Review - John Pilger's Utopia

Genre:
Documentary
Rating:
12A
Release Date:
15th November 2013 (UK)
Director:
John Pilger
Watch Utopia:
cinema listing here
Film Official Website:
Enter here

In new documentary Utopia, the Australian journalist John Pilger sets out to examine the suffering felt by his native country’s indigenous population, a problem caused by the British Empire’s colonisation of Australia.

Pilger’s film is a noble attempt to highlight the poverty and awful living conditions felt by the Aboriginal people, an issue that most of the world - and Australia’s European descendants – remain blissfully unaware of. This is made evident when Pilger interviews individuals whilst they are celebrating Australia Day, enquiring as to what the original population should take away from the country’s national day. Each interviewee shows incredible ignorance of the subject, stating that the Aboriginal’s want to live that way – in shacks with no running water or functioning toilet. Pilger also conducts interviews with members – past and present – of Australia’s government whose job it was to protect these people, and failed. Footage of Aboriginal living conditions today compared with that filmed several decades ago seems to show that nothing has changed at all.

In Utopia, Pilger firmly asserts that for such a wealthy country, Australia’s indigenous people should not be living this way; and that, this vast land was in fact never for the taking in the first place. These are issues that everyone should know about, but with a long running time combined with a slow, ponderous pace, the film may not appeal to the audiences that need to be informed.

UTOPIA is in cinemas from 15 November with a Nationwide Q&A with John Pilger on Monday 18 November at Picturehouse Cinemas. Available on DVD 2 December

★★★☆☆

Sophie Stephenson

Top American History Dramas (Parkland Feature)

PARKLAND is a historical drama recounting the chaotic events that occurred in the Parkland hospital and elsewhere in Dallas following John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In anticipation of the release of the new movie, we are taking a look at the top American historical drama films in cinema.

LINCOLN (2013)

Directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln is a historical drama that follows the final four months of Lincoln’s life, primarily focusing on his efforts to have the thirteenth amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the House of Representatives. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards winning Best Achieving in Production Design and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.

Argo (2012)

This nail biting thriller follows a CIA agent as he instigates an undercover mission to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980. The film is based on the CIA operative Tony Mendez’s book The Master of Disguise and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman. Argo received widespread acclaim and seven Academy Award nominations and won three, for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Picture. The film also won five Golden Globe Award nominations, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director.

The Patriot (2000)

The Patriot is an American historical war film depicting the story of an American, widowed, father of seven as he is swept into the American Revolutionary War when his family threatened by the British. The protagonist, Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), is a composite character based on four real American Revolutionary War heroes. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and became a classic American film.

Apollo 13 (1995)

The incredibly journey of Americas’ third Moon landing aboard Apollo 13 is portrayed through this docudrama film directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton. Surviving an on-board explosion which deprives the spacecraft of most of its oxygen supply and electric power, forcing an abort mission and struggling to get home, the film is packed with non-stop suspense. Apollo 13 received critical acclaim and was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning two. The film grossed over $335 million worldwide during its theatrical release and is an American classic.

PARKLAND (2013)

One of the most shocking moments in TV history, and a major event in the history of the United States and the wider world, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy set in motion events that would change lives, and the world, forever. The new film Parkland retraces the actions of some of the lesser-known players on that fateful day in 1963 – the staff of the Parkland Hospital, some of the bystanders, and members of the FBI and Secret Service. A must-see, delving into the details of the people behind the scenes, Parkland is the latest film to show an important drama in US history.

PARKLAND is released in the UK on November 22nd.

Darknet Webseries Launches Online With Vincenzo Natali Episode

Adapted from Japanese series Tori Hada Darknet has launched it's episode directed by Cube,Splice director Vicenzo Natali. Described as an bitsize nightmare journies into urban horror. 'Darknet offers snippets of people's lives being interrupted by vivid instances of unexpected violence or shocking strangeness. Shot in a visceral style that cranks up the creep factor, viewers become part of Darknet, a mysterious network of disturbing imagery and stories that exist just under the surface of our ordered and safe society.'

