julianne moore is gloria bell - curzoncinemas.com · european union media programme at the time of...
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MARCH - APRIL 2019 ISSUE 73MAY - JUNE 2019 ISSUE 74
JULIANNE MOORE IS
GLORIA BELLMAY - JUNE 2019 ISSUE 74
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4
As summer follows a chilly spring and mild winter, it isn’t just the weather that’s becoming increasingly difficult to predict: the seasonal film calendar is throwing up a few surprises of its own. After a bashful film awards race, we have a rush of acclaimed gems arriving late for the party, in a period when it’s usually only Hollywood that takes on the sun.
We have films from some of the world’s most established filmmakers. There’s Claire Denis’ High Life, a cerebral sci-fi starring Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche. And Asif Kapadia (Amy) is back with a portrayal of egomaniacal footballer Diego Maradona that, like his thrilling F1 documentary Senna, will appeal to audiences beyond a sports fan base.
Dexter Fletcher is likely to follow the huge success of Bohemian Rhapsody with Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton as Elton John. And Oscar winners Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman) and Julianne Moore (Still Alice) unite for Gloria Bell, a moving, witty and empowering divorcee drama.
Brady Corbet directs Natalie Portman in Vox Lux, while Oscar-winner László Nemes follows up his powerhouse debut Son of Saul with Sunset. And Hollywood star Olivia Wilde makes her directorial debut with the delightful high school graduation comedy Booksmart.
Our touring film club Voyager (p.40) includes Alice Rohrwacher’s critically acclaimed and Cannes-winning Italian drama Happy as Lazzaro, as well as comedian Simon Amstell’s Benjamin and Woman at War, an environmental drama seared with Icelandic humour.
As the industry debates when a film should be permitted to play digitally in the home, we’re committed to bringing you the best from all that’s available, both films that can be streamed legally on the day of its cinema release and those held back from the home for several months (which is the preference of the major chains). For those of you who can’t make it to one of our venues, Gloria Bell, Vox Lux, Sunset, Birds of Passage and many more titles will be available on Curzon Home Cinema.
CINEMAS 6
MEMBERSHIP 8
CURZON ON DEMAND 12
CURZON SELECTOR 14
BERTHA DOCHOUSE 16
NEW RELEASES 18
EVENTS 42
FEATURES 48
CONTENTS
EditorIan Haydn Smith
DesignerHannah Attwell
Contributors: Jake Garriock | Briony Hanson | Leigh Singer | Justin Johnson | Peter Strickland
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IN CINEMAS MAY 27
"HILARIOUS…A RIOTOUS CELEBRATION OF SISTERHOOD"
ERIC KOHN, INDIEWIRE
"FANTASTIC… AN EPIC NIGHT OF BAD BEHAVIOUR"
JOHN DEFORE, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"AN INSTANT CLASSIC"
BRIAN TALLERICO, ROBEREBERT.COM
★ ★ ★ ★ ★EMPIRE
"SUPERDOPE... HYSTERICAL"RODRIGO PEREZ, THE PLAYLIST
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9
C U R Z O N M E M B E R S
MEMB
ERS MEMBERS’ PREVIEWS
Members’ preview screenings throughout May and June will include
BIRDS OF PASSAGE See page 23 for synopsis
SUNSET See page 27 for synopsis
IN FABRIC See page 36 for synopsis
For venues and times, go to: CURZONCINEMAS.COM/MEMBERSPREVIEWS
CURZON MEMBERSHIP CURZON.COM/MEMBERSHIP
To make sure you have access to exclusive members’ previews, priority event cinema booking, free tickets and much more, join Curzon membership. Prices start from only £40. Our standard member benefits are:
4 FREE TICKETS | DISCOUNTED TICKETS | NO BOOKING FEES | DISCOUNTED FOOD + DRINK | DISCOUNTS ON CURZON HOME CINEMA | CURZON12 | PREVIEWS + PRIORITY BOOKINGS | AND MUCH MORE…..
STUDENT FILM FANS CURZON.COM/STUDENT
You can now sign up for FREE cinema membership. Join Curzon Student at your local venue or online at curzon.com/student
START STREAMINGCurzon members can access all the titles on Curzon12 for free. Members automatically have a Curzon cinemas account, so just sign in and the collection will be yours to enjoy.
Find out more at:CURZONCINEMAS.COM/CURZON12
YOU’RE INVITED!GLORIA BELL OPENING NIGHTJoin us for cocktails and a DJ set to celebrate the opening of Sebastián Lelio’s new film, starring Julianne Moore.
For venue details go to: CURZONCINEMAS.COM
Sunset
A R E T H A F R A N K L I N
WITH JAMES CLEVELAND AND THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CHOIR
ONLY IN CINEMAS MAY 10
THE VOICE OF A LEGEND.THE PERFORMANCE OF A LIFETIME.
“SOUL-SHAKING”ROGEREBERT.COM
“PURE, SOARING JOY”JAMES KING, BBC RADIO 2
“A SUBLIME CONCERT FILM”THE FILM STAGE
“MESMERISING”HEYUGUYS
“SPINE-TINGLING”NPR
“EXTRAORDINARY”VOX
“TRANSCENDENT”THE TELEGRAPH
“ARETHA FRANKLIN’S PERFORMANCEIS ELECTRIFYING”
LOS ANGELES TIMES
“ONE OF THE GREAT MUSIC FILMS”THE NEW YORK TIMES
★★★★MOJO
★★★★★ROLLING STONE
★★★★★JORDAN HOFFMAN, THE GUARDIAN
A R E T H A F R A N K L I N
THE VOICE OF A LEGEND.THE PERFORMANCE OF A LIFETIME.
“SPINE-TINGLING”NPR
“ARETHA FRANKLIN’S PERFORMANCEIS ELECTRIFYING”
LOS ANGELES TIMES
13
RECOMMENDED
COLETTE 13 MAY Keira Knightley plays the eponymous French novelist in this sumptuous portrait of her early life, when she moved from the countryside to Paris, married a rascal who put his name to her early writings and fought to define her own identity in the world. There couldn’t be a better time for the release of a film that looks at an early example of a woman battling gender discrimination. It’s a fascinating drama, with Knightley and co-stars Dominic West and Denise Gough offering up spirited performances.
VICE 3 JUN Adam McKay follows his Oscar-nominated Wall Street satire The Big Short with this take-down of the former US Vice President and bona fide power behind the throne, Dick Cheney. Christian Bale is almost unrecognisable in the lead role, aping his subject’s mannerisms to perfection. Likewise, Amy Adams, Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell excel as his wife Lynne, mentor Donald Rumsfeld and erstwhile boss George W. Bush.
