Retirees Geoff and Kate Mercer live in the English countryside under gray, silent clouds. A certain discreet formality overlays their routine of dog walking and shared meals. They make occasional trips into the touristy nearby town to plan a postponed anniversary party, but they mostly stay within the confines of their home, outfitted in tasteful […]
In The Emperor’s New Clothes, comedian Russell Brand and filmmaker Michael Winterbottom join forces to explore the origins and impact of the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the growing disparity in wealth distribution. Polymath Brand is a flamboyant and controversial figure, equally as famous for his short-lived marriage to Katy Perry and overcoming drug addiction […]
England is famous for a long tradition of eccentrics and a tolerance of their idiosyncrasies. The Lady in the Van celebrates and humanizes the continuation of this quaint pattern through the last quarter of the 20th century, as embodied by the indomitable Dame Maggie Smith. Her Miss Shepherd is based on the real woman who […]
Women voting, no big deal, right? But it is. For centuries, British women not only lacked the vote but enjoyed no rights within the home. Requests for justice were met with immovable male condescension until the requests escalated into demands and women activists embarked on a Weather Underground-style insurgency. Contrary to their prim image today, […]
For director Morgan Matthews’s first feature film, he drew upon a documentary he produced and directed about the selection and training of the British team for the 2006 International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), titled Brilliant Young Minds (2007). Many of the young competitors had a form of autism, which that film linked to their mathematical ability. […]
Directed by Daniel Wolfe Produced by Hayley Williams and Michael Elliott Written by Daniel and Matthew Wolfe Released by Oscillosocpe Laboratories UK. 111 min. Not rated Sameena Jabeen Ahmed, Conor McCarron, Ali Ahmad, Barry Nunney, Gary Lewis, and Wasim Zakir Teenager Laila’s world is candy colored. Her hair is dyed blond and bubblegum pink, her […]
Directed by Bill Condon Produced by Anne Carey, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman Written by Jeffrey Hatcher Released by Roadside Attractions/Miramax UK/USA. 104 min. Rated PG With Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan, Patrick Kennedy, and Nicholas Rowe Sherlock Holmes has been adapted countless times on stage and screen since his […]
Written and Directed by John Maclean Produced by Rachel Gardner, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, and Conor McCaughan Released by A24 UK/New Zealand. 91 min. Rated R With Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn, Caren Pistorius, and Rory McCann The feature debut of former Beta Band member John MacLean is an arty little Western that has […]
Written and Directed by Gerard Johnson Produced by Stephen Woolley, Joanna Laurie and Elizabeth Karlsen Released by Tribeca Film UK. 112 min. Not rated With Peter Ferdinando, Stephen Graham, Neil Maskell, Tony Pitts, Gordon Brown, Richard Dormer, Elisa Lasowski, MyAnna Buring, Orli Shuka, and Gjevat Kelmendi Days making backroom deals and coke-fueled, brawl-filled nights are […]