Dickens Drama Opens London Film Festival 2019
This year’s BFI London Film Festival will officially open with the premiere of director Armando Iannucci’s Charles Dickens adaptation The Personal Life Of David Copperfield.
The film has attracted attention for the casting of Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel in the lead role, deliberately ignoring the racial expectations of a character traditionally portrayed by white actors due to the historical and cultural setting.
Iannucci himself commented on the deliberate move towards so called colour-blind casting.
“ You shouldn’t have to bat an eyelid and you don’t. Because the best people are cast for the parts. I’ve noticed it’s something that’s been happening in theatre for a long time… Dev has the potential to flit in seconds form being vulnerable and gawky and funny to being quite dramatic and strong.”
The rest of the cast includes Benedict Wong, Peter Capaldi, Tilda Swinton and newcomer Rosalind Eleazar.
The period drama will also have a more modern and pointedly diverse take on the famous novel with director Iannucci asserting he wanted to give the costume drama a more contemporary feel.
The film is set to have its official European premiere opening night of the 63rd London Film Festival which runs from 2 to 13 October 2019.
TIFF 2019 Announces First Line Up Details
The Toronto International Film Festival announced its first wave of movies set to be included in this year’s line-up.
Renee Zellweger’s Judy Garland Biopic and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker origin story are among the prominent Oscar hopefuls included in this year’s typically sensational collection of films.
Other films in the initial line up include Taika Waititi’s black comedy Jojo Rabbit starring Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks Mr Rodgers biopic A Beautiful day In The Neighbourhood.
Just Mercy, Le Mans ’66, The Goldfinch, The Two Popes, Bad Education, Marriage Sotry, Uncut Gems, The personal History of David Copperfield and Meryl Streep drama The Laundromat also get high profile premiere’s at this year’s festival attracting awards buzz of their own.
Significantly this year more than half the gala presentations are director or co-directed by women. A landmark achievement proudly acknowledged by the festival’s artistic director Cameron Bailey.
This year’s TIFF festival runs from 5-15 September.
Spider-Man Far From Home Review
The Plot
Peter Parker returns to his normal life following the climactic events of Avengers Endgame and sets out on a summer holiday to Europe with his friends looking to escape the pressures of being Spider-Man and possibly even find love.
The Good
Marvel takes an assured first step as it casually launches the next phase in its vast cinematic universe. After the dramatic and universe re-defining adventures of Avengers Endgame, it’s refreshing and vaguely appropriate to have the adolescent Peter Parker guide audiences back to more earthbound human drama in a post ‘snap’ world.
Swinging back into action as Spider-Man, young star Tom Holland continues to do great work in making his version of the costume clad web crawler an endearingly awkward and earnest young hero, reluctantly drawn into the responsibilities of saving the world yet again. Holland does well in playing the genuine conflict between Peter Parker’s desire for an ordinary teenage existence and the obvious responsibilities of being a super hero. This is the true essence of the character that Stan Lee originally created and Marvel clearly understands that.
Having obviously lost the excellent chemistry between Holland and Robert Downey Jnr’s mentor like Iron Man, Marvel is quick to replace this with a new adult chaperone for Spider-Man in the form of a stern faced Nick Fury, played with usual flare by Samuel L Jackson. It’s a smart move that gives both characters a more natural place in the MCU going forward. Combined with the more affectionate mentorship of Jon Favreu’s Happy Hogan it’s a successful substitution for the scene stealing bond between Peter and Tony Stark.
A solid supporting cast lends Far From Home much of its comedy and heart with particular praise due to Jacob Batalon as Peters pal Ned, Martin Starr as his clueless teacher and Zendaya as love interest MJ. Jake Gyllenhaal is also another welcome and long overdue addition to the MCU, playing the suitably mysterious new hero Mysterio.
The Bad
Some of the film’s plot points might be a little too easily second guessed by those familiar with the comics. Also given the sheer number of films Marvel have already offered up to fans it’s a little difficult to find a story that offers something truly original and unexpected at this stage.