COMING SOON:DESTROYER 27 MAYBURNING 27 MAYTHE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER 3 JUNSTAN & OLLIE 3 JUNGREEN BOOK 10 JUNIF BEALE STREET COULD TALK 10 JUN
O N D E M A N D
DISCOVERGems not to be missed
ON THE BASIS OF SEX 24 JUN Ruth Bader Ginsberg has already been the subject of an excellent documentary portrait. In Mimi Leder’s drama, she’s portrayed by Felicity Jones, at the point in her life when the later Supreme Court judge is starting out in law and facing a barage of opposition from the establishment, which regards the world of jurisprudence as strictly male.
IN CINEMAS. ON DEMANDFilms that appear on Curzon Home Cinema the same day that they are released in cinemas – allowing you to watch them your way.
BIRDS OF PASSAGE 17 MAY | See page 23 for synopsis
SUNSET 31 MAY | See page 27 for synopsis
GLORIA BELL 7 JUN | See page 28 for synopsis
IN FABRIC 28 JUN | See page 36 for synopsis
VOX LUX Director: Brady Corbet Starring: Natalie Portman, Raffey Cassidy, Jude Law, Stacy Martin, Jennifer Ehle, Christopher Abbott, Logan Riley Bruner, Willem Dafoe
What’s it like to be a global pop star? Is it all glitz or does a darker world exist beyond the lights? Opening with a life-changing tragedy, Brady Corbet’s (The Childhood of a Leader) hugely accomplished second feature is a fascinating portrait of a young girl’s rise to superstardom and the pressures upon her to remain at the top. It features songs by Sia and a driving score by the late, great Scott Walker.
3 MAY ON CURZONHOMECINEMA.COM
ON D
EMAN
D
X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX TBC
Phoenix, formerly Jean Grey, is one of the mainstays of X-Men lore – Charles Xavier’s protégé, whose powers far outstrip her mentor’s and soon pose an imminent threat to mankind. Simon Kinberg’s film promises to be the defining cinematic version of this story, with the regular cast from the re-booted version of the series joined by Jessica Chastain as a potentially malevolent force. See page 29
BEATS 18
Take a sample of Human Traffic (1999) and the energy of Northern Soul (2014) and you have the essence of Brian Welsh’s follow-up to his acclaimed In Our Name (2010) and The Rack Pack (2016). Ostensibly a drama about two friends embarking on new paths in their lives, the film throws us into the heart of 1990s rave culture, perfectly capturing the hedonism of the scene. See page 23
CURZON SELECTORMEMBERS OF THE CURZON TEAM PICK THEIR FAVOURITES FROM THE UPCOMING RELEASES
Support The Girls, 2018
SUPPORT THE GIRLS 15
Andrew Bujalski was one of the pioneers of the early 2000s film movement known as Mumblecore – low-budget comedies that centred around groups of people in their early 20s. He has since moved on to the hilarious Computer Chess (2013), Results (2016) and Support the Girls, which addresses gender politics from a sharp and savvy perspective. It’s dominated by Regina Hall’s stunning performance. See page 33
YESTERDAY TBC
Danny Boyle teams up with writer Richard Curtis for this slice of alternate universe comedy drama. In his About Time (2013), Curtis had family members who could travel in time. In Yesterday, the world’s power shuts down for a moment and struggling musician Jack is involved in a road accident. When he awakens, everything is the same except for one change – the Beatles never existed. But Jack remembers them. See page 36
NT LIVE: SMALL ISLAND 15
A huge cast (over 40) take to the stage in Helen Edmundson’s thrilling adaptation of beloved British writer Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel. It tells the Windrush story from the perspective of various people, whose hopes for the future lie in a new land, but who cannot escape the ties that bind them to their past. See page 44
woman at war
A Film By Benedikt Erlingsson
IN CINEMAS 3 MAY www.womanatwar.film
/womanatwarfilmuk #womanatwarfilm
“Hilarious and heartwarming” Vulture
HHHHBBC Radio
HHHHHThe Upcoming
HHHHHNew Internationalist
HHHHTotal Film
“Wonderful”Los Angeles Times
“Delightful”Variety
HHHHThe List
“Joyous” Total Film
“Fantastic”Slant Magazine
HHHHLittle White Lies
“Surprising, touching and funny”New Internationalist
19
NEW
REL
EASE
S VOX LUX 15
Director: Brady CorbetStarring: Natalie Portman, Raffey Cassidy, Jude Law, Stacy Martin, Jennifer Ehle, Christopher Abbott, Logan Riley Bruner, Willem Dafoe
US 2018 | 115 mins+ CURZON HOME CINEMA
A tragic, all-too-common incident catapults Celeste on to the world stage and international pop stardom. Raffey Cassidy plays the young Celeste, with Natalie Portman taking over as the singer, jaded and despondent, in the present day. Brady Corbet’s second feature is as original as is previous The Childhood of a Leader. But here, he hones in on the corrupting nature of celebrity.
OPENS: FRI 3 MAY
TOLKIEN 12A
Director: Dome KarukoskiStarring: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Patrick Gibson, Genevieve O’Reilly, Pam Ferris, Colm Meaney, Derek Jacobi, Craig Roberts, Mimi Keene
US 2019 | 112 mins
How did the world of Middle Earth come into being? Dome Karukoski’s drama recreates the early life of author J.R.R. Tolkien, from his childhood fantasies about far-way lands and the creatures that inhabit it, and the friendships he forged at university, to the impact of the great war upon his psyche and the generation cut down by it. Nicholas Hoult plays the author, whose experiences informed an alternate universe.
OPENS: FRI 3 MAY
N E W R E L E A S E S
AMAZING GRACE U
Directors: Alan Elliott, Sydney PollackStarring: Aretha Franklin, Reverend James Cleveland, Alexander Hamilton, C.L. Franklin, Bernard Pretty Purdie, Clara Ward, Chuck Rainey
US 2018 | 87 mins
In 1972, Aretha Franklin performed two nights of gospel music at a church in Los Angeles. The recording became one of her biggest selling records. But it was also filmed by Sydney Pollack and after more than 45 years can finally be seen. It’s a magnificent, breathtaking and moving testament to the power of the First Lady of Soul.
OPENS: FRI 10 MAY
WOMAN AT WAR TBC
Director: Benedikt Erlingsson Starring: Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurðarson, Juan Camillo Roman Estrada, Jörundur Ragnarsson, Gunnar Bersi Björnsson, Helga Braga Jónsdóttir
Iceland 2018 | 101 mins Icelandic with English subtitles
Halla loves the vast unspoiled beauty of her native Iceland, but she fears the intrusion of big industry and its threat to the environment. So, she becomes a one-woman army, waging war on behalf of nature. Of Horses and Men director Benedikt Erlingsson delivers an hilarious satire with a big heart and a soundtrack to die for.