The series will run it's full episodes exclusively via newly relaunched Canadian channel Superchannel as well as Darknet website. A total of six episodes will be aired with the first episode starring David Hewlett and Michelle Alexander whose lives become intertwined with Darknet a website where people can submit strange tales of intrigue and murder.


Source: QuietEarth

Wes Anderson's New Castello Cavalcanti Short Honours Fellini

As the world awaits the arrival of Hotel Budapest, Wes Anderson treats us all with a 8 minute short Castello Cavalcanti.Comissioned by Italian fashion house Prada the short film time warps us back to 1955 and stars Jason Schwartzman who plays an American racing car driver. Whilst out with his cars driving through the Italian countryside during that years Molte Miglia when he crashes his car into a water fountain in a small rural town when a turn of events turn his troules into something he never expected.

Castello Cavalcanti is aesthetically what you expect from Wes Anderson film, quirky, vibrant as well as a chance for Anderson to pay homage to his cinematic heroes. Federico Fellini is honoured in this film with the Fellini's Amarcord the biggest source of inspiration, even the film's title is homage to one of Anderson's heroes Brazilian director Alberto Cavalcanti.

This not fashion film the closest  you'll see Prada in Castello Cavalcanti is probably the labels on the clothes the cast wore when this as shot, but this is one luxury item from the house of Prada everyone can afford to enjoy. This no ordinary film, it's an Wes Anderson short film, need I say more?

Film Review: How To Survive A Plague

Genre:
Documentary
Release Date:
8th November 2013 (UK, Cinema)
DVD (tbc)
Rating:
PG
Director:
David France

How to Survive a Plague is a film that was only released in UK cinemas last weekend, but which won a number of awards during last year’s film festival circuit; including the Boston Society of Film Critics best documentary, as well as winning in the same category at the Gotham Awards. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.

The documentary – directed by David France, and written by France, T. Woody Richman and Tyler Walker – provides an overview of the AIDS epidemic in New York City during the 80s, as both the casualties and the heinous reputation of its sufferers grew to extreme heights. As NYC Mayor of the time Ed Koch did little to act on the sweeping infection, activist groups such as ACT-UP (Aids Coalition to Unleash Power) and TAG (Treatment Action Group), led a powerful campaign in order to gain access to medication that was currently being denied to AIDS victims. Their movement also sought to alter perceptions of New York’s LGBT community, whose identity was, and still is, inherently linked to the spread of the virus.

France’s How to Survive a Plague is a work that should be applauded for bringing to our attention a struggle that was so intensively ignored during its time – a period not too long ago, where sick people were turned away from hospitals due to the stigma attached to their illness, and politicians and presidents recoiled in fear and disgust. Praise should also be given to the activist groups featured here, for the ceaseless filming and documenting of their meetings and campaigns; without which this production would not have been possible, and the struggle of this marginalised group would have remained unknown to its audiences. What France’s film ultimately achieves is in showing how meaningful change can occur when people are willing to stand up to their oppressors - there is a revolutionary spirit on display here which often feels lost in the current Twitter-age.

How to Survive a Plague is an affecting snapshot of a period of history, which remains relevant due to the comparable problems posed to others in similar situations today – albeit most likely on a different continent. A must see for non-fiction fans.

★★★★☆

Sophie Stephenson

The Moët British Independent Film Awards Announce Their 2013 Nominees

The nominations for the 16th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced today, at Saint Martins Lane, London by actor, BIFA Patron and previous winner, Ewan McGregor.

Joint Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards’ Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: “We would like to thank our dedicated members who viewed over 200 films, in an extremely competitive year. The variety of films submitted reached a new level this year with films covering a range of subject matters and genres that perfectly showcases the diversity and creativity at work in British independent filmmaking today. Now our wonderful independent jury, announced today, will have the unenviable task of choosing the winners who will be the first to receive the newly launched iconic signature trophy designed by Fredrikson Stallard, created by Swarovski at the Moët British Independent Film Awards.

The highest number of nominations this year goes to Starred Up with 8 nominations including Best British Independent Film, Best Director for David Mackenzie, Best Screenplay for Jonathan Asser, Best Actor for Jack O’Connell, and two Best Supporting Actor nominations for Rupert Friend and Ben Mendelsohn. The Selfish Giant picked up 7 nominations and Filth, Metro Manila and Le Week-end all picked up 5 nominations each.

