec Where: Soho
Each screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. For more information on the full festival programme, go to ukrainianinstitute.org.uk/
VOID
TOUCHINGTHE BASED ON THE MEMOIR BY
JOE SIMPSONADAPTED BY
DAVID GREIG
LIMITED SEASON FROM 9 NOVEMBERDUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE
★★★★★ ‘NAIL-BITING.YOU FEEL AS IF YOU’VE BEEN TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH WITHOUTMOVING FROM YOUR SEAT’ THE TELEGRAPH
★★★★★ ‘TOM MORRIS DIRECTS WITH THEIMPECCABLE TIMING OF A THRILLER’THE TIMES
★★★★★ ‘THRILLING, CHILLING DRAMA’THE GUARDIAN
Tickets from £150844 871 7623* | TouchingTheVoidPlay.com*Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge
THE EPIC SURVIVAL STORY ON STAGE
Gaza The Wild Fields
Once Aurora The Balkan Line
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F E A T U R E
FEAT
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For his feature directorial debut, the acclaimed writer and Steven Soderbergh collaborator (The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and the recent The Laundromat), looks at the officially sanctioned investigation into the CIA’s black-ops activities, presenting a chilling portrait of unchecked power and the subsequent attempt to cover-up the details. Leigh Singer talks to the writer-director about The Report.
STATE OF SIEGEScott Z. Burns talks about his search for facts in the post-truth world of The Report
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F E A T U R EF E A T U R E
THE REPORT opens 15 November
create this portrayal. It just came down to wig and her voice. I think, giving Annette such a Spartan toolbox made her look more into the text, and into the responsibilities of that position. And not to create something that was just an imitation.
Do you feel it’s harder than ever to make a film like The Report, of effectively speaking truth to power?I’m not sure if it’s harder or easier. But I’m determined to find out. Regardless of my
answer to that question, speaking truth to power is more important than ever. Beyond the fact that you can go on the Internet and find support for whatever narrative you’ve decided upon, there is still a thing in the world as a fact. And that facts are becoming an endangered species is a danger to us all. At this moment, confirmation bias is an incurable disease. And we’re living in an epidemic of it.
Leigh Singer: Both The Laundromat and The Report look at high-stakes abuses of power. But whereas the Soderbergh film takes a more jocular approach to the Panama Papers scandal, your film offers a sobering portrait of human rights abuses.Scott Z. Burns: When I began working on The Report, I did wonder if there was a way of doing something that was darkly comic. I had always loved what Mike Nichols did with Catch-22. And I kept thinking, is there a way into this story, especially through the absurd behaviour of these two psychologists, and their pitch to the government that they could somehow make people tell the truth through using these methods that our own military admitted were used generally to get propaganda? So, I did see something like Dr. Strangelove in that story. But as I began to do my research and I met Daniel Jones, who Adam Driver plays in the movie, I realized that was just one small part of the story. And there was a larger issue here about transparency and accountability. I had written enough movies about people who were sort of, you know, liars – Mark Whitacre in The Informant! and more recently Donald Crowhurst in The Mercy, somebody who had a very different relationship with the truth. I decided I wanted to work on a movie about a truth teller.
How easy was it to get Daniel Jones to open-up about his involvement in the investigation?The threshold with Daniel Jones was knowing the material. I think he was such a savant, by the time he was done with the report. He had done such a deep dive and had been so connected to this material, it was clear that if I was going to have a conversation with him, I needed to do my homework. But that’s true of any project.
Adam Driver throws himself into playing Dan. There is no public version of Dan Jones that
the audience is anticipating. When Adam and I began to discuss the role, it was immaterial for him to meet or be like Dan Jones. What was important was the arc of that character, which is someone determined and obsessive and relentless, and is boxed in by the obligations and the decorum of the US Senate. He can’t pound on the wall. He can’t scream at people. And he can’t go to the press. He has to work through a system that’s being beaten-up by the moment in time he lives in. And those are things that Adam really connected to, in part because Adam was a marine. And he understands the nature of decorum and the nature of position. But even in Adam’s work ethic, he’s the kind of guy who would call me at midnight and say, ‘So in the scene tomorrow, if I switch these two words around, is that okay? Or does that change the meaning?’ And I remember thinking during those conversations, this is exactly the way Daniel Jones is. And that’s the stunning thing about Adam as an actor, I think he really understands, and is incredibly curious about, human behaviour.