OPENS: FRI 3 MAY
EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE TBC
Director: Joe BerlingerStarring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, John Malkovich, Grace Victoria Cox, Angela Sarafyan, Sydney Vollmer, James Hetfield, Morgan Pyle
US 2019 | 108 mins
Ted Bundy could have been an American everyman. Even following his arrest and the machinations of the trials to convict him, he asserted his innocence until his guilt was beyond any doubt. Zac Efron is impressive as Bundy in acclaimed director Joe Berlinger’s (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) intelligent drama, which explores how the brutal killer balanced the two sides of his life.
OPENS: FRI 3 MAY
IN CINEMAS JUNE 21 ©2019 Disney/Pixar
THE ADVENTUREOF A LIFETIME
@DisneyPixarUK #ToyStory4@disneystudiosuk@Disney_UK
@DisneyPixarUK #ToyStory4@disneystudiosuk@Disney_UK
@DisneyPixarUK #ToyStory4@disneystudiosuk@Disney_UK
@DisneyPixarUK #ToyStory4@disneystudiosuk@Disney_UK
22 23
N E W R E L E A S E S
BIRDS OF PASSAGE 15
Directors: Cristina Gallego, Ciro GuerraStarring: Carmiña Martínez, José Acosta, Natalia Reyes, Jhon Narváez, Greider Meza
Colombia, Denmark, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland 2018 | 126 mins | Wayuu, Spanish + English with English subtitles+ CURZON HOME CINEMA
The filmmakers behind Embrace of the Serpent replace stark monochrome with an explosion of colour in telling this true-life account of Waayu tribe members in northern Colombia who, from the late 1960s, dominated the marijuana trade. But the film transcends genre trappings to present a fantastic vision of this world..
OPENS: FRI 17 MAY
BEATS 18
Director: Brian Welsh Starring: Cristian Ortega, Lorn Macdonald, Martin Donaghy, Brian Ferguson, Ryan Fletcher, Laura Fraser, Rachel Jackson, Neil Leiper, Lorn Macdonald
UK 2019 | 101 mins
Jonno has reached a moment in his life when he needs to move on from the small Scottish town he lives in. By contrast, best friend Spanner seems destined to remain there. When they find out about a local rave being organised, the two lads see it as their moment for a final hurrah. Brian Welsh’s (In Our Name, The Rack Pack) film captures the rush of the 1990s rave scene in this enjoyable coming-of-age drama.
OPENS: FRI 17 MAY
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM TBC
Director: Chad StahelskiStarring: Keanu Reeves, Asia Kate Dillon, Ian McShane, Halle Berry, Jerome Flynn, Jason Mantzoukas, Laurence Fishburne, Anjelica Houston
US 2019 | 122 mins
When we last saw Keanu Reeves’ eponymous ass-kicking hitman, he had broken a cardinal rule of the Continental club, the luxurious retreat for the criminally prosperous, by shedding blood on its property. On the run, with a $20 million-dollar bounty on his head and no refuge, things look tough for him in this stylised and supremely entertaining shoot-em up. Expect carnage. Lots of it.
OPENS: FRI 17 MAY
HIGH LIFE 18
Director: Claire DenisStarring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth, Lars Eidinger, Agata Buzek
UK, France, Germany, Poland, US 2018 | 113 mins
A group of convicts are sent on a mission to the edge of a black hole, in the hope of capturing some of its energy. But the doctor on board seems more interested in experimenting on her crew. Beau Travail and Let the Sunshine In director Claire Denis’ first English language production is an enigmatic trip into the cosmos featuring superb performances by Juliette Binoche, Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth.
OPENS: FRI 10 MAY
MADELINE’S MADELINE 15
Director: Josephine DeckerStarring: Helena Howard, Molly Parker, Miranda July, Okwui Okpokwasili, Sunita Mani, Felipe Bonilla, Lisa Tharps, Curtiss Cook
US 2018 | 93 mins
What’s bothering Madeline? It’s a key question in this enigmatic riddle of a film by acclaimed director Josephine Decker (Butter on the Latch), which features a standout performance from newcomer Helena Howard. Her Madeline is an actor and the film is an exploration of the boundary between fiction and reality. As is typical of a Decker film, the film plays with conventions in order to challenge the way we watch the drama unfolding on the screen.
OPENS: FRI 10 MAY
ARCTIC 12A
Director: Joe PennaStarring: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir
Iceland 2018 | 96 mins
An explorer crash-lands on an icy Arctic wasteland, hundreds of miles from civilisation. With little hope of rescue, he is forced to rely on his instincts to survive. Joe Penna’s hugely accomplished feature debut is a stark, minimalist variation on the Robinson Crusoe narrative and features Mads Mikkelsen in one of his finest performances as a man faced with his own mortality. If Robert Bresson had made a disaster movie, it might have looked something like this.
OPENS: FRI 10 MAY
N E W R E L E A S E S
24
N E W R E L E A S E SN E W R E L E A S E S
TUCKED 15
Director: Jamie PattersonStarring: Derren Nesbitt, Jordan Stephens, April Pearson, Steve Oram, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Ruben Crow, Joss Porter, Brendon Burns
UK 2018 | 81 mins
Jack is an over-the-hill drag performer. Faith is a non-binary singer just entering the game. They spark up a friendship that soon proves beneficial to both. Jamie Patterson’s understated drama, sensitively portraying an inter-generational friendship, profits from a superb performance by Derren Nesbitt, whose best-known role before this was as the blond-haired Gestapo officer in Where Eagles Dare..
OPENS: FRI 17 MAY
ALADDIN TBC
Director: Guy RitchieStarring: Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Marwan Kenzari, Alan Tudyk, Billy Magnussen, Nasim Pedrad, Navid Negahban, Numan Acar
US 2019 | TBC mins
The Disney live-action juggernaut continues with this update of the 1992 animation. Guy Ritchie takes the helm for a battle of wits that sees the evil Jafar out to gain control of a desert kingdom, with only Jasmine and the eponymous hero standing in his way. All eyes will be on Will Smith, who takes over from Robin Williams as the Genie. But there’s so much more to enjoy in this escapist adventure.
OPENS: WED 22 MAY
26 27
THUNDER ROAD 15
Director: Jim CummingsStarring: Jim Cummings, Kendal Farr, Nican Robinson, Jocelyn DeBoer, Chelsea Edmundson, Macon Blair, Ammie Masterson
US 2018 | 90 mins
Jim Arnaud is a cop cop unlike any other US law enforcement officer you’ll have seen on the screen. That’s because Jim is in the midst of a life crisis – the moustache is a giveaway – that finds his innermost fears rising uncomfortably to the surface. Jim Cummings’ film, in which he also stars, is a brilliant character study, an unsettling comedy of ill manners and a genuine American indie treasure.
