PREVIEW: The Joy Of Six (15)

In a rare cinematic occasion, The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall is proud to be one of a handful of cinemas in the UK to screen for ONE DAY ONLY the latest venture from New British Cinema Quarterly in the form of The Joy Of Six- a collection of (as the title suggests) half a dozen short films from the best up and coming British film-making talent. For those of you unfamiliar with their activities, NBCQ is Soda Picture's ongoing programme of brand new and distinctive films from British filmmakers, taking the most distinctive and original British feature-length and short films and filmmakers from the festival circuit, bringing them to the UK’s flagship independent cinemas where they deserve to be. It ultimately aims to showcase and celebrate Britain’s film craft thus providing an opportunity for audiences to discover new films. This particular repertoire is such an example having already made a big impact at both London at Edinburgh Film Festival last year.


Now it's perhaps fair (and understandable) to say that the talent behind the camera might not be recognisable by name. Yet the acting talent in front will be easily and immediately identifiable with the general cinema-going public including Peter Mullan (War Horse, Tyrannosaur, NEDS), Tom Hiddleston (Midnight In Paris, The Deep Blue Sea, Marvel Avengers Assemble) and Gloucester Guildhall favourite, Judi Dench (My Week With Marilyn, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Skyfall) in quite a surprising performance as someone trying her hand at online dating!

Each of the six films lengths range from 5 to 20 minutes in length exploring a wide array of subjects and themes from social media to gang violence but all with the same common objective: to showcase the innovative short film circuit that is alive and kicking in Britain today.

Details of the short films showing as part of The Joy Of Six are as follows:

Long Distance Information
Dir Douglas Hart/GB 2012/8 mins
Peter Mullan
Set one Christmas Day, between East Kilbride and London,Long Distance is a black comedy that explores the strained relationship between a father and his 20 year old son. Alex has lived away from home for several years now and he and his father are as distant emotionally as they are in miles. In the waning light of the afternoon Alex phones home. Featuring music by Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys.

Man in Fear
Dir Will Jewell/GB 2012/11 mins
Luke Treadaway, James Lance, Tim Healy
A bloodied man walks into a police station wanting to be locked up.  He tells the Policeman artists are trying to kill him. By accident… When the disbelieving Policeman sighs and asks him their motive, he cryptically replies “Art…”

A Gun for George 
Dir Matthew Holness/GB 2012/17 mins
Matthew Holness
Terry Finch – a man alone. Forgotten author of The Reprisalizer, Britain’s toughest pulp paperback vigilante, Finch pens tall tales of brute force and rough justice from his isolated caravan, treading a thin line between reality and fantasy in an attempt to exorcise painful memories of his brother’s death. When his ailing writing career grinds to a final halt, Terry’s compulsive and cathartic visions of violent retribution refuse to die with it, and a dark new chapter in the story of The Reprisalizer unfolds – where actions speak louder than words. Produced by Warp Films (This is England, Four Lions, and Berberian Sound Studio).

Scrubber
Dir Romola Garria/GB 2012/21 mins
Amanda Hale
Jenny is looking for escape. After being let down by a babysitter she decided to leave her daughter with a neighbour and walks into the surrounding countryside. Whilst waiting by the side of the road, she is picked up by a stranger and together they drive into woodland where she must choose between fantasy, escape and home.

The Ellington Kid
Dir Dan Sully/GB 2012/5 mins
Charlie G Hawkins, Hammad Animashaun, Durassie Kiangangu
In a typical South London kebab shop Nathan tells Beefy a story.  It’s a story he’s heard about the Ellington kid, who got stabbed and found refuge in the very kebab shop they are sitting in.  The gang who stabbed the kid ended up following the bleeding victim into the shop to finish him off, but they didn’t account for the kebab shop workers…

Friend Request Pending
Dir Chris Foggin/GB 2012/12 mins
Judi Dench, Penny Rider, Philip Jackson, Tom Hiddleston
Friend Request Pending is a short comedy drama about the mature generation dating in our modern social networking world. Mary and Linda spend an afternoon discussing the pleasures, pitfalls and problems with using social networking to try and woo the local choirmaster Trevor.