What did Dan Jones make of Adam’s portrayal?He was there for a fair amount when we were shooting to sort of help out with technical questions and such. And I think he understood Adam’s portrayal to be more about the ideas than any sort of imitation. But, he was really taken with what Annette did with Senator Feinstein. There were days where he would come up to me and say, ‘Annette just walked by me and I stood up, because that’s what I always do when I see Senator Feinstein…’
Who does have a very public profile.We shot our movie for 8 million US dollars, and in 26 days. So, we didn’t have time to do a major prosthetic job on Annette every morning. Instead, she and I had conversations about the tools I needed to give for her to
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F E A T U R EF E A T U R E
Work is the subject of director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty’s new film. More to the point, the abuses suffered by those subject to Britain’s rapidly expanding gig economy. After I, Daniel Blake (2016) exposed the painful reality of the country’s benefit system, Loach and Laverty’s new film is a powerful portrait of greed and neglect.
Aidan Doyle, whose work has seen him focus on working life, travelling as far afield as the Balkans, Egypt, Ireland and the US, joined the film crew as they were shooting Sorry We Missed You in Newcastle. His resulting sketches have been transformed into paintings of the cast and crew, which will be showing in the gallery space at Curzon Soho around the time of the film’s release.
PEOPLE AT WORKArtist Aidan Doyle captured the experiences of Ken Loach and his team as they shot Sorry We Missed You on the streets of Newcastle.
SORRY WE MISSED YOU opens 1 Nov Aidan Doyle’s paintings will be showing at Curzon Soho from late October
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CUT TO MEASUREBy Ian Haydn Smith
The Irishman continues of one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of cinema, between director Martin Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker
F E A T U R E
frenetic pace of After Hours (1985) or the extravagance of Casino (1995). And the dazzling brilliance of Schoonmaker’s piecing together Howard Hughes plane crash along the rooftops of Beverly Hills in The Aviator is replaced by something far more restrained in the latest film. But its Schoonmaker’s understanding of Scorsese’s style that allows The Irishman to maintain its forward momentum, never outstaying its welcome for one moment of its lengthy running time.
The Irishman is a majestic, mournful film. It is arguably Scorsese’s greatest since The Age of Innocence. It might even be the last word on that era of organised American crime that the director has so thoroughly and rivetingly explored. And with it, Scorsese once again owes a debt to Schoonmaker, his most important collaborator.
The day before he screened his latest, epic film at the closing night of the BFI London Film Festival, Martin Scorsese gave the annual BAFTA David Lean Lecture. He opened it by stressing that the essence of cinema, it’s heart, lay in the edit. Lean, who began his career as an editor, used a stopwatch to time scenes, Scorsese said, already cutting in his mind while filming. The Japanese master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu went one step further. He not only had a stopwatch made for him that divided time by seconds, it counted film frames, such was his precision with each shot. Thus, Scorsese noted, the inclusion or excision of a frame or two could give a shot a completely different meaning.
Scorsese’s work with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio might be a more visible cinematic collaboration, but arguably the filmmaker’s most vital relationship is with
his editor Thelma Schoonmaker. They first worked together on the director’s debut Who’s that Knocking at My Door? (1967) and then remained together to complete Woodstock (1970). But it was with Raging Bull (1980) that their collaboration began in earnest. Schoonmaker would win an Oscar for her extraordinary work on that film, piecing together the violence and unpredictability of life in and out of the boxing ring. She would also win for The Aviator (2004) and The Departed (2006), and is likely to figure in the awards season for her work on The Irishman.
Once again, Scorsese and Schoonmaker find a perfect synthesis of music – particularly the Five Satins’ ‘In the Still of the Night’ – and action for The Irishman. But the film is more ruminative than the kinetic fireworks of their previous work. There’s no room for the
THE IRISHMAN opens on 8 November
The Irishman
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range of the female gaze in cinema and that’s both exciting and long overdue. From Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir to Waad Al-Kateab telling her story in For Sama.
What is Reclaim the Frame and why did it start?It’s a mission to bring ever greater audiences to films by women, by spotlighting new films written and/or directed by women or based on a book/story by a woman. Anyone can sign up in one of ten cities and they get a free ticket to an event if they bring a paying guest. We average an event a month, a screening and discussions with filmmakers or specialists connected to the theme of the film.