OPENS: FRI 31 MAY
N E W R E L E A S E S
SUNSET 15
Director: László NemesStarring: Juli Jakab, Susanne Wuest, Evelin Dobos, Vlad Ivanov, Levente Molnár, Judit Bárdos
Hungary, France 2018 | 142 mins Hungarian + German with English subtitles + CURZON HOME CINEMA
Budapest on the brink of the First World War is a city in denial. There are rumblings of discontent but the bourgeoisie are either unwilling or too self-obsessed to notice. But Írisz Leiter senses it. She has returned to settle old scores but is plunged into a world of conspiracies. László Nemes’ (Son of Saul) powerful second feature is a richly detailed tapestry of a world undergoing seismic change.
OPENS: FRI 31 MAY
Reginald Kenneth Dwight officially became Elton Hercules John in early 1972. But by that time, with four albums to his name, he was known to the world as Elton John. Dexter Fletcher continues in the vein of Bohemian Rhapsody with the story of the star’s rise to prominence and worldwide success. He’s aided in no small part by his Eddie star Taron Egerton, who brings the perfect combination of tenderness and outrageousness to the role.
OPENS: WED 22 MAY
Director: Dexter FletcherStarring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Richard Madden, Stephen Graham, Tate Donovan, Harriet Walter, Charlie Rowe, Gemma Jones
US, UK 2019 | TBC mins
ROCKETMAN TBC
28 29
N E W R E L E A S E S N E W R E L E A S E S
BOOKSMART 15
Director: Olivia WildeStarring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Skyler Gisondo, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Billie Lourd, Molly Gordon, Diana Silvers, Jessica Williams
US 2019 | 105 mins
Amy and Molly have spent their entire school life working towards a place at an Ivy League college, only to discover that those who had partied the hardest would be joining them. Now, with just one night before the end of term they are determined to catch up. Olivia Wilde’s hilarious comedy offers up the perfect fratgirl movie, with Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein hilarious as the young odd couple.
OPENS: FRI 31 MAY | PREVIEWS FROM 27 MAY
GLORIA BELL 15
Director: Sebastián LelioStarring: Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Michael Cera, Caren Pistorius, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Rita Wilson, Alanna Ubach, Sean Astin, Chris Mulkey
US 2018 | 102 mins+ CURZON HOME CINEMA
A divorcee in her 50s, Gloria Bell works as an insurance agent, is a supportive mother to her children and frequents a singles bar that plays classic 1970s and 80s hits. It’s there that she meets Arnold. He seems great but cracks soon appear. Sebastián Lelio’s (A Fantastic Woman, Disobedience) US version of his 2013 Chilean hit is made perfect by Julianne Moore and John Turturro’s note-perfect performances.
OPENS: FRI 7 JUNE
X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX 15
Director: Simon Kinberg Starring: Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jessica Chastain, Kodi Smit-McPhee
US 2019 | TBC mins
The X-Men saga returns and this instalment’s focus is one of the key myths of the team’s history – the transformation of Jean Grey into Phoenix. Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner takes centre stage as the most powerful mutant, while Professor Xavier, Magneto and their allies attempt to win her influence.
OPENS: FRI 7 JUNE | PREVIEWS FROM 5 JUNE
HALSTON TBC
Director: Frédéric Tcheng Featuring: Liza Minnelli, Marisa Berenson, Joel Schumacher, Naseem Khan, Pat Cleveland, Karyn Bjornson, Alva Chinn, Nancy North
US 2019 | 120 mins
Roy Halston Frowick, better known by just his middle name, was a doyen of 1970s American couture. Frédéric Tcheng’s (Dior and I) affectionate documentary, featuring an eclectic and entertaining line-up of interviewees, along with wonderful archive footage, is both a portrait of the man and the era in which he reigned supreme.
OPENS: FRI 7 JUNE
LATE NIGHT TBC
Director: Nisha Ganatra Starring: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Ike Barinholtz, Amy Ryan, Hugh Dancy, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Dennis O’Hare
US 2019 | 100 mins
The host of a late-night talk show suspects her long tenure may be coming to an end, so decides to inject some new blood into her writing team. Enter Molly Patel, who might just be the person to save the day. Emma Thompson and writer-star Mindy Kaling are perfect sparring partners in this entertaining and witty TV-set comedy.
OPENS: FRI 7 JUNE
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN THE BEATLES. EVERYONE EXCEPT JACK…
FROM THE ACADEMY AWARD® WINNING DIRECTOR OF SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
AND THE WRITER OF
LOVE ACTUALLY
YesterdayMovie.co.uk
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN THE BEATLES. EVERYONE EXCEPT JACK…
FROM THE ACADEMY AWARD® WINNING DIRECTOR OF SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
AND THE WRITER OF
LOVE ACTUALLY
IN CINEMAS JUNE 28
32 33
N E W R E L E A S E S
SUPPORT THE GIRLS 15
Director: Andrew BujalskiStarring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, Zoe Graham, Ann McKaskey, Elizabeth Trieu, Krista Hayes, Victor Isaac Perez, James LeGros
US 2018 | 93 mins
Andrew Bujalski’s hugely enjoyable comedy revolves around the Double Whammies bar and restaurant. It focuses on the daily life and troubles of its all-female staff, who are bullied by Cubby, their tyrannical owner and comforted by Lisa, the manager. She’s played by Regina Hall who gives an outstanding star turn. Bujalski’s film is a smart, vividly-drawn portrait of contemporary blue collar life in the US.
OPENS: FRI 28 JUNE
TOY STORY 4 TBC
Director: Josh CooleyStarring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Kristen Schaal, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger
US 2019 | TBC mins
Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bo Peep, Rex, Hamm, the Potato Heads and Slinky Dog are all back. And this time they’re joined by makeshift toy Forky in the fourth Toy Story adventure from the inspired creative stable of Pixar. We can expect adventure, comedy and more than a little heart as the team once again set out to prove that there’s nothing in the world that’s more important than your friends.
OPENS: FRI 21 JUNE
WE THE ANIMALS 15
Director: Jeremiah ZagarStarring: Sheila Vand, Raúl Castillo, Evan Rosado, Josiah Gabriel, Isaiah Kristian, Terry Holland
US 2018 | 94 mins
Based on Justin Torres’ rhapsodic, poetic novel, Jeremiah Zagar’s film focuses on three bi-racial siblings, Manny, Joel and Jonah, who run wild in the countryside of upstate New York. It finds them embarking on a series of adventures, discovering the world around them, and has justifiably been compared to Moonlight in its structure and for the way the film glides through the highs and lows of childhood.
OPENS: FRI 14 JUNE
DIEGO MARADONA TBC
Director: Asif KapadiaFeaturing: Diego Armando Maradona
UK 2019 | TBC mins
After his Oscar-winning Senna and the moving portrait of the iconic singer Amy, acclaimed British filmmaker Asif Kapadia turns his attentions to arguably the most famous (and notorious?) football player of all time. Assembled from 500 hours of previously unseen footage and interviews, this is the definitive story of Diego Maradona, a man who inspires passion and outrage in equal measure, but who has never been anything less than a living legend.