*These films are each well executed*

Eddie Harrison, The List

*Outstanding...a most encouraging selection*

Mike McCahill, The Guardian

The Joy of Six plays on Monday 3rd December only at 2pm & 7:45pm.

PREVIEW: Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet (15)

A touching and emotional documentary from Director Jesse Vile that captures the reality and raw talent of singer-songwriter Jason Becker in the documentary entitled Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet.

As hard-hitting as it is uplifting, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet tells the life of talented singer-songwriter Jason Becker who's performance on stage was limited due to an illness however, his song writing talents are still being use to full effect.

The city of Richmond, San Francisco gave birth to a talented and gifted rock star by the name of Jason Becker. In 1989 at the age of 19 Becker was about to take the world by storm being tipped as one of the hottest rock stars of his generation, his burst onto the music scene was ended by an illness.

After stepping off the stage after numerous performances with pains in his legs the decision was made to have it checked, the results we're catastrophic for Becker, his family, friends and fans. Diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or Motor Neuron Disease, he was given 2-3 years to live.
His time as an entertainer and musician were over.

This documentary charts his early years, the shock and reactions to those close to him about his illness and how they dealt with it.

Now aged 43 Becker is still alive, technology has enabled him to continue making music through the use of his eyes.

Jason Becker:Not Dead Yet emphasises the love for life, the passion for music and the love and support from those who are dear.

The passion from Becker is clear to see as he battles his illness whilst producing the music that has made him one of the greatest of his generation.

Winner of awards at film festivals such as; Athens International Film Festival and the San Jose Film Festival to name but a few.

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet is sure to be a great success in England and the rest of Europe as it warms the emotions of all that watch it.

*An intense, emotional ride. Uplifting and inspiring* David Parkinson

*Jesse Vile’s moving documentary can’t go wrong with such an inspiring, funny and genuinely nice guy taking the spotlight he deserves* Paul Bradshaw

  

Watch the fascinating trailer below and come and watch this inspirational documentary:

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet is showing at Gloucester Guildhall on...



PREVIEW: Ruby Sparks (15)

Ruby Sparks tells the story of a tormented writer, Calvin (Paul Dano), who received quick fame and a cult following when he was just 19-years-old, through a well embraced debut novel. The film begins ten years on with him suffering from writers block and feeling very lonely, in search of the perfect woman. He soon channels his yearning into an old fashioned typewriter. Depressed by the imagined lifetime of loneliness and career disappointment stretching ahead, Calvin starts having vivid dreams about a beautiful young woman called Ruby Sparks (played by Zoe Kazan). The dreams become more vivid as Calvin starts writing about his fantasy, who soon appears, in whole, in his house. 

The film brings an impressive debut in Zoe Kazan, who produces, screen-writes and stars in this fantasy romantic comedy. The genre is difficult to pigeonhole, but if you imagine a mash-up of romantic fantasy, meta-fiction and magical realism then you've pretty covered most of the usual rules and conventions. Directed by Little Miss Sunshine's (2006) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the film delivers their typical stylised and inventive look. Ambitious and artful, it's both a breakout and a comeback for Kazan and an overdue return for the directing duo. 

Influences here are apparent from various screen-writers, such as Charlie Kaufman and Woody Allen. What makes this approach interesting is that the writing is very much in the style and pace of these two script masterminds but from the opposite gender perspective. Rather than asking what it would be like to create an ideal woman, Kazan asks what it's like, having to be some man's idea of an ideal woman. Believe it or not, the idea is plausible simply because it doesn't ask too many questions.

Kazan executes every inch of the sadness found in a relationship destined to turn sour. The gender politics and downbeat reality of a couple growing apart is captured perfectly but with an added twist of fantasy that I'm sure all of us sometimes dream of. If we could just cut something out of their personality or add something to it, would we? I'm sure you know the answer but if you need some help then watch this and you'll soon see how much fun such a talent would bring. 