The film is also burdened with having to explain how a post Thanos world functions, forcing the film to hastily gloss over the many unanswered questions about the ‘snap’ and its eventual undoing. This new world presents plenty of unique storytelling opportunities that could have been explored by much more than just a couple of minutes of casual exposition nestled amongst an otherwise unrelated adventure.
While the film offers plenty of the usual action it’s perhaps also noticeably slightly more cartoonish and obviously CGI enhanced than past Spider-Man versions have been. Likewise the film’s set pieces and European setting does at times fell like an obvious parade of recognisable landmarks. As a vehicle for moving the story forward a literal tourist road trip feels just a little heavy handed at times. Though certain to be a huge help with international marketing campaigns.
The Ugly Truth
Spider-Man Far From Home is another pleasingly playful addition to the never ending MCU that gives Tom Holland another chance to shine as a convincingly adolescent Pete Parker and an increasingly seasoned Spider-Man. The film follows a similar formula as Spider-Man Homecoming and offers fans the usual mix of action, winking comedy and even a few genuine surprises along the way.
Review by Russell Nelson
Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile Review
The Plot
Handsome and charismatic young law student Ted Bundy becomes the centre of a sensational series of murder trials during the 1970s that suggest he may in fact be a prolific and dangerously violent serial killer, leaving his girlfriend and family struggling to know what to believe.
The Good
Zac Efron has gradually graduated from High School Musical teen stardom to achieve a firmly cemented status as a credible leading man. The impeccably handsome and charismatic star is a surprisingly good fit for Ted Bundy. A million miles away from the silly comedy antics of Bad Neighbours, Dirty Grandpa or Baywatch; in this drama Efron offer audiences a performance that is compelling and subtle. It makes it easy to root for Bundy in the way so many people actually did during his exceedingly public legal battles. It also displays a genuine acting talent that goes well beyond Efron being merely blessed with movie star good looks and a perfectly chiselled physique.
Alongside Efron actress Lily Collins portrays Bundy’s supportive girlfriend. Following their relationship from domestic bliss through a series of increasingly difficult and shocking court cases. Collins does well at portraying the complex mix of emotions faced by a young woman confronted by the possibility that her seemingly perfect partner and surrogate father to her young daughter may perhaps be secretly monstrous. Paired well with Efron she lends the story a fresh perspective to all the previous documentary explorations of the Bundy cases.
Overall the film is well produced with a visual style and authentic attention to detail that does justice to the film’s source material and perfectly captures the spirit of the 1970s and the famous hysteria surrounding the case. Director Joe Berlinger has previously directed the Netflix Ted Bundy documentary series and clearly has a highly detailed knowledge of Bundy’s life. Having already explored the subject at length he was clearly the perfect filmmaker to produce this expertly dramatized account.
The film’s choice to refrain from depicting any of the horrific crimes which Bundy was accused of allows the focus to remain firmly on the extraordinary dynamic between Bundy and those closest to him in his normal life. In a way obviously this refusal to make entertainment out of such violent acts allows he film to avoid allegations that it is merely sensationalising or glamourizing acts of brutality. It keeps the film focused more interestingly on the emotional aspects of the stunning events surrounding Bundy’s long running legal battle.
The Bad
Those familiar with the real life drama and ultimate outcome of the Ted Bundy trials will undoubtedly find the film robbed of an element of suspense. The film’s carefully crafted efforts to keep Bundy’s guilt or innocence as a source of apparent ambiguity will obviously prove less effective to those already familiar with the case.
Likewise audiences hoping to see dramatic depictions of some of the horrific crimes Bundy was accused of will perhaps feel cheated by the film’s deliberate choice to avoid showing any of this ugly violence. While that is a deliberate choice it obviously won’t be welcomed by true crime and horror fans hoping for the adrenalin rush of seeing the actions of an alleged mass murdering monster first hand.
The Ugly Truth
Compelling central performances particularly form leads Zac Efron and lily Collins, combined with riveting real life source material makes for a truly intriguing piece of drama about one of the most notorious cases in modern legal history. The film offers a rounded portrayal of courtroom drama that will admittedly be familiar to many, leaving audiences with thoughtful insights into the true human impact of these events.