OPENS: FRI 14 JUNE
N E W R E L E A S E S
A Life of Love, Courage & Fellowship
N I C H O L A S
H O U LTL I L Y
C O L L I N SC O L M
M E A N E YD E R E K
JAC O B IA N D
IN CINEMAS MAY 3
A Life of Love, Courage & Fellowship
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IN FABRIC TBC
Director: Peter StricklandStarring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Gwendoline Christie, Leo Bill, Hayley Squires, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Julian Barratt, Steve Oram
UK 2018 | 118 mins+ CURZON HOME CINEMA
British filmmaker Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy, Berberian Sound Studio) once again draws on cinema’s rich past for his portmanteau retro-horror that revolves around a creepy department store and a possessed dress. It’s a darkly humoured, late-night tale with more than a few deliciously shocking twists.
OPENS: FRI 28 JUNE
WHERE HANDS TOUCH 12A
Director: Amma AsanteStarring: Amandla Stenberg, George MacKay, Abbie Cornish, Christopher Eccleston, Simon Harrison, Tom Goodman-Hill
UK 2019 | 122 mins
The latest drama by British director Amma Assante (Belle, A United Kingdom) unfolds in 1930s Germany, as the Nazis are increasing their stranglehold on the country. A young woman (Amandla Stenberg) of mixed race falls in love with a member of the Hitler Youth, but soon finds herself caught up in a world of hate. The result is a powerful portrait of a dark era.
RELEASE TBC
YESTERDAY TBC
Director: Danny BoyleStarring: Himesh Patel, Ana de Armas, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, James Corden, Ed Sheeran, Joel Fry, Lamorne Morris, Sophia Di Martino
UK 2019 | 112 mins
Imagine a world in which the Beatles didn’t exist. That’s what Jack experiences when he comes around after a road accident. But he does remember the Fab Four and when he starts playing their music he becomes a sensation. Written by Richard Curtis, Danny Boyle’s whimsical comedy also features cameos by James Corden and Ed Sheeran.
OPENS: FRI 28 JUNE
N E W R E L E A S E S
ALSO SHOWING IN MAY AND JUNE
BFI SOUTHBANKCINEMAS | BFI SHOP | BFI REUBEN LIBRARY | CAFÉS
KUBRICK
THE VICTORIAN FILM WEEKENDER
THE CINEMA OF HIROKAZU KORE-EDA
PLAYING THE BITCH
THE ORIGINAL SIN OF CLAIRE DENIS
Image: M
etropolis
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ON DVDAND BLU-RAY
20TH MAY
A Film by Julian Schnabel
A RELEASE
Available at
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The Guardian Independent.ie Empire
VINCENT VAN GOGH
The DrawIt’s a Joanna Hogg film. For the last decade, the British filmmaker has taken a scalpel to middle class life, peeling away the layers of niceties and exposing the venality of her character, with both hilarious and affecting results. After the word-of-mouth critical success of her feature debut Unrelated (2007), Hogg achieved wider success with Archipelago (2010). Both starred Tom Hiddleston and went some way to cementing his early reputation as one of our brightest new stars. Exhibition followed in 2013. Starring Viv Albertine and Liam Gillick, the film explored two artists and partners as they attempt to excavate their own working/living space under one roof. Featuring stunning sound design, the film found Hogg at her most austere and compelling.
A Cinematic DiptychHogg’s latest film The Souvenir, is the first in a two-part drama that centres on Honor Swinton Byrne’s young film school student and her toxic relationship with Tom Burke’s cynical civil servant. Tilda Swinton also joins the cast, playing her real-life daughter’s mother. Drawing on Hogg’s own youthful experiences, this is immaculate filmmaking.
OPENS: FRI 30 AUGUST+ CURZON HOME CINEMA
THE SOUVENIR TBC
ON YOUR RADARN E W R E L E A S E S
WOMAN AT WAR TBCDirector: Benedikt Erlingsson
BENJAMIN 15Director: Simon Amstell
CHILDREN OF THE SNOW LAND PGDirectors: Zara Balfour, Marcus Stephenson
HAPPY AS LAZZARO 12ADirector: Alice Rohrwacher
BEATS 18Director: Brian Welsh
VOYAGER PROGRAMME MAY-JUNE
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: CURZON.COM/VOYAGER
With so many films released each week and only a limited number of screens upon which to show them, there's always a chance that you might miss out on a hidden gem or a title from around the world. That's where Voyager comes in.
Each month, Curzon cinemas around the country will offer you a chance to see a film outside the normal programme – something that will engage, perhaps even provoke, but always entertain.
For May and June, Voyager will travel to Iceland, Nepal, Italy, Scotland and more.
For more info, tickets and the full programme, please visit: curzoncinemas.com/voyager
EVEN
TSE V E N T S
DOCDAYS
EATING ANIMALS ADV 15+ Q&A WITH FILMMAKER
CHRISTOPHER QUINNDate: Fri 7 June | 18:30 Where: Oxford
Date: Sat 8 June | 15:00 Where: Soho
UK 2018 | 94 mins
Based on novelist Jonathan Safran Foer’s memoir and narrated by Natalie Portman, this fascinating film looks at what we eat and how it is prepared for us.
INQUIRING NUNS ADV 12A+ SKYPE Q&A WITH
DIRECTOR GORDON QUINNAND A PANEL DISCUSSION
Date: Mon 27 May | 18:30 Where: Soho
Date: Tue 28 May | 18:30 Where: Oxford
US 1968 + 2008 | 90 mins
Two young Catholic nuns crisscross Chicago, from a supermarket to the Art Institute to church on Sunday, in order to ask random strangers the question, “Are you happy?” Two films, made 40 years apart, look at changing values in society.
Also available on CURZON HOME CINEMA
SUNSET 1535mm SCREENING + INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER LÁSZLÓ NEMESDate: Mon 6 May | 19:30 Where: SohoDate: Wed 29 May | 19:00 Where: OxfordDate: Fri 31 May | 19:30 Where: Soho
Go to page 27 for synopsis.See page 47 for details of Sunset on tour
IN FABRIC 18+ INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER PETER STRICKLANDDate: Fri 7 June | 18:15 Where: Soho
Go to page 36 for synopsis.See page 47 for details of In Fabric on tour
CARNIVAL OF SOULS 12A35mm SCREENING + AN INTRODUCTION BY PETER STRICKLAND Date: Fri 7 June | 21:30 Where: SohoDirector: Herk Harvey US 1962 | 110 mins
Peter Strickland has picked a key cinematic influence over In Fabric to show following a screening of his new film.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK GO TO CURZON.COM
CURZON Q&As
TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG 12A+ PLUS INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER DOMINGA
SOTOMAYOR CASTILLODate: Fri 24 May | 18:15 Where: Bloomsbury Director: Dominga Sotomayor CastilloChile, Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands, Qatar 2018 | 110 minsSpanish with English subtitles
A group of youngsters enjoy newfound freedom in Chile’s democratic republic. But danger is just as likely to come from nature, as it is from society in this atmospheric drama.