'Smart, literate and romantic, it's this year's (500) Days Of Summer, but with a few more shadows. Like Calvin, you'll find it hard to resist Ms Sparks' 

James Mottram - Total Film 

'This impressive fantasy romance about a lonely novelist who magics a gorgeous female character into life is weirdly plausible'

Peter Bradshaw - The Guardian 

Check out the trailer below:

Ruby Sparks can be seen on Tuesday 27th at 2pm & 7.45pm, Wednesday 28th at 7.45pm and Thursday 29th November at 7.45pm.   

PREVIEW: A Monster in Paris (U)

French director Bibo Bergeron best known as an animator and art designer on films such as Bee Movie and Flushed Away returns to directing for the first time since the hugely successful Shark Tale, bringing us the best in 3D animation with his new release A Monster in Paris.

Bergeron has assembled a mixture of young and old for the English version of the film. With the likes of Vanessa Paradis maintaining the central role, along with Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan and A Beautiful Mind) and Danny Huston (21 Grams, X- Men and Children of Men) to name a few, who together add the experience and bring the characters to life.

Set in 1910 Paris A Monster in Paris tells the story of Emile, a shy movie projectionist and Raoul (Goldberg), a colourful inventor who find themselves embarking on a hunt to track down a monster that is terrorising the cobbled streets of Paris. They join forces with Lucille (Paradise), a budding cabaret performer and an eccentric scientist as they fight the local police chief and the population of Paris.

The monster kitted out in a hat and suit with the qualities of being a talented guitarist turns out to be an oversized but harmless flea.

A Monster in Paris is a wonderful and engaging story set in the romance of Paris it's enjoyable for the whole family.

*Matthieu Chédid’s catchy Latin songs and the superbly choreographed dance sequences captivate the most*

Derek Adams

*3D fun for all the family with impressive visuals and some catchy tunes*

Kim Newman

Watch the trailer of A Monster in Paris below and see what you think;

A Monster in Paris is showing at Gloucester Guildhall on Friday 23rd November at 10.45am and Saturday 24th November at 3pm.

PREVIEW - On the Road (15)

Double Bafta award winning director Walter Salles director of The Motorcycle Diaries and Central Station returns with his first film in four years, On the Road. 

Salles has assembled an incredible cast fronted by British actor Sam Riley (Control and Brighton Rock), Garrett Hedlund (Tron, Eragon and Four Brothers) and Kristen Stewart (Twilight Saga, Snow White and the Huntsman and The Runaways). The main leads are supported by a host of well established stars such as Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi, Viggo Mortensen, Terrance Howard and Amy Adams giving this film one of the best line-ups in years.

Based on the 1957 novel by Jack Kerouac and based in the late 1940's On the Road see's budding writer Sal Paradise (Riley) take a road trip across America after the death of his father.

After meeting the intriguing and dashing Dean Moriarty (Hedlund) Sal's word is tipped upside down. Free spirited Dean takes odd jobs and moves from place to place without hesitation and squeezes the most from life. Joined by his beautiful companion 16 year old Marylou (Stewart) the three set off on a road trip to remember encountering fascinating people of whom some they share a history with.
The trio live life to the full with drink, drugs and sex along with Sal's notebook, in the hope of gaining inspiration from their travels.

On the Road is a superbly directed film with outstanding talent and performances to match.

*On the Road was an explosion of literary energy*

Peter Bradshaw

  

*A decent, well-cast and mounted adaptation that hits all the right notes*

Damon Wise

Watch the trailer for On the Road below:

On the Road is showing at Gloucester Guildhall on Friday 23rd November at 7.45pm, Saturday 24th November at 10.45am & 7.45pm and Monday 26th November at 2pm & 7.45pm. BE SURE NOT TO MISS IT!

PREVIEW: Sister (15)

This week sees the release of one of the early front runners in the Best Foreign Language Film category at next year's Oscars. Selected as the official Swiss entry for the 85th Academy Awards, Sister (L'Enfant d'en haut) is the latest offering from renowned French-Swiss director Ursula Meier. After receiving the prestigious Cesar award, among many other accolades for her debut feature film Home, Meier provides us once again with a quintessentially European piece that draws upon themes of disillusionment within society and adolescence.