Nominations for Best Actress go to Judi Dench for Philomena, Lindsay Duncan for Le Week-end, Scarlett Johansson for Under The Skin, Felicity Jones for The Invisible Woman and Saoirse Ronan for How I Live Now. Along with Jack O’Connell for Starred Up, leading men hoping to take home the Best Actor award include Jim Broadbent for Le Week-end, Steve Coogan for Philomena, Tom Hardy for Locke and James McAvoy for Filth.

Best Supporting Actor nominations go to John Arcilla for Metro Manila, Jeff Goldblum for Le Week-end, Eddie Marsan for Filth and the two Starred Up actors Rupert Friend and Ben Mendelsohn.

Siobhan Finneran for The Selfish Giant, Shirley Henderson for Filth, Imogen Poots for The Look of Love, Kristin Scott Thomas for The Invisible Woman and Mia Wasikowska for The Double are all nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Award.

Directors who have delivered dynamic debuts this year and are fighting for the Douglas Hickox Award are Charlie Cattrall for Titus, Tina Gharavi for I Am Nasrine, Jeremy Lovering for In Fear, Omid Nooshin for Last Passenger and Paul Wright for For Those in Peril.

Elsa Corbineau, Marketing Director Moët & Chandon: “Every year the talent pool recognised by the Moët British Independent Awards continues to inspire us with the depth and richness it represents. With a century-long history supporting the stars of the silver screen, Moët & Chandon is looking forward to celebrating the British film industry's achievements in a fittingly glamorous way at the Awards on December 8th”.

Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund comments: “Where other awards sometimes fear to tread, the MBIFAs puts the wild creativity of British independent filmmaking front and centre. This year we have witnessed a renewed confidence in bold UK filmmaking which has been recognised around the world and will inspire a new generation of talent. The BFI NET.WORK has been established to support extraordinary new voices who need a platform like the BIFAs to showcase their talent to the industry, and that’s why we are so pleased to support the Best British Short award this year.”

The Raindance Award nominees for 2013 include: Everyone’s Going to Die, The Machine, The Patrol, Sleeping Dogs and Titus. This award honours exceptional achievement for filmmakers working against the odds, often with little or no industry support. Elliot Grove, Founder of Raindance Film Festival and Moët British Independent Film Awards added: “Its a delight to see how In just a few years the BIFA nominations have become one of the most eagerly anticipated film events of the calendar year. Congratulations to all the nominees.”

The Pre-Selection Committee of 70 members viewed over 200 films, out of which they selected the nominations, which were decided by ballot.

The winners of The Moët British Independent Film Awards are decided by an independent jury comprised of leading professionals and talent from the British film industry.

The Jury for 2013 includes: Jury Chair - Penny Woolcock (Director), Antonia Campbell-Hughes (Actress), Art Malik (Actor), Ate de Jong (Director), Bart Layton (Director), James Floyd (Actor), Jill McCullough (Dialect Coach), Julien Temple (Director), Liza Marshall (Producer), MyAnna Buring (Actress), Natascha McElhone (Actress), Pippa Harris (Producer), Roland Gift (Musician), Sally El Hosaini (Director), Sandy Powell (Costume Designer), Steve Hamilton Shaw (Producer).

The winners will be announced at the much anticipated 16th awards ceremony which will be hosted by actor and BIFA Patron, James Nesbitt, who returns for his eighth year on Sunday 8 December at the impressive Old Billingsgate in London.