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ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
Where: Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
THE ROYAL BALLET TRIPLE BILLDate: Thu 16 May | 19:15 | 195 mins approx
Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour (with music by Vivaldi and Bosso), Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern (featuring Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs) and a new commission by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui make up this terrific programme.
PROKOFIEV’S
ROMEO AND JULIETDate: Tue 11 June | 19:15 | 195 mins approx
Kenneth MacMillan’s classic 1965 production is revived here, drawing out the majesty of Prokofiev’s music and the tragedy of Shakespeare’s play.
L I V E E V E N T SL I V E E V E N T S
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Where: Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
THE TAMING OF THE SHREWDate: Wed 5 June | 19:00 | 210 mins
16th-century England is re-imagined as a matriarchy in Justin Audibert’s inventive production.
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE
Where: Aldgate Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
ALL MY SONSDate: Tue 14 May | 19:00 | 165 mins
Sally Field and Bill Pullman star in this production of Arthur Miller’s classic play.
SMALL ISLANDDate: Thu 27 June | 19:00 | 170 mins
A cast of 40 actors bring Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of writer Andrea Levy’s celebrated Windrush novel to the stage.
The Taming of the Shrew, Royal Shakespeare Company
Romeo and Juliet, Royal Opera House
BOLSHOI BALLET
Where: Knutsford Oxford Ripon Victoria
BIZET / STRAVINSKY
CARMEN SUITE / PETRUSHKADate: Sun 19 May | 16:00 | 210 mins
Shchedrin’s suite of Bizet’s popular opera sits alongside Stravinsky’s thrilling drama in this unique double bill.
AUSTRALIAN BALLET
SPARTACUS 133 minsDate: Wed 8 May | 17:30 Where: Oxford Victoria
Date: Wed 8 May | 18:00Where: Canterbury Knutsford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Wimbledon
Aram Khachaturian’s sumptuous music features in choreographer Lucas Jervies’ thrilling recounting of the legendary slave uprising.
NORTHERN BALLET
VICTORIA 120 minsDate: Tue 25 June | 17:30 Where: Knutsford Oxford Richmond Ripon Victoria
Date: Tue 25 June | 18:00 Where: Canterbury
Date: Tue 25 June | 18:15 Where: Sheffield
Date: Wed 26 June | 17:30 Where: Wimbledon
This prestigious company unveils a new production. Choreographed by Cathy Marston (Jane Eyre), this is a euphoric celebration of the British monarch’s life.
METROPOLITAN OPERA
Where: Bloomsbury Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria Wimbledon
POULENC’S
DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES Date: Sat 11 May | 17:00 | 209 mins
A convent faces the horrors unleashed by the French Revolution in Poulenc’s masterpiece, whose shattering climax ends in a deathly silence.
ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA ENCORE
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN’S
PIRATES OF PENZANCE 130 minsDate: Tue 18 June | 17:00 Where: Oxford
Date: Tue 18 June | 17:30 Where: Knutsford Ripon Victoria
Date: Tue 18 June | 18:00 Where: Aldgate Bloomsbury Sheffield
Date: Wed 19 June | 17:30 Where: Wimbledon
Mike Leigh’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s sea-bound operetta returns to the ENO.
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN’S
THE MIKADO 150 minsDate: Tue 2 July | 17:00 Where: Ripon Oxford Victoria Wimbledon
Date: Tue 2 July | 17:30 Where: Knutsford Sheffield
Date: Tue 2 July | 18:00 Where: Aldgate Bloomsbury
Jonathan Miller’s hugely acclaimed account of life in the Japanese royal court remains one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operettas
GLYNDEBOURNE 2019
Where: Knutsford Mayfair Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria
MASSENET’S
CENDRILLON (CINDERELLA)Date: Sun 30 June | 17:30 | 180 mins
The ultimate summer opera festival returns. Actor-director Fiona Shaw opens this year’s programme of Glyndebourne productions with Massenet’s sensuous adaptation of the classic folk tale.
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FESTIVALS
OXFORD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALDate: 9-12 May Where: Oxford
Curzon Oxford welcomes back the Oxford International Film Festival for its fourth edition. The programme will comprise a series of features, documentaries, shorts and discussions. For more information on the programme, go to curzoncinemas.com/oxiff or oxiff.com.
SHEFFIELD DOC/FESTDate: 6-11 June Where: Sheffield
Once again, Curzon will host a number of the films and events that make up one of the most exciting, vital and important
documentary festivals in the world cinema calendar. For more information go to curzoncinemas.com/docfest or sheffdocfest.com.
SPECIAL EVENTS
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - ASBURY PARK: RIOT, REDEMPTION, ROCK & ROLL Date: Wed 22 May | 18:00 | 130 minsWhere: Oxford Richmond
Date: Wed 22 May | 18:15 | 130 minsWhere: Victoria Wimbledon
Date: Wed 22 May | 21:00 | 130 minsWhere: Aldgate Canterbury Knutsford Sheffield Soho
Bruce Springsteen plays to a home crowd in this thrilling concert recording.
TAKE THAT: GREATEST HITS LIVE Date: Sat 8 June | 19:45 | 150 minsWhere: Knutsford Oxford Ripon
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen will likely bring the house down with this live recording from their 2019 tour.
MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE Date: Tue 21 May | 18:00 | 130 minsWhere: Knutsford Ripon Victoria
This perennially popular ballet returns for a one-off night at the cinema.
QUEERBEE: IDENTITY 12ALGBTQ+ SHORT FILM PROGRAMMEDate: Thu 6 June | 18:30 | 78 minsWhere: Soho
We welcome this wonderful collection of four shorts that explore contemporary LGBTQ+ issues. The screening is followed by a Q&A with directors Jake Graf and Louise Marie Cooke, with Jac Nunns and Angie West from QueerBee, hosted by Ingo Cando of Wotever World.
EDIBLE CINEMA: LABYRINTH 18Date: Thu 9 May | 18:30 | 98 minsWhere: Mayfair
Our partners at Edible Cinema have concocted a delicious delight to accompany the screening of Jim Henson’s fantasy classic.
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN
VAN GOGH & JAPAN 85 minsDate: Tue 4 June | 18:30 Where: Canterbury Colchester Knutsford Oxford Richmond Ripon Sheffield Victoria
Date: Sun 9 June | 11:00 Where: Mayfair
As Tate Britain explores the relationship between Van Gogh and Britain, this is a chance to see how Japanese art influence the Dutch painter’s work.