Review by Russell Nelson
Man of La Mancha Review
The Plot
Thrown into a brutal prison at the height of the Spanish inquisition, a man pleads his case to his fellow prisoners in a unique way, by performing the whimsical tale of peasant man who dreams of being a mythical knight called Don Quixote, seeing the world in strange and wondrous ways.
The Good
Kelsey Grammer is an unassuming Hollywood star much beloved for his decades of work on screen. His enduring success and much beloved status is thanks to the unique gravel voiced charisma he possesses. He is simultaneously able to be bombastically pompous and sincerely subtle, the result being an authentically captivating stage presence. Those talents helped make him a household name playing the truly iconic character of Dr Frasier Crane for many decades and they make him a similarly perfect fit for this role. Much like Kelsey’s iconic alter ego Frasier, Don Quixote possesses an abundantly optimistic and kind hearted spirit. It’s an inspiring and deeply admirably trait, especially in the face of life’s cruellest adversities and disappointments. People who enjoy that aspect of Grammer’s on screen person will find it a special delight to witness it first hand on stage.
While Kelsey Grammer is well known for his acting talents, audience may be curious about just how powerful his singing gifts are, especially in the face of needing to deliver a powerhouse ballad like Dream The Impossible Dream. It’s a pleasure to be able to report that Grammer’s commanding voice stretches beyond the mere talent required to sing the memorable Fraiser theme song. There is a rich warmth and powerful depth to Grammer’s singing voice which is totally equal to his familiar spoken charms.
Alongside Grammer’s charismatic Don Quixote the production find able support from the vocal talents of Danielle De Niese and the comedic gifts of much beloved comedic treasure Nicholas Lyndhurst. Special mention must also be made of Peter Polycarpou playing Grammer’s faithful manservant Sancho Panza, his unwavering support for the ever deluded don is critical in keeping audiences similarly committed to following him on his mad quest.
Beyond the many acting talents on display the production offer audiences a rare chance to see one of the greatest songs in musical theatre delivered on London’s finest stage. The Impossible Dream is a piece of music that is both instantly memorable and poignantly true. Both times the production deploys it there is a genuinely uplifting effect on an audience. It has been over 50 years since audiences even in the West End had the privilege to see it performed in its original context and doing so enhances the meaning far more than any number of karaoke renditions.
The Bad
While Don Quixote is a character synonymous with eternal optimism and whimsical self-delusion, it’s perhaps important to warn that this production sharply contrast that joyous escapism with some very harsh realities. Don Quixote may invite us all to chase adventure and do heroic battle with dragons or giants, but this is somewhat cruelly juxtaposed with genuine moments of tragedy and violence. Even if the production ultimately steers back towards hopefulness audiences may find at least one sequence of authentic violence and cruelty difficult to forget.
As a play within a play, the lines between fiction and reality are often a little blurred and the story admittedly exists on many different levels. However, at least one of those levels is a little nasty in tone at times. Obviously that is the entire point of the show that our perceptions of life are as cruel or as kind as we allow them to be. But again, for more sensitive audiences they may find it harder to enjoy the unhinged optimism of Don Quixote when it is so sharply undercut by a bleak and somewhat savage reality.
In a similar fashion while ‘The impossible dream’ is a truly perfect musical standard, obviously it’s quite difficult for the productions other less familiar songs to compare alongside this unsurpassably iconic and crowd pleasing ballad. So while that one amazing song is obviously a major asset for the production it does set impossibly high standards for the rest of the score.
The Ugly Truth
Kelsey Grammer is a beloved acting icon who is uniquely equipped to breathe life into the heroically delusional Don Quixote. Surrounded by a solid supporting cast and armed with a song as iconic as The Impossible Dream, it’s hard not to be won over by his boundless charms. Even if the production does have admittedly darker tones at times than might suit some tastes, it remains a joy to behold Kelsey’s inspiring Don Quixote soaring above those moments. With a tantalisingly short run of only 6 weeks those who want to enjoy this quest should take the chance swiftly…
Review by Russell Nelson