How can people get involved?It’s easy. You can sign up and get info on all events at birds-eye-view.co.uk.
What female directors are on your radar for 2020 and why?Céline Sciamma whose new film Portrait of a Lady on Fire is what we call a ‘mistresspiece’. It’s her fourth and it feels like she is someone who is carving her place in the pantheon of cinema. Mati Diop and her Cannes-winning debut Atlantics is a gem that looks at the refugee crisis from the perspective of those left behind. And Queen and Slim is knockout – the feature debut of director Melina Matsoukas and writer Lena Waithe, women of colour who are at the top of the game in music video and TV.
How did Bird’s Eye View begin and how has it developed?It was founded in 2003 as an annual film festival showing films by women from around the world. The last festival was 2014, which was when I became involved running Filmonomics – a programme for female filmmaker career development. When the festival lost its core funding, I felt there was potential to reframe its work and focus. I assembled a new board and developed a new vision (to bring ever greater audiences to films by women), which involved working on promoting films by women all year round.
Was your involvement a result of your own experiences of gender inequality in the industry?Yes. Absolutely. As an executive and a producer with nearly 30 years’ experience I’ve became increasingly aware as my career progressed that there was a gender imbalance in terms of power and decision-making, and that affected how female creativity is valued and centred. I felt radicalised after the death of my mother, a working-class writer who didn’t get the breaks she deserved, and that really focused my intentions on turning Birds Eye View into a year-round force for good and a change-maker. Then the Weinstein story broke, followed by Time’s Up and #MeToo, and it was like a turbo charge to our mission. We’re now really starting to see a much wider
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE will screen as part of EUROPEAN CINEMA NIGHT SUPPORTED BY MEDIA and hosted by BEV
REFRAMING THE FEMALE GAZE IN FILMMia Bays discusses a new cinema initiative that is making waves
For Sama
The Souvenir
Queen and Slim
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
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A CHILD THROUGH TIMEby Jake Garriock
Wang Xiaoshuai’s So Long, My Son is an extraordinary, multi-generational drama that explores the impact of China’s one-child policy
F E A T U R E F E A T U R E
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What to knowOver the course of the last two decades, Noah Baumbach has built an impressive career detailing the lives of contemporary families and relationships. His directorial debut Kicking and Screaming (1995) tapped into the post-Gen X trend in independent cinema, but his major breakthrough came with the semi-autobiographical The Squid and the Whale (2005). The film’s attention to the details of family dynamics, balancing sharp humour and drama, saw Baumbach’s
NOAH BAUMBACH
MEET THE FILMMAKER
screenplay nominated for an Oscar. In Greenberg (2010), Baumbach shifted gear, focusing on the passage of time for his main character, which he explored further in While We’re Young (2014). Greenberg also starred Greta Gerwig, beginning a collaboration that has continued with Frances Ha (2012), Mistress America (2015) and Barbie (2020), which Baumbach is writing and Gerwig is slated to direct. Other films that Baumbach has solely written for include The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) for Wes Anderson, and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012), the best entry in the animated series. Marital Strife Following on from another creative highpoint, the smart ensemble comedy The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017), Baumbach has written and directed Marriage Story.It’s a potent portrait of marital breakdown, starring Scarlet Johansson and Adam Driver, who previously appeared in While We’re Young. One is an actor who needs to return to LA to resuscitate her career. The other is a theatre director for whom New York is not just home; it’s his creative life force. The film’s early scenes give us an indication of why they were together. It’s so convincing, it’s hard to believe that they might want to part. But the desire to achieve in one’s own life has resulted in fissures that have becometoo deep to resolve. The majority of Marriage Story deals with the couple’s divorce. What ultimately emerges is not a bilious account of a bickering couple, but a portrait of two people who have done no more wrong than to move in two directions, away from each other.
MARRIAGE STORY opens 15 November
deeply flawed individuals and so it is difficult to pinpoint the blame for the tragedy that befalls them. After all, we’re all flawed and tragedy knows no rules of engagement. But when the state sets its people against each other, the distrust it foments seeps into every corner of daily life and the solace we desperately need, which can normally be found in those around us, is poisoned.
What So Long, My Son heartbreakingly conveys is the deep sorrow that comes from the loss of community and the hard road back to reconciliation. Through the particulars of this moment in Chinese history, we can grasp something universal. And if this film doesn’t reduce you to tears, you might be find a film about cuckoo clocks more to your liking.