Living with his sister in an industrial valley at base of a ski-resort in Switzerland, Simon is a clever 12 year-old boy. Clever in that he spends his days at the resort stealing skiing gear and other possessions from the wealthy tourists to then re-sell it. His sister is equally reckless and irresponsible, but her dependency on Simon's enterprise gives him a false sense of purpose. Everything changes however when Simon falls for the affections of a woman he meets on the slopes (played by X-Files and Shadowdancer star Gillian Anderson), forcing him to confront his sister with the truth.


With an early-shoe in for next February's Academy Awards in the bag, Sister might very well be the dark horse having already secured the Silver Bear award at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Judging from the end result it's not hard to see why as not only does it boast breathtaking scenery and ravishing cinematography but it also provides, at its core, a portrait of a boy on the brink of puberty with a distinctive need for love and tenderness in a world that can't provide it, for all its inequities.

*Meier explores the cruel physical and atmospheric contrasts between the two worlds, high and low, dwelling on the cloudy skies, grimy slush and the shadow cast by the peaks, which brings semi-darkness to the valley bottom*

Jacques Mandelbaum- The Guardian

*A stunning mediation on secrets, lies and moral obligation, Ursula Meir's compassionate character study of a boy forced to grow up too fast is a movie for the ages*

David Ansen- Newsweek

Check out the trailer here:

Sister (15) opens on Tuesday 20th November until Thursday 22nd November at 7:45pm except on Tuesday when it is a Screen Tea showing at 2pm only.     

PREVIEW: Private Peaceful (12)

Private Peaceful epitomises the devastatingly unfair treatment soldiers were given and the unjust ending many brave soldiers had to face. It is also a story about the friendship between two brothers and the undying bond of trust between soldiers in the trenches.

Private Peaceful, published in 2003, is a best-selling novel written by Michael Morpurgo. It's not the author's only work to be made into a film this year. Morpurgo also wrote War Horse, in which Steven Spielberg helped turn into a major box-office hit in January, this year. It's a rare and remarkable occasion for a British author who sees two films adapted from his work arrive in cinemas in a single year.  

While War Horse is a fable of sorts, telling the story of a beautiful animal to bring humanity to a grim, murderous war zone, Private Peaceful is rooted in a recognisable reality. The film had carefully been adapted for the screen by screenwriter Simon Reade, while Pat O' Connor directs. Both screenwriter and director work well together in sustaining a clear message of the senselessness of war and ineptitude of the commanding officer, which was effectively carried throughout the novel.

Set in the fields of Devon and the WW1 battlefields of Flanders, two brothers, Tommo (George Mackay) and Charlie Peaceful (Jack O' Connell), fall for the same girl, Molly (Alexandra Roach), before signing up for military duty in a war whose horrors they could not have imagined. They come to learn how little importance is attached to individual lives by their generals. In the trenches of flanders they experience at first hand how shell-shock, exhaustion or sheer fatigue can be harshly interpreted by their masters as cowardice.    

Although the film will certainly spark an emotional reaction in every one of its audience, one way or another, I felt that something as simple as the film's structure created a huge impact on its viewing. In the book, each chapter brings the reader closer to the present until the story turns to present. The film stays true to this pattern and produces an anticipation that keeps you gripped throughout. The tagline reads; Divided by love. United by War. Torn apart by injustice. Do not miss this roller-coaster of emotion.

*Another heartfelt Michael Morpurgo tale about the first world war, Private Peaceful is like War Horse on a smaller scale*

Peter Bradshaw - The Guardian 

*The second Michael Morpurgo adaptation of the year, after War Horse, is a more conventional story of love and loss that moves from Devon pastures to the fields of Flanders* Anthony Quinn - The Independent

Enjoy the trailer, below:

Private Peaceful is screening on: Friday 16th at 7.45pm, Saturday 17th 10.45am & 7.45pm and Monday 19th at 2pm & 7.45pm.

