Film Review - Pete's Dragon (2016)

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Robert Redford Career Highlights (All Is Lost Feature)

Robert Redford is one of the few actors in Hollywood that has had contestant involved in Hollywood for the duration of his career. Embarking on his 77th birthday Redford has spent 53 of those years in the spotlight for his participation in front or behind the camera. Starting as a Hollywood heartthrob in the 60s, becoming a top-box office actor in the mid 70s, director in the 80s, producer in the 1990 and philanthropist in the turn of the century, it’s safe to say Redford has made the most of his career. Robert has been recognized for his talent by receiving two Oscars; one in 1981 for Best Director and another for the Lifetime Achievement in 2002. In addition, he was awarded French Knighthood in the Legion d’Honneur in 2010. Although he has always been involved in Hollywood, Redford experienced, as any actor does, ups and down. However, riding the wave of success, this winter, Robert Redford is being thrust into the award season storm curtest of his new film, All Is Lost. In anticipation of the upcoming film, we are taking a look back at Robert Redford’s successful career. However, while participating in over 68 productions as an actor, 10 as a director and 35 as a producer, it’s impossible to cover all the bases, so we are specifically taking a look at his career highlights.

Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Roberts Redford stars in his third Hollywood film, Inside Daisy Clover as he portrays the role of the homosexual Wade Lewis. Redford’s handlers cautioned him against taking the role in the film, but despite their warnings, Redford accepted and the film served his first important role of his career. Redford’s performance earned him excellent reviews and won him a Golden Globe award as a “Star of the Future.” After this role, Redford’s career was secure; he was seen as a talented actor offered a multitude of different roles after the movie was finished.

Downhill Racer (1969)

Given the opportunity to carry his own, Robert Redford starred in the motion picture Downhill Race. Playing a small-town Colorado arrogant athlete given the chance of glory on the U.S Olympic Ski team, he gives a convincing, self-destructive performance. In a review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert stated Downhill Racer is “the best movie ever made about sports—without really being about sports at all.” The received critical acclaim as Redford proved himself and the extent of his talent.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Reaching success, Redford was worried he had been type-casted in Hollywood as a blond male stereotype. In retaliation, he turned down numerous offers as he waited for the right role to present himself. In 1969, he found the role he was looking for in George Roy Hill’s western classic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The film follows Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the “Sundance Kid” (Redford), as they migrate to Bolivia on the run from the law in search of more criminal opportunities. The film marked the first collaboration between Newman and Redford, and moulded their famous friendship. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, received monumental critical acclaim. The film earned 7 Oscar nominations, winning 4. As well as three Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Original Score. Redford received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. In 2003, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The film reinforced Redford’s acting talents and made him a major bankable star, cementing his screen image as an intelligent, reliable, sometimes sardonic good guy.

The Candidate (1972)

The Candidate is an American political satire film starring Robert Redford, written by Jeremy Larner, a speech writer for Senator Eugene J. McCarthy during the 1968 Democratic Presidential nomination. Redford portrays a young liberal lawyer who tries to hold onto his ideals as he campaign to defeat a conservative senator. As the campaign continues, the candidate loses his way, and Redford’s skilful performance suggests just how aware he is of his failure. The film received critical acclaim as it was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced.

The Way We Were (1973)

Regarded as his most successful romantic drama, Robert Redford stars in The Way We Were with co-star Barbra Streisand. The film depicts two desperate people who embark on a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart. As a box office success, the film was nominated for a multitude of awards and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. With the release of the film, Redford became a worldwide heartthrob.

The Sting (1973)

George Roy Hill, director of “Butch Cassidy”, brought Newman and Redford together again for this tricky story about a few con men who team up and target a mob boss in 1930 Chicago. The film was received 10 Oscar nominations, winning seven, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Film Editing. The Sting became one of the top 20 highest grossing movies of all time and provided Robert Radford with his first and only Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

All the President’s Men (1976)

This Academy Award-winning political thriller, All the Presidents, tells the non-fiction story about the two journalists (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post. The dedication these journalists put into the story lead to a nationally shocking discovery. The film received numerous good mentions including 4 Academy Awards – and further secured legendary status for the two lead actors: Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.