E V E N T S
THE DIRECTORS OF SUNSET + IN FABRIC
LÁSZLÓ NEMES + PETER STRICKLANDARE TAKING THEIR FILMS ON A TOUR OF THE UK
SUNSET 15
35mm SCREENINGS + INTERVIEW WITH LÁSZLÓ NEMES
MON 6 MAY CURZON SOHO
SAT 11 MAY EDINBURGH FILMHOUSE
SUN 12 MAY GLASGOW FILM THEATRE
WED 15 MAY BFI SOUTHBANK
SAT 18 MAY WATERSHED, BRISTOL
SUN 19 MAY HOME MANCHESTER
WED 22 MAY PHOENIX CINEMA
SAT 25 MAY LIGHTHOUSE DUBLIN
SUN 26 MAY IFI DUBLIN
WED 29 MAY CURZON OXFORD
FRI 31 MAY CURZON SOHO
FRI 31 MAY GLASGOW GFT
SAT 1 JUNE EDINBURGH FILMHOUSE
SUN 2 JUNE NEWCASTLE TYNESIDE
MON 3 JUNE MANCHESTER HOME
TUE 4 JUNE SHEFFIELD SHOWROOM
WED 5 JUNE NOTTINGHAM BROADWAY
THU 6 JUNE BRISTOL WATERSHED
FRI 7 JUNE CURZON SOHO
+ Q&A WITH PETER STRICKLAND
IN FABRIC 18
ON TOUR
To celebrate her stunning performance in Gloria Bell, Briony Hanson reflects on the roles that have come to define Julianne Moore
FEAT
URES In the past, actresses have found significant film roles drying up
when they hit their mid-40s. Happily, those days appear to be a distant memory, as most weeks a new film features another age-appropriate tour-de-force from from a Cate, Viola, Nicole or Meryl. This is a huge relief, if for no other reason than it gives us more of Julianne Moore. And it doesn’t really get much better than Julianne Moore.
A quiet star – but a star nonetheless – Moore is back on screens this month in another killer role, leading the charge of older women looking for a second chance at life, with her expert turn as the titular free-spirited divorcee Gloria Bell. As an actor celebrated for her flawless portraits of emotionally tortured women, Moore’s latest finds her having a lot of fun with a considerably lighter role.
After taking her baby steps into the industry as a daytime soap regular in the mid-1980’s, and a few small but interesting forays on to the big screen (including an arresting turn in Robert Altman’s sprawling 1993 ensemble drama Short Cuts, in which she delivered a monologue that was all-the-more memorable because she delivered it while it while naked from the waist down), she hit her stride with Safe (1995). An unconventional and, with hindsight, chillingly prescient portrait of a woman allergic to modern life, Moore gave a quiet, controlled and interior performance that laid the foundation for her reputation as an indie darling. Not least because it was the touch-paper for her working relationship – something of a professional marriage made in heaven – with filmmaker Todd Haynes, as well as becoming a go-to performer in features
ALL ABOUT JULIANNE
F E A T U R E
Gloria Bell
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produced by Killer Films. (Christine Vachon’s production outfit, which kicked off at the height of New Queer Cinema and has been responsible for the output of many an interesting filmmaker since, from Haynes, Lisa Cholodenko and Tom Kalin to Wash Westmoreland & Richard Glatzer.)
Moore’s archetypal role can be identified as a woman keeping it together on the surface, but with an overwhelming crisis simmering just beneath. It’s a trait she has perfected in films such as Safe, Magnolia (1999) and The Hours (2002). Famously grounded in real life (shrugging off accolades about the depth of her roles and the extent to which she immerses herself to get to dark places with ‘I’m just pretending’), she’s perhaps attracted to these roles because they’re so different from her own experience. But she’s also been happy to balance a catalogue of classy small-scale indie features with a solid slate of giant studio productions, from the Jurassic Park and Hunger Games franchises to Children of Men (2006) Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) and Suburbicon (2017). Presumably a way to pay the mortgage when the arthouse wage slips can’t, she’s clearly still having fun no matter the canvas she performs on.
Awards juries love her – memorably she’s still one of the few actresses to be nominated twice in the same year for different roles, in The Hours and Far from Heaven (2002). Coincidentally, both roles were 1950’s housewife mothers teetering on the brink of tragedy. To see them side-by-side
GLORIA BELL opens 7 JuneAlso available on CURZON HOME CINEMA
F E A T U R E
is to witness a masterclass in Moore’s acting, as she draws out a bottomless pit of suburban frustration in the former, while keeping a potential fountain of passion in check in the latter. She finally saw Oscar success in 2015, accepting the Best Actress award for Still Alice (2014), her extraordinary portrayal of an academic rapidly losing her fight with Alzheimer’s. A role that would have been easy to drown in mawkish sentimentality, Moore skewers it with a precision that takes your breath away, conveying the anguish of a brilliant woman on the edge of losing everything that is important to her.
Awards success means she gets the pick of the best parts and also those she collaborates with. (Although her recent comments about not playing Lee Israel in last year’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? show that even the most respected actors sometimes lose out on a role.) It explains how Moore ended up starring in Sebastián Leilio’s English language re-envisioning of his popular 2013 Chilean drama Gloria. A fan of that film, Moore is perfect in the new drama. While Lelio, whose credits also include the Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience (both 2017) is perhaps Moore’s most ideal director since Todd Haynes. Together, they have created one of the most vibrant characters Moore has played. From the scenes with her family, early dating sequences with John Turturro’s divorcee and moments of inspired, hilarious revenge, Gloria Bell once again proves that this is one Julianne we always want more of.
F E A T U R E
Safe The Hours Far From Heaven Still Alice
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Does history have a narrative? Or to be more precise, can our fleshy bodies and limited, intuition-driven minds ever hope to get a proper perspective on its movements and forces? When the storm clouds start to form, is there anything we can do to prevent the deluge to come, or does history have a momentum of its own?
The films of László Nemes embody this dilemma and make palpable its anxiety. In his astonishingly assured debut Son of Saul (2015), Nemes followed a sonderkommando into the horrors of Auschwitz. Throughout the film, the camera remained tight on the main protagonist, the edges of the frame out of focus. The technique disrupted our sense of time and place, preventing us from
understanding the layout of the camp or comprehending the workings of its schedules. As a viewer, we cease to be disinterested purveyors of a historical moment – where other Holocaust films have located us – but are thrown instead into the position of its victims, lost and confused in a machine of mechanized death.
In Sunset, Nemes’ astonishingly ambitious second film, he employs the same technique but to different ends. This time, his camera follows Irisz, a would-be hat maker, through the streets and lavish palaces of late- imperial Budapest. (How aware the denizens of this opulent but politically febrile society were that their world would soon be prefixed ‘late’ is one of the central questions of the
A NEW DAWNby Jake Garriock
László Nemes, the director of the Oscar-winning Son of Saul, takes us on a journey into the maelstrom of early 20th Century Hungary
film.) Irisz has returned to Budapest in search of her brother, but soon becomes embroiled in a number of complex but gradually unravelling plots. Is the luxurious hat boutique she works in a front for the sexual perversions of a corrupt elite? How deeply is her brother involved with a violent underground uprising that is spreading through the city? Nemes’ restricts our perspective in this world – we only ever know as much as Irisz. This sense of disorientation is not to elicit horror, as it was in Son of Saul, but to create in us a desire to know; to push open the doors in this closeted world, despite all warnings, in order to understand this seemingly chaotic world.