The awards ceremony will be streamed exclusively live on www.film3sixty.com/moetbifa from 8.00pm

The Moët British Independent Film Awards is proud to announce the following nominees for this year’s awards:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Sponsored by Moët &Chandon
Metro Manila
Philomena
The Selfish Giant
Starred Up
Le Week-end

BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by AllCity &Intermission
Jon S Baird – Filth
Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
Sean Ellis – Metro Manila
Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
David Mackenzie – Starred Up

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Charlie Cattrall – Titus
Tina Gharavi – I Am Nasrine
Jeremy Lovering – In Fear
Omid Nooshin – Last Passenger
Paul Wright – For Those in Peril

BEST SCREENPLAY
Jonathan Asser – Starred Up
Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
Steven Knight – Locke
Hanif Kureishi – Le Week-end
Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan – Philomena

BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics
Judi Dench – Philomena
Lindsay Duncan – Le Week-end
Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
Felicity Jones – The Invisible Woman
Saoirse Ronan – How I Live Now

BEST ACTOR
Sponsored by BBC Films
Jim Broadbent – Le Week-end
Steve Coogan – Philomena
Tom Hardy – Locke
Jack O'Connell – Starred Up
James McAvoy – Filth

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Siobhan Finneran – The Selfish Giant
Shirley Henderson – Filth
Imogen Poots – The Look Of Love
Kristin Scott Thomas – The Invisible Woman
Mia Wasikowska – The Double

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sponsored by Sanderson & Saint Martins Lane
John Arcilla – Metro Manila
Rupert Friend – Starred Up
Jeff Goldblum – Le Week-end
Eddie Marsan – Filth
Ben Mendelsohn – Starred Up

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sponsored by Studiocanal
Harley Bird – How I Live Now
Conner Chapman / Shaun Thomas – The Selfish Giant
Caity Lotz – The Machine
Jake Macapagal – Metro Manila
Chloe Pirrie – Shell

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Sponsored by Company3
A Field in England
Filth
Metro Manila
The Selfish Giant
Starred Up

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by LightBrigade Media
Shaheen Baig – Casting – Starred Up
Johnnie Burn – Sound Design – Under the Skin
Amy Hubbard – Casting – The Selfish Giant
Mica Levi – Music – Under the Skin
Justine Wright – Editing – Locke

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer
The Great Hip Hop Hoax
The Moo Man
The Spirit of '45
The Stone Roses: Made of Stone

BEST BRITISH SHORT
Supported by BFI NET.WORK
L'Assenza
Dr Easy
Dylan's Room
Jonah
Z1

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue is the Warmest Colour
Blue Jasmine
Frances Ha
The Great Beauty
Wadjda

THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Sponsored by Wentworth Media and Arts
Everyone’s Going to Die
The Machine
The Patrol
Sleeping Dogs
Titus

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
To Be Announced

THE VARIETY AWARD
To Be Announced

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 8th December

Blu-Ray Review - Federico Fellini's 8½

Genre:
Arthouse, World Cinema, Drama, Classic
Release Date:
11th November 2013 (UK)
Distributor:
Argent Films
Rating:
15
Director:
Federico Fellini
Cast:
Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo, Barbara Steele
Buy 8 ½: [DVD] or [Blu-ray]

8 ½ is one of those films like Citizen Kane or 2001: A Space Odyssey that every film critic pretty much agrees is one of the films that changed film forever. It’s a film that influenced a wide range of films from Brazil to All That Jazz and Woody Allen’s unfairly maligned Stardust Memories. The great Italian maestro film director Federico Fellini was at the helm and it’s quite possibly the greatest film ever made about making a film. 8 ½ was later adapted/remade at the musical Nine but the less said about that the better.

The plot concerns Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) who is a director who is having “director’s block” while trying to finish a science fiction film. Guido is quite obviously based on Fellini and Mastroianni was always director’s alter ego on screen. Guido’s marriage is failing apart and has lost interest in finishing the film. The film is a classic mixture of fantasy, memories and reality and at times it’s never clear which is which.

8 ½ like many of the truly great films like Citizen Kane or Brazil it’s all really a great big magic trick. Fellini was first and foremost a dreamer like Orson Welles and Terry Gilliam, who cites Fellini as his biggest influence and 8 ½ as his favourite film. He tried to make cinematic dreams with his great films and he plays around with time and space but also the form of cinema itself. Its both a film that plays with avant-garde film techniques but simultaneously is also extremely watchable and relatively commercial and in turn it’s a pitch-perfect juggling act.