F E A T U R E
In a key moment of The Third Man (1949), as he’s lifted high above Vienna on a Ferris wheel, Orson Welles delivers one of cinema’s most memorable monologues: ‘In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed. They produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace. And what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.’ As it is with Renaissance painting, so it is with the melancholy poetry running through a strand of cinema being produced in Xi Jinping’s China.
So Long, My Son follows a spate of astonishing Chinese films that grapple with the personal struggles of individuals beaten down by China’s relentless push for economic progress. Recent releases A Touch of Sin (2013), An Elephant Sitting Still, Ash Is Purest White (both 2018) and this year’s The Wild Goose Lake have all attracted critical acclaim. So Long, My Son follows suit, but this in-tensely moving drama, with its grand, decades-sweeping perspective, deserves to find the widest audience.
Wang Xiaoshuai’s drama traces the lives of two families over 30 years, following the loss of a child in a tragic accident. Destinies ebb and flow, and fortunes are transformed under the impact of China’s progress. Criticism of the current regime is never directly voiced, but exists between the words spoken,hanging in the air that the characters breathe. The most notable policy, present like a dark shadow over the nation, is China’s ‘one-child’ rule. (Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s documentary One Child Nation is a useful companion piece in this regard).
Paradoxically, the existence of tough censorship rules gives Wang’s oblique criticism of the state greater depth and his drama more humanity. His protagonists are
F E A T U R E
SO LONG, MY SON opens 6 December+ ALSO AVAILABLE ON CURZON HOME CINEMA
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F E A T U R E
THE FILMS THAT MADE USTom Harper discusses the genesis of his latest film Lawrence of Arabia
animated films Up! (My little boy used to get up at 5am and we would often watch this film together, him enjoying the animation, me weeping – a good way to start any day…) but other than a whimsical ride in Around the World in 80 Days and a brief whirl of stylised effects in Oz: The Great and the Powerful I could find surprisingly little.
I therefore took inspiration from the skydivers and thrill seekers I found on YouTube. Watching GoPro footage of daredevils hanging out of aeroplanes or jumping off bridges made me realise that often, the messiness and imperfections of the camerawork is what makes the footage feel real and therefore dangerous. It made me want to shoot as much as possible in-camera, and we managed to persuade actors Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones to film several sequences in mid-air as a result. And when we couldn’t shoot the action for real, we borrowed something of the style from the real life footage.
But more than anything I wanted to make a film that took people on an epic journey and had something of the sweeping historicals I loved so much growing up – Lawrence of Arabia, The English Patient, Doctor Zhivago. There is something unifying in the fact that despite time setting, geography, or circumstance, we all face similar human struggles, loves, regrets and longings, regardless of whether they are set against a Brazilian favela, a Russian winter or Victorian London.
I came across the idea for The Aeronauts after reading Richard Holmes’ beautiful book‘Falling Upwards’, which recounts some of humans’ first journeys into the sky. The cinematic potential of setting a whole film in the clouds was incredibly appealing, particularly when combined with the remarkable events and dangers that some of these early aeronauts faced. But more than this, I was inspired by their thirst for adventure and desire to expand our knowledge of the world.
The fact that most of the film would take place between two people in a confined space, and in real time was something that appealed to me (Jack Thorne, the writer of The Aeronauts, and I tackled something similar a few years ago with our film War Book). We purposefully placed two characters in the basket that were as different as possible, to see how the sparks would fly, and I was interested in how the relationship between the two would unfold in these pressurised conditions as the air got thinner and with no escape from one another. Jack spoke about The African Queen when writing the script, and the dynamic between Bogart and Hepburn: two complimentary opposites uniting to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Gravity and Life of Pi were tonal reference points for the film; both extraordinary pieces of work that combine poetry with action and adventure. I also cast my eye around for other films set in balloons to see how it might be possible to practically achieve some of the script. The most memorable I had seen were the chilling scenes at the beginning of Enduring Love, and one of my favourite
THE AERONAUTS opens 4 November
«««« THE GUARDIAN
The late, great Agnès Varda offers a personal
insight into her work in this, her charming
farewell film.
Available on Blu-ray/ DVD and online
««««TOTAL FILM
««««THE TIMES
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