Ordinary People (1980)

The 1970s marked Redford as Hollywood’s top box-office name, he continued to act in many mainstream films. However, in the 1980s Redford obtained a newfound focus on directing. The first film he directed, Ordinary People, depicted the dramatic story of the disintegration of an upper-middle class family in Illinois, following the death of one of their sons in a boating accident. Ordinary People showed audience and critics that Redford was as good of a director as actor. The film reached critical and commercial success, winning four Oscars including the Academy Award for Best Picture and a monumental win for Redford as he won Best Director.

Out of Africa (1985)

In one of his most recognized roles of his career, Robert Redford co-stars with Meryl Streep in the Award winning film, Out of Africa. The story follows a Danish baroness/platioation owner in 20th century colonial Kenya, and her passionate love affair with a free-spirited game hunter. The film reached momumental success, winning seven Oscars out of 11 nominations.

Quiz Show (1994)

Regarded as Redford’s finest movie as director, Quiz Show is an American historical drama film based on the Richard N. Goodwin memoir Remembering America. The film follows the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s, the rise and fall of popular contestant Charles Van Doren, played by Ralph Fiennes, and the Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow) subsequent search for the truth. The film was nominated for four Oscars including Best Director and Best picture. The film, to this day, holds a 96% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

All Is Lost (2013)

In the 2000’s Redford participated in acting, directing, and producing, but was more interested in his role as a philanthropist. Robert accepted the role in the upcoming film, All Is Lost, bringing him back into the spotlight. Redford depicts an unnamed man in a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, waking up to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner’s intuition, and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest. Introducing himself to an audience of a different generation, Redford has had high reviews and has had critics awaiting the release of the new film.

All Is Lost arrives in UK&Irish cinemas 26th December.

Robert Redford; A Career In Pictures

Robert Redford is an American actor, director, producer, environmental activist, philanthropist, and businessman. His expansive career boasts a range of roles in over 50 films, an Academy Award for Best Director, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. His performances in theatre, television, and film have rightfully given him mega-star status, and it is his continued involvement in the movie industry as both an actor and director that continues to bring prestige and distinction to the annual festival commemorating independent filmmakers across the United States.

In honour of this year’s upcoming Sundance London Film Festival, taking place April 25-28 at the O2, here is a brief – and certainly not exhaustive – look back at some stand-out moments from Redford’s long, and continuing, film career.

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) – The Sundance Kid

Starring alongside Paul Newman – and effectively sparking a life-long friendship – this film cemented Redford as a bankable movie star in the breakthrough role of the titular Sundance Kid. The role would end up having a major influence in his later life, founding the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and naming it after his character.


THE STING (1973) – Johnny Hooker

This blockbuster crime caper again teamed up the dynamic duo of Redford and Newman, this time playing a pair of con artists in 1930’s Chicago. Redford received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the film remains one of the top 20 highest grossing movies of all time when adjusted for inflation.


THE WAY WE WERE (1973) – Hubbell

Proving his versatility as an actor, Redford co-starred alongside Barbra Streisand in this hugely popular period drama about two lovers who try to sustain a complicated relationship throughout the years. The role further cemented Redford’s leading man reputation and added good old-fashioned romance to his lengthening list of genres.


ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976) – Bob Woodward

Scripted by Butch Cassidy writer William Goldman, this landmark film paired up Redford with Dustin Hoffman as famed reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein attempting to uncover the truth about Watergate. With Redford as co-star and executive producer, the film attempted to create a realistic portrayal of journalism and reflected his off-screen concern for political causes.


ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980) – Director

Taking a seat behind the camera instead of in front of it, Redford’s directorial debut was a critical success winning a number of Oscars including Best Director. The film follows the disintegration of an upper class American family and stars Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore.


INDECENT PROPOSAL (1993) – John Gage

Forever remembered as the movie where Robert Redford offered Woody Harrelson a million dollars for one night with Demi Moore, this film gave Redford one of his most popular and recognized roles. Playing the corrupt millionaire who uses bribery to test people’s morals, Redford’s performance made the movie one of the year’s biggest hits.


THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (2012) – Jim Grant / Nick Sloan

Most recently, Redford directed and co-starred in this political thriller centered on a former activist who goes on the run after a young journalist, played by Shia LeBeouf, discovers his identity. Marking the first film with Redford as both director and actor, it has so far won two awards from the Venice Film Festival.


SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL – Founder

No list of accomplishments would be complete without Redford’s founding contribution to the Sundance Institute in 1981, and consequently the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Cinemas, Sundance Catalogue, and the Sundance Channel, all in or around Park City, Utah. The Sundance Film Festival is now one of the most prestigious events in the movie industry, giving independent filmmakers from around the world a chance to showcase their works. Redford’s continued involvement and support brings respect and admiration to any Sundance project – even all the way across the pond at Sundance London.

Sundance London is taking from 25th-28th April 2013 at The O2, London.

Hotel California To Sleep Walking, 2013 London Sundance Festival Line Up announced

After years wishing we could attend, 2012 Robert Redford made many British cinephiles dreams come true when he annouced Sundance Festival was coming to UK. After the success of the inaugural festival last year today Sundance Insitute announced it' line up for the 2013 London Sundance  festival which kicks off late next month.

This years festival will showcase 18 feature films and 9 short films spread across 4 sections including the new UK section whose highlight is Michael Winterbottom's Look Of Love starring Steve Coogan as Porn baron Paul Raymond. In total 23 films will make their will make their international, European or UK premieres at Sundance London. Ten are by female filmmakers and six are by first-time feature filmmakers. The films collectively received 12 awards when they premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A..

The Highlights of this years festival include The History Of The Eagles Part One a documentary based on the iconic  American rock band (who are also scheduled to appear), Lynne Shelton's Touchy Feely starring Rosemarie Dewitt, Scoot McNairy getting its International Premier and  Shane Carruth's Upstream Colour getting it's UK premier. Fans of Music may want to check out Peaches Doe Herself a documentary looking at the rise of the singer and her unique brand of 'electro-rock'.

In addition to film screenings and panels, Sundance London will host several live music performances and events. Peaches has been announced as the first headlining act for the 2013 festival, and tickets for that performance are now on sale. Additional music performers will be named. Among the 17 musical acts at the first-ever Sundance London were Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird, Placebo, and Rufus and Martha Wainwright. Among the artists expected to attend Sundance London are Lake Bell, Mike Birbiglia, Jimmy Carr, the Eagles, Barbara Kopple and Peaches, as well as Sundance Institute President & Founder Robert Redford.

Robert Redford said, “We would hope for Sundance London to be another 'Sundance' experience – lively, culturally relevant and fun. We look forward to engaging with audiences as we discover new voices, new points of view and new perspectives.”

The second Sundance London film and music festival, will take place on 25-28 April at The O2. Passes and ticket packages are available at www.sundance-london.com, and individual tickets will be on sale from 9:00 a.m. GMT Friday 15 March.

2013 line-up

Blackfish (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite) — Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity. (Documentary)

Blood Brother (Director: Steve Hoover) — Rocky went to India as a disillusioned tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV, he decided to stay. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face, or the love he would find. Winner of the US Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and the Audience Award: US Documentary presented by Acura at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (Documentary)

Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes (Director and screenwriter: Francesca Gregorini) — Emanuel, a troubled girl, becomes preoccupied with her mysterious, new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to babysit her newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper. Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Jessica Biel, Alfred Molina, Frances O'Connor, Jimmi Simpson, Aneurin Barnard. (Narrative)

God Loves Uganda (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law. (Documentary)

In a World... (Director and screenwriter: Lake Bell) — An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed. Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: US Dramatic at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (Narrative)

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (Director: George Tillman Jr., Screenwriter: Michael Starrbury) — Separated from their mothers and facing a summer in the Brooklyn projects alone, two boys hide from police and forage for food, with only each other to trust. A story of salvation through friendship and two boys against the world. Cast: Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Anthony Mackie, Jeffrey Wright. (Narrative)

The Kings of Summer (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Chris Galletta) — A unique coming-of-age comedy about three teenagers who, in the ultimate act of independence, decide to spend their summer building a makeshift house in the woods. Free from their parents’ rules, their idyllic summer quickly becomes a test of friendship. Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie. (Narrative)

Muscle Shoals (Director: Greg 'Freddy' Camalier) — Down in Alabama Rick Hall founded FAME Studios and gave birth to the Muscle Shoals sound. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Gregg Allman, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono and others bear witness to the greatest untold American music story. (Documentary)