Fellini was also a cartoonist (like Gilliam) and his post-Neo-Realist films certainly have a cartoonish take on life. The characters at times especially the female characters have an also caricature quality to them in the best possible way. It’s all shot in truly beautiful black and white widescreen by Gianni Di Venanzo who was the Italian cinematographer of the early 60s but he died very young sadly.

8 ½ has rightfully earned its reputation at simply one of the greatest film ever made. It’s really THE Fellini film and you really must experience the film if you haven’t already. It’s film like Citizen Kane that was one of the building blocks of modern cinema.

★★★★★

Ian Schultz

Wolf Children Will 'Howl' Onto Home Release This Christmas

Genre:
Anime, Japanese Animation
Distributor:
Manga UK
Rating:
PG
Format:
DVD & Blu-Ray
Release Date:
23rd December 2013 (UK)
Buy Wolf Children:
DVD / Collector's Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
When your kids get sick, do you take them to the doctor or the vet? That's the sort of dilemma faced by Hana, the young mother of boisterous Yuki and her timid little brother Ame. But then Yuki and Ame are no ordinary children: thanks to their wolf man dad, the two can transform into wolves at will! A charming modern folktale from internationally acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), Wolf Children is a beautiful, touching movie that will appeal to all ages, whether they're anime fans or not.

In March, Wolf Children scooped the prestigious Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year - an award that director Mamoru Hosoda also won with his previous film Summer Wars back in 2010.

Co-produced by Hosoda's own Studio Chizu and anime veterans Madhouse, Wolf Children earned over $50 million in Japanese cinemas, making it Japan's fifth highest grossing movie of 2012. Wolf Children has won multiple awards, not only in Japan but also in the US and Europe. Now the film after a very limited UK cinema & festival release now in December you will get a chance to own this film on DVD or Blu-Ray.

19-year-old Hana is studying at university when she falls in love with a mysterious classmate with a highly unusual secret - he is the last descendant of Japan's now-extinct grey wolves, and possesses the ability to transform into a wolf. Not daunted by this, Hana and her wolf man lover start a family, with energetic daughter Yuki ('Snow') soon followed by her more timid little brother Ame ('Rain').

But when tragedy strikes and her wolf man suddenly dies, Hana is left to cope with the two young children on her own - and both Yuki and Ame have inherited their dad's power to shift between human and wolf form. Moving to the countryside and the seclusion of an abandoned old house in the mountains, Hana hopes to raise her family away from prying eyes …but life's not that simple.

Part slice-of-life drama about the joys and tribulations of single mother Hana raising her half-wolf kids, part rite-of-passage movie about finding your place in the world, Wolf Children is a funny, moving and accessible film directed by a true anime great. With their mixed heritage, Yuki and Ame feel the pull of both sides of their nature …but which world will win out, the human or the wolf?


The Collector's Edition Bonus Disc Contents will include U.S. Actor & Staff Commentary,English Language Trailer,Stage Greetings
,PR Video Director’s Version 01 and 02,Promotional Video,Original Trailer and Original Teaser.
Wolf Children will be released by Manga UK on DVD and Blu-Ray 23rd December 2013.

Watch The Intriguing New Trailers For Kieth Sicat's Woman Of The Ruins

Here at Cinehouse we do love films that are full atmosphere with dark overtones, Kieth Sicat's Woman Of The Ruins certainly fits that bill. Part of Philippines Cinema One originals series a film  that provokes faith in religion possibly how much religion may affect your judgement when you cant fully understand something. That thing been the re-emergence of a woman whom a local village presumed was dead years after a cataclysmic event.

Below are 2 trailers for the film first one was a trailer released last week  show the impressive, intriguing film Woman Of The Ruins looks like be.The second trailer  more recently released a shorter trailer but reveals a little more of the films plot.The film stars Alessandra de Rossi, Arthur Acuña, Elizabeth Oropesa, Peque Gallaga, and Chanel Latorre.





source: Twitch

Literary Genius - Writers in Movies

Stuck in Love is a tale of complicated relationships, headed by divorced couple Bill and Erica, played by stars Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly. Bill is a writer suffering from a block since his wife left him for a younger man, but through his love of novels, his teenage children (Lily Collins and Natt Wolf) begin to find success in the industry. Here, we take a look at films which feature characters whose novelist skills mould the film they are in.

