Monsters Andrew Kaulder's Flickr stream

Gareth Edwards' Monsters will be released on the UK big screen on December 3. I was lucky enough to catch an early preview of it at this year's FrightFest as well as hear Gareth talk about the making of Monsters at both Empire's Moviecon and the aforementioned screening.

I'm a fan of the super talented Gareth Edwards and loved Monsters. Comparisons have been drawn to District 9 because of it's super low budget and minimal production, but I felt the tale has a lot more in common with Cloverfield.

Even though Gareth has said that Monsters is "part sci-fi, part romance, part road movie" you will get a lot more out of it if you go into the cinema not expecting District 9, Cloverfield or any other special FX laden extravaganza. Although Gareth is a FX wizard the magic of Monsters is that it is a quiet, understated character film set in the near future.

I particularly liked the match up of visuals with the haunting soundtrack as well as romantic play between the two lead characters. Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able are married in real life so the chemistry between them is spot on.

As soon as I get some time I'll throw up a full review as well as some clips of Gareth Edwards talking about making Monsters in the meantime - I have serendipitously stumbled across Andrew Kaulder's Flickr stream. Andrew Kaulder is the male lead character from Monsters played by Scoot McNairy.

If you have already seen Monsters these are presumably some of the photos Kaulder is seeing taking throughout the film. This is a nice understated touch of marketing and it compliments the general feel of Monsters. His full photostream can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaulder

Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring:Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able

UK, 2010, 2009, 94 mins

Monsters Andrew Kaulder's Flickr stream

Monsters will be released in the UK on Dec 3, 2010

More info:
Over at the MONSTERS website or follow the MONSTERS spreading UK infection via Twitter here @stra_monsters

QA Romain Duris & Heartbreaker / L'arnacoeur Screening & Review

Alex is charming, funny, effortlessly cool, and most importantly, irresistible to women. He offers a professional service – to break up relationships.

With his resourceful sister Mélanie and her eccentric husband Marc, Alex offers a professional service – to break up relationships. In just a few weeks, for a fee equivalent to his reputation, he promises to transform any husband, fiancé or boyfriend into an ex. Hideouts, phone-tapping, fake identities, a devastating smile, anything goes when it comes to fulfilling his contract.

Juliette is a young, beautiful, free-spirited and independent heiress. In ten days she’s due to marry the man of her dreams, much to her father’s disapproval.

When Alex is hired to break up this seemingly perfect couple he is thrown into a action-filled race against time, taking him through the sun-drenched streets of Paris to the fast cars and high fashion of Monaco, in his own hilarious seduction “mission impossible” that risks him being caught by his ruthless personal creditors, an army of angry exes, and Juliette herself.

But worst of all, will he discover to his own cost that when it comes to love, the perfect plan doesn’t exist?

Already a record-breaking hit in Europe, Heartbreaker is a wildly funny and passionate tale that is set to be the romantic comedy event of the year.

The Everyman is delighted to welcome Mr. Heartbreaker himself to Hampstead for this special screening! Star of the movie, Romain Duris, will be in attendance for a live Q&A alongside a preview screening of the film. The event will be hosted by Electric Sheep's Virginié Selavy, who will also provide an introduction to the film.

We have seen Heartbreaker / L'arnacoeur and it may be the perfect way for the ladies to escape the heat this Summer. But here are four things that should be noted to give some context to my thoughts on Heartbreaker:

1 - I think the lead Romain Duris is an immense talent. He was absolutely astounding in De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) an earlier masterpiece from Jacques Audiard (Director of A Prophet / Un prophète) so my expectations are very high for his performance. There is actually sweet nod to My Heart Skipped in Hearbreaker.

2 - Even though I have been known to be a hopeless romantic I do lean heavily towards psychological, action and crime films.

3 - I thought Dirty Dancing was lame the first time I saw it.

4 - I represented half the male audience for the screening I - it was date night OK!. Come to think of it this was a very similar scenario to when I saw Dirty Dancing.

If you cannot relate to any of the points above you'll probably love Heartbreaker.

As far as sweet romantic chick flicks go I thought it was OK. I do prefer my films slightly darker and deeper but once I let go - Duris's charisma carries most of the film. There are many laugh out loud moments in the film. The audience were laughing and generally happy & buzzing the whole way through the film.

My biggest issue with the film may actually be put down to cultural nuances or subtleties being lost in translation, as I struggled to gain emotional traction in the shift in Duris's character from the start to the finish. I saw what what was happening I just didn't feel it.

To be fair I'll probably watch it again on DVD at some point so that like Dirty Dancing I'll see it as a good girl film. I do think there is a gap for light European romances and hope that Heartbreaker fills that gap because I would like to see more from both Romain Duris and Vanessa Paradis.

