Television writer turned feature filmmaker Harry Wootliff announced herself onto the scene with acclaimed directorial debut Only You in 2018. Returning to similar subject matter with follow-up piece True Things, she picks apart another lustful, complicated fling. Based upon the novel by poet Deborah Kay Davies, the psychological thriller plot follows reckless lost soul Kate (Ruth Wilson) as she struggles to cope with the daily grind of life.
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Writer and director Olmo Omerzu pokes fun at a crumbling family empire in his latest feature Bird Atlas, co-written with his regular collaborator Petr Pýcha. The sharp black comedy plot centres around patriarchal figure Ivo (Miroslav Donutil) who has long been at the helm of a large electronics firm. A shocking discovery within his company’s finances leads to a heart attack, so his family soon rally to show their support, including his son Martin (Martin Pechlát), first in line to inherit the business. After some investigation, all suspicions lead to Ivo’s accountant Marie (Alena Mihulová) who’s been enjoying a blossoming romance with a mysterious American soldier.
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On the big screen, actor Craig Fairbrass is perhaps best known for his integral part within the Rise of the Footsoldier franchise. In recent years though, he has tackled even more brutal, complex portrayals that transcend his hard man persona. I was lucky enough to chat with him about his latest film A Violent Man, a prison drama written and directed by Ross McCall…
In A Violent Man, there are long sequences where the director Ross McCall ramps up tension without any dialogue. As an actor, how do you go about contributing to the tone and atmosphere with a very minimalist script?
Well, you obviously have an overall perception of the story. I’m quite intuitive when it comes to things like that. I knew what the mood of the scenes were, I knew what we were trying to portray, and how to move the story forward but to still make it interesting. With a look, you can say 1000 lines, so it was that type of thing. I think the energy of the opening sets up Steve Mackelson as the type of man he is. He’s not a man of a lot of words. As the film moves on and things are irritating him, he has to get his point across.
Continue reading “A Violent Man Interview: Craig Fairbrass – ‘It was very visceral and quick. I’d say most of the time in life, that’s how violence is’.”
Scottish actor Ross McCall is arguably best known for his work across the pond, appearing in US television shows such as Band of Brothers and 24 series spin-off Live Another Day. After a career spanning three decades in front of the camera, he has taken a step behind it to write and direct his first feature film.
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As an actor, the talent of Sean Penn has rarely been called into question yet behind the camera, his work has been known to divide audiences. His previous effort was infamously met with a chorus of boos at Cannes Film Festival five years ago, but he’s back in the director’s chair once again for family drama Flag Day. Based on the memoir Flim-Flam Man: A True Family History by author and journalist Jennifer Vogel, it tells the true story of troubled con artist John Vogel (Sean Penn) and how his crimes impacted upon his relationship with his daughter (Dylan Penn), who is working through issues of her own.
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Fantasy drama Memoria marks the English-language debut from acclaimed Thai writer and director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who was adamant that his latest should be seen only in theatres, not at home. Tilda Swinton stars in the beguiling arthouse piece as Jessica Holland, a Scottish woman running a flower market in Medellín, Colombia. When visiting her sister Karen (Agnes Brekke) in Bogotá, she is awoken in the dead of night by a strange, almighty sound. Unsettled by the mystery around the cause of this, she begins an investigation that leads her out of the hustle and bustle of the city, deep into the country’s verdant wilderness.
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Acclaimed writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson gets nostalgic in his latest feature Licorice Pizza, set in 1970s San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles where he grew up. The hangout romantic comedy follows confident teen-actor Gary (Cooper Hoffman) and 20-something photographer’s assistant Alana (Alana Haim) after they cross paths on high school picture day. After some unrequited flirtation, the pair strike up a friendship and begin an entrepreneurial partnership selling waterbeds.
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Of late, there has been a resurgence of a movement in which filmmakers bring their own stories to life for the big screen. The latest visionary to follow the trend is Sir Kenneth Branagh, writing and directing coming-of-age drama Belfast. Inspired by his childhood during the beginning of The Troubles in the late 1960s, the semi-autobiographical plot centres around mischievous nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) as he navigates school, religion, and his first crush. As hostility descends onto his close-knit working-class street, his ‘Ma’ (Caitríona Balfe) and his ‘Pa’ (Jamie Dornan) struggle with the rising tensions and are faced with a potentially life-changing decision for the family.
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Inspired by early interactions with his infant son, writer and director Mike Mills tells a contemplative tale with latest feature C’mon C’mon. The tender drama centres around Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix), a journalist of sorts travelling state to state conducting philosophical interviews with the youth of today about their future. When his sister Viv (Gaby Hoffman) is called upon to care for her mentally troubled ex-husband, she asks if Johnny will look after his nephew Jesse (Woody Norman) for a while. Despite their obvious gulf in age and life experience, the mismatched pair learn a lot from one another during a trip to New York City.
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Venus and Serena Williams are undeniably household names in tennis, and across sport in general, but King Richard, the latest drama from director Reinaldo Marcus Green tells the lesser-known tale of their controversial father. As well as producing the film, Will Smith stars in the eponymous role as Richard, raising his five daughters with wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis) in Compton, California. His unorthodox methods in priming Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) for success see him butt heads with charismatic coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal) and many others along the way.
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Cinema Perspective 