Ruby Sparks (2012)

Paul Dano plays Calvin Weir-Fields, a young novelist struggling to recreate the success of his first novel. Upon an assignment from his therapist, Calvin begins creating a female character named Ruby Sparks who he admits he’s falling in love with. One day he returns home to find Ruby alive and in his kitchen. Directed by duo Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (the couple behind 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine), Ruby Sparks is an original idea showcasing a novelist’s obsession with creating the perfect character.

Barton Fink (1991)

The Coen Brothers’ audacious mind-bender follows John Turturro’s New York City playwright who is hired to write film scripts in Hollywood; plagued by strange goings-on quite probably fuelled by the insurance salesman next door (played by Coen stalwart, John Goodman), Barton Fink encapsulates a writer’s frustration and downward spiral into a studio system that dictates what you can and can’t write.

The Player (1992)

Robert Altman’s satire follows Hollywood executive Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) who murders an aspiring screenwriter - played by Vincent D’Onofrio - he believes to have been sending him death threats. Perhaps most renowned for its opening sequence shot lasting 7 minutes (and 47 seconds, to be precise), The Player is a homage to the Hollywood studio system and the paranoia it may cause.

Misery (1990)

Look at most Stephen King adaptations and it’s a pretty good bet your lead character is a novelist; perhaps the most memorable however is Rob Reiner’s Misery, one of the tensest film-watching experiences on offer. James Caan plays the author Paul Sheldon, most famous for creating a series of novels featuring the heroine Misery Chastain. Pulled into safety following a car crash by ‘number one fan’ Annie Wilkes (an Oscar-winning Kathy Bates), Sheldon’s survival turns into a nightmare when Annie is none-too-pleased with the author’s decision to kill off Misery in the new novel. With both legs broken, Paul is forced to re-write a version to the liking of his captor.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Many of Woody Allen’s films feature a central character who is, in one way or another, a writer; whether he’s a comedian or a biographer, Allen loves to focus on characters with a taste for the literal. None more so than in Midnight in Paris in which Owen Wilson’s screenwriter Gil Pender is thrown back to the 1920s at the stroke of midnight during a visit to Paris with his pressurising fiancé, Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her overbearing parents. Whilst there, he encounters his literary influences - ranging from F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), Cole Porter (Yves Heck) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) whom agrees to take a look at his novel.

Adaptation (2002)

Spike Jonze’s bizarre semi-autobiographical film about screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s struggle to bring non-fiction story The Orchid Thief to the big-screen is the offbeat meta-film you’d expect from the blending of these two talents. Played by an on-form Nicolas Cage, Kaufman (and his fictional twin brother) is struck with writers block - heightened by his brother’s latest success in selling his script for six figures. Adaptation is a fulfilling yet surreal experience that gives you the impression of witnessing events as they are being written, such is the strange nature of this story.

Capote (2005)

We couldn’t write this list without including a biographical portrayal of a famous author, and we settled for Capote, then factual depiction of events that occurred in the lead-up to Truman Capote’s novel In Cold Blood. Oscar-winning Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the softly-spoken effeminate writer who is captivated by the news story he reads in The New York Times of a family friend finding the bodies of a family murdered in Kansas. Amongst other things, Bennett Miller’s film showcases the friendship between Capote and To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

This 1950s film noir stars William Holden as unsuccessful screenwriter Joe Gillis and Gloria Swanson as faded silent movie actress Norma Desmond, who draws him into a fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the big screen. Beginning with his death, Gillis narrates the events that led up to this moment.

Wonder Boys (2000)

This critically-acclaimed film from Curtis Hanson features Michael Douglas as a creative writing university teacher; bogged down by his new-found single lifestyle when his young wife leaves him, Grady Tripp is suffering from a serious bout of writer’s block. Things get worse when his editor (Robert Downey, Jr.) arrives in town to read his latest novel but express interest in one of his students (Tobey Maguire). A flop upon release, Wonder Boys has found love since and is a critical achievement.




Stuck In Love is out now on Digital Platforms and released on Blu-ray and DVD on 18th November 2013 from Koch Media