Running from Crazy (Director: Barbara Kopple) — Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, strives for a greater understanding of her family history of suicide and mental illness. As tragedies are explored and deeply hidden secrets are revealed, Mariel searches for a way to overcome a similar fate. From two-time Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple. (Documentary)

Touchy Feely (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother's foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.” Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Scoot McNairy, Ellen Page, Josh Pais. (Narrative)

Upstream Color (Director and screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins. Winner of a US Dramatic Special Jury Award for Sound Design at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and from the director of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival US Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic-winning film Primer. (Narrative)

History of the Eagles Part One (Director: Alison Ellwood) — Iconic American rock band the Eagles have earned countless awards and sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, including the best-selling album of all time. Using never-before-seen home movies, archival footage and new interviews with all current and former members of the Eagles, this documentary provides an intimate look into the history of the band and the legacy of their music. Includes an extended Q&A with the Eagles. (Documentary)

Peaches Does Herself (Director and screenwriter: Peaches) — On the advice of an old stripper, Peaches makes sexually forthright music. This electro rock opera follows Peaches' rise in popularity and her love affair with a beautiful she-male that ultimately leads her to realize who she really is. Cast: Peaches, Danni Daniels, Sandy Kane, Mignon, Sweet Machine Band, Jolly Goods. Sundance London will also host a performance by Peaches. (Narrative

Sleepwalk With Me (Director: Mike Birbiglia, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti. Winner of the Best of NEXT <=> Audience Award, Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated, at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Includes an extended Q&A with director and screenwriter Mike Birbiglia, moderated by comedian Jimmy Carr. (Narrative)

In Fear (Directed and story by: Jeremy Lovering) — Trapped in a maze of country roads with only their vehicle for protection, Tom and Lucy are terrorized by an unseen tormentor exploiting their worst fears. Eventually they realize they've let the evil in – it’s sitting in their car. Cast: Alice Englert, Iain De Caestecker, Allen Leech. (Narrative)

The Look of Love (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriter: Matt Greenhalgh) — The true story of British adult magazine publisher and entrepreneur Paul Raymond. A modern day King Midas story, Raymond became one of the richest men in Britain at the cost of losing those closest to him. Cast: Steve Coogan, Anna Friel, Imogen Poots, Tamsin Egerton. (Narrative)

The Moo Man (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Co-director: Heike Bachelier) — A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve’s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. (Documentary)

The Summit (Director: Nick Ryan) — Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers' code, he might still be alive. Winner of the Editing Award: US Documentary at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (Documentary)

The Apocalypse (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Zuchero) — Four uninspired friends try to come up with a terrific idea for how to spend their Saturday afternoon.

Black Metal (Director and screenwriter: Kat Candler) — After a career spent mining his music from the shadows, one fan creates a chain reaction for the lead singer of a black metal band.

The Date (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Toivoniemi) — Tino’s manhood is put to the test in front of two women when he has to host a date for Diablo, the family’s stud cat. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Irish Folk Furniture (Director: Tony Donoghue) — In Ireland, old hand-painted furniture is often associated with hard times, with poverty, and with a time many would rather forget. In this animated documentary, 16 pieces of traditional folk furniture are repaired and returned home. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: Animation at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Jonah (Director: Kibwe Tavares, Screenwriter: Jack Thorne) — When two young men photograph a gigantic fish leaping from the sea, their small town becomes a tourist attraction in this story about the old and the new. From the director of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Grand Jury Prize-winning film FISHING WITHOUT NETS.

Reindeer (Director: Eva Weber) — A lyrical and haunting portrait of reindeer herding in the twilight expanses of the Lapland wilderness. Winner of a Short Film Special Jury Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Until the Quiet Comes (Director and screenwriter: Kahlil Joseph) — Shot in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts, Los Angeles, this film deals with themes of violence, camaraderie and spirituality through the lens of magical realism. Winner of a Short Film Special Jury Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Whiplash (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — An aspiring drummer enters an elite conservatory’s top jazz orchestra. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: US Fiction at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

The Whistle (Director: Grzegorz Zariczny) — Marcin, a lowest-leagues football referee who lives in a small town near Krakow, dreams of better times. At his mother’s urging, he decides to change his life and find himself a girlfriend and a better job. Winner of the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

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