Director: Pascal Chaumeil
Starring: Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis, Andrew Lincoln, Julie Ferrier, François Damiens

France 2010, 105 mins, French with English subtitles

QA Romain Duris & Heartbreaker / L'arnacoeur Screening & Review

Where:
Everyman Hamstead, 5 Hollybush Vale, NW3 6TX

When:
6:30pm, Mon 28 Jun, 2010

More info:
Over at the Everyman website

Michael Palin in conversation + American Friends Screening

Michael Palin a Patron of The Phoenix Cinema, will be appearing at a Phoenix Restoration Fundraising event. He'll be screening his 1991 film, American Friends, and then host a Q&A session.


This will be a rare chance to hear the extraordinary and witty Michael Palin talk about his travels, work and career.

American Friends
Francis Ashby (Michael Palin) a middle-aged Oxford tutor on a hiking trip in Switzerland in 1861. There he meets the American Caroline Hartley (Connie Booth) and her 18-year old ward Elinor (Trini Alvarado). Ashby is drawn to them both, particularly Elinor, but is rather surprised when they arrive in Oxford and rent a house. Women are not allowed in the College, nor are Fellows allowed to marry, which puts him in an embarrassing situation. Ashby's rival for the post of College President, Oliver Syme, takes full advantage of this to try and discredit Ashby. However the situation is finally resolved and Ashby and Elinor are finally married.

The plot was based on a real-life incident involving Palin's great-grandfather, Edward Palin

Tickets are £25 (£23 concs) with a £2 discount for Friends. Tickets are sure to sell fast, so book online now to ensure a good seat. All ticket sales benefit the Phoenix Centenary Restoration Project.

Michael Palin in conversation + American Friends Screening

Where
Phoenix Cinema
52 High Road, East Finchley, London, N2 9PJ

When
6:45pm, Thurs 8 April, 2010

For more info & to book tickets head over to the Phoenix Cinema

Friday Film Location: Notting Hill, London UK

Being obsessed with film, everything film related especially the more tactile aspects of filmmaking - I have loads of film related trivia to offer that will be of interest. One of my low maintenance hopefully high interest ideas is Friday Film Location. Every Friday I am going to put the spotlight on a location used in a film.

For the premiere Friday Film Location post I'm playing it slightly low key and bringing you a much loved local London location. This location has many, many fans and seems particulary popular with Japanese fans, or so my Flickr stats tell me.

Can the most famous film star in the world fall for just an ordinary guy?

Notting Hill
Stars: Julia Roberts - Anna Scott, Hugh Grant - William Thacker, Rhys Ifans - Spike, Dylan Moran - Rufus the Thief.

Notting Hill is a classic; boy meets vey famous girl and romance kind of follows. It's probably one of the most liked romantic films of the 90s. Notting Hill is the highest grossing British film yet released.

One of the characters in the film is Will's house at 280 Westbourne Park Rd which plays a pivotal role in Will & Anna's relationship. Many recognise the Blue Door as the entrace to Will's house. As seen in the scene where Spike is papped outside the door in his underwear.

The house behind the door is actually not used in the film and the house we see on screen is writer Richard Curtis's home.

The door has subsequently been sold to deter fans (and others) from mobbing or damaging it. The new door has been painted black and the entrance is no longer blue but cream.






View Larger Map

Trivia:
Look out for a 12 year old Marsden Barton. Grants charater Will pretends to interview for Horse & Hound magazine.


Where:
280 Westbourne Park Rd, London, W11

Across the Universe special screening

We are holding a special screening of Across the Universe on Thursday 11th October at 6:30pm. We would be delighted if you could attend.

The screening will be held at at Soho Images on Meard Street.

The Beatles' songs may have provided the soundtrack for the lives of those coming of age in the 1960s, but their extensive catalogue acts as the literal soundtrack in this romantic musical from visionary director Julie Taymor. Newcomer Jim Sturgess stars as Jude, a young man working on the docks in Liverpool. Eager to escape, he travels to Princeton where he meets Max (Joe Anderson). But it's his meeting with Max's younger sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) that changes him. They quickly fall in love, but their relationship is tested by the chaos of the late 1960s and Max's unwilling tour in Vietnam. Throughout the film, characters burst into classics from The Beatles: students sing 'With a Little Help from My Friends', while Uncle Sam bursts from a recruitment poster with strains of 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)'. U2's Bono makes a cameo as a counterculture leader and croons 'I Am the Walrus', and Eddie Izzard provides a trippy rendition of 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite'.
Sturgess puts in a charming and earnest performance as Jude and is certainly capable of carrying the film. Wood capably balances Lucy's naivete and knowledge, easily moving between her love for Jude and her passion for her cause. Though the performances are strong, it's Taymor's gifted direction that makes Across the Universe so fascinating to watch. As in Frida and Broadway's ,The Lion King, she proves herself an artist with creativity few can match. Director of photography Bruno Delbonnel also deserves praise for his contribution to the striking visuals. He has worked with Jean-Pierre Jeunet on Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, and he brings the same sense of romance and whimsy to this unique musical.
Across the Universe special screening

Where
Soho Images
8 - 14 Meard Street, London, W1F 0EQ

When
6:30pm, Thurs 11 Oct, 2007