PREVIEW: Barbara

Barbara is a departure from distinctive German film-maker Christian Petzold's previous icy thrillers, and is instead an elegant drama based on human and political dilemmas.  Scrupulously even-tempered and set in communist East Germany, it won its director the Silver Bear at Venice, and has since been selected as the German candidate for next year’s foreign-language Oscar.  No doubt the committee hopes to repeat the success of Florian Henckel von Dommersmark’s The Lives of Others, which won the prize in 2007, though this is a slighter work.

The year is 1980, and Barbara, a paediatric surgeon, has applied for an exit visa from the GDR. As punishment for this perceived disloyalty, the authorities banish her from Berlin to a small hospital in the provinces. Still under surveillance, she focuses on work and shuts out her colleagues, biding her time until her lover in the West can spring her out of the country. However their plans start to unravel as she unwittingly forms a bond with a fellow surgeon and several of the patients... A taut mystery-thriller with a love story at heart, deftly combining themes of trust, suspicion and freedom during the Cold War.

This is a film which provides audiences with an impressive layered performance from Nina Hoss, who plays the eponymous East Berlin doctor.   Petzold’s depiction of the East German countryside is all fresh air, warm light and open space: it’s a nice visual counterpoint to the sticky moral climate of mutual suspicion, in which Barbara is tailed by Stasi officers and subjected to humiliating searches. The concrete walls and iron curtains that surround every character are invisible, but they are no less impassable for it.

*The film’s thriller tendencies are buried beneath a more low-key study of love and loyalties as Barbara is pulled between a chance to escape and her concern for her patients* Time Out

*Superb director-actress team offers one of the best German films of the last 10 years* The Art Desk

Watch the trailer below:

Barbara is screening on Tuesday 13th at 2pm, Wednesday 14th at 7.45pm & Thursday 15th at 7.45pm

PREVIEW: Paranorman (PG)

Come along to Gloucester Guildhall to see this beautifully animated and solidly scripted new family film.  Paranorman will entertain children and parents alike with its spooky story!

A small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and - worst of all - grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits... Stop motion animation fun for all the family from the team behind Coraline, with hints of TIm Burton here and there. 

*Ghoulish? Yes. Funny? You bet* Time Out

*Like its hero, this smart, funny and beautifully animated film achieves great things by daring to be different.* Daily Star

Watch the trailer below:

Paranorman is screening on Friday 9th at 10.45am & Saturday 10th at 3pm.

PREVIEW: Killing The Softly (18)

With a star-studded cast, including a who’s who of gangster drama, Killing Them Softly is the latest feather in the cap of Palme d’Or nominated director Andrew Dominik. Recruiting the help of Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins and James Gandolfini, amongst others, the film puts a different spin on the organised crime genre that has previously had a tendency to neglect depth in its search for action. 

An explosive gangster thriller, adapted from the 1974 George V. Higgins novel, Cogan’s Trade, and skilfully updated for the modern day. In recession-hit Louisiana, Johnny Amato comes up with a slick plan to roll a mob-protected card game. To carry out the theft, Johnny turns to Frankie, a jittery young crook who is fresh out of jail and flat broke, and Russell, a gleefully seedy Australian junkie whose latest criminal enterprise involves dog theft. The three conspirators feel assured of success, certain as they are that the mob's suspicions will immediately fall on the game's regular dealer, Markie Trattman. But only a fool believes in a foolproof plan... Although Frankie and Russell manage to pull off the robbery and escape without being recognized, little do they know that seasoned enforcer, Jackie Cogan, has been called upon to investigate the heist and restore the status quo.

Every action has a consequence and, as our three criminals find out, certain consequences have the potential to be much harder hitting than others.

*The film is terribly smart in every respect, with ne'er-a-false note performances and superb craft work from top to bottom.* – The Hollywood Reporter

*This is an unrepentantly cynical take on the hope-and-change promised to the US in 2008; this year's election race makes it look even bleaker, an icily confident black comedy of continued disillusion… ****** – The Guardian

Watch the trailer below:

Killing Them Softly is on: Wednesday 7^th at 7.45pm and Thursday 8^th at 7.45pm