Sunset displays the trappings of a classical historical melodrama – the
cinematography would give any of the great period dramas a run for their money – it is the way it challenges its audiences that marks Nemes out as a radical, visionary artist. He doesn’t offer a potted history of the period. Instead, he returns us to a past mired in all its ambiguity, complexity and, eventually, chaos. Like any great film it leaves us with questions, not answers. The most haunting of which comes at the film’s conclusion: does any civilisation at the peak moment of its development, as extravagance edges towards decadence, hold within it the seeds of its own destruction.
SUNSET opens 31 MayAlso available on CURZON HOME CINEMA
F E A T U R E
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were settled, the film once again became premium property, with Pixar returning to the creative helm and devising new characters such as Stinky Pete and Jessie, the yodelling cowgirl. That film’s huge critical acclaim and subsequent box office success made a third feature inevitable, but created shimmers of disquiet among fans who just couldn’t believe that another sequel could ever live up to the high standards of the first two films.
Typically for Pixar, whose quality control has been almost consistently inspiring, Toy Story 3 defied the odds, in visual inventiveness and narrative verve. For some, it managed to improve upon the near-flawless brilliance of its predecessors. With Lots-O’ Huggin’ Bear and Mr Pricklepants (plus a cameo by Studio Ghibli’s Totoro), a high stakes climax involving an incinerator and a genuinely moving finale, the film became an instant classic and a fitting
way to sign off on a wonderful series. But film is an industry and success always
generates a desire to maximise profits. So, in late 2014 it was announced that a fourth Toy Story film was be going into production. There’s little doubt that the new film will be anything but a cast iron hit – the series is now so ingrained within popular culture that it couldn’t be anything but. And beyond any financial rewards, it’s hard to think of Pixar creating anything but another inspired entry to a series that is so much a part of the company’s identity – that it wouldn’t hit the mark in terms of dazzling visuals and storytelling finesse. It’s with such expectations that fans of the series, no matter their age, will come out from seeing the new adventure glad that Pixar decided to turn three into four.
TOY STORY 4 opens 24 June
F E A T U R E
In 2010, the arrival of Toy Story 3 rounded out one of cinema’s great trilogies. It was a smart, funny, character and narrative-driven delight. Moreover, emerging from the world of animation – a genre constantly overlooked as being of interest to children only – it overturned lazy assumptions.
This summer, Pixar sets its stall out once more by presenting the fourth instalment of their billion-dollar-earning franchise. Not much is known about the film at the moment
except that it sees the return of Little Bo Peep (complete with 21st century values) and the debut of a confused art and crafts creation named Forky, who has an existential crisis about whether or not he is a toy.
Looking back to 1999, it’s incredible to think that Toy Story 2 was almost released as a straight to video feature, the result of a disagreement between Pixar and Disney, who at that time were only a distribution partner. (They now own Pixar.) When the differences
THE GANG’S BACK!Pixar’s loveable toys return for a much-anticipated third sequel By Justin Johnson
F E A T U R E
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F E A T U R E
Booksmart is super smart. Super bad, even. Well, Superbad meets Lady Bird, if you’re into that whole cinematic cross-pollination thing. And what that description entails – a raucous, free-styling, last-day-of-high-school party quest, focused on two young women, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) – makes it a rarity in a field massively over-populated by teenage boys.
The film doesn’t stint on the typical cocktail of outrageous hi-jinks and fizzing hormones that define such coming-of-age comedies. But Booksmart is spiked with an unapologetic, atypical female perspective that’s as refreshingly honest and touching as is it hilarious. Molly doesn’t conform to standard high school movie-lead svelteness; Amy is an out lesbian with accepting – and devoutly Christian, no less – parents. And if you have a problem with this, that problem, the film makes clear, is yours.
Our two academically over-achieving best friends are about to graduate with their Ivy League places secure. The price of this promise of future success: all work and no play, which leaves them social outcasts from their peer group, but with a healthy sense of condescension towards those less industrious. Which is, pretty much everyone else. So, there’s a sudden and mounting sense of horror when Molly discovers that several of their supposedly slacker classmates have done equally well for college (or six-figure salary Google) placements, yet still partied hard. Left with one night before graduation, the ever-ambitious Molly persuades more reticent Amy that this is their last chance to cut loose. They just need to find the biggest party of the night.
Booksmart’s screenplay is by an all-star female quartet (whose credits include Isn’t It Romantic? and Celeste and Jesse Forever) and it’s the directorial feature debut of actor Olivia Wilde (Tron: Legacy, Drinking Buddies).
No coincidence, then, that the growing pains – and pleasures – of Molly and Amy, not to mention the diverse female characters, are rendered with non-stop zingers and inspired set-pieces that feel so real. There’s a constant play with stereotypes, but the film knowingly amps them up to absurdist levels. The rich kid trying to buy his friends’ affection doesn’t just have a lavish party, he’s hired a cruise ship with its own staff and fireworks display. Molly’s hot guy crush fantasy becomes an elaborate dance number. Teen pressure to attain perfect physique isn’t explored through Amy and Molly’s own bodies, it’s depicted through a drug-fuelled, stop-motion Barbie-like sequence.
The many hilarious scenes notwithstanding, the film remains emotionally authentic. Dever and Feldstein are outstanding, in gloriously geeky sync, yet beautifully delineated as individuals. Booksmart can censure and celebrate its young women because it knows them inside out; and, as any smart kid will tell you, that’s how you pass tests with flying colours.
BOOKSMART opens 31 May
SCHOOL’S OUT (FOREVER!)Olivia Wilde’s feature debut is a smart and hilarious gender spin on the normally male-oriented high school comedy
By Leigh Singer
F E A T U R E
SUMMER IN THE CINEMAAs we head into summer, we look forward to some of the films you can expect to see on Curzon Screens
Summer is just around the corner. And with it comes a line-up of great movies. There are the live action and animation blockbusters. But there’s also a selection of great dramas and comedies to choose from too. Disney are obviously bringing out their big hitters, starting with Aladdin and followed by The Lion King, which is directed by Jon Favreau, who already scored a big success with the live action version of The Jungle Book (2016). The Marvel juggernaut also ploughs on after the epochal shenanigans of Avengers Endgame with Spider-Man: Far from Home, the second feature outing for Tom Holland’s webbed wonder. Then there’s a new blockbuster franchise in the making with Artemis Fowl. On a smaller scale, Emma Thompson returns to the screen in Late Night, while Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki shine in Vita & Virginia. And Pedro Almodóvar takes up his favourite end of summer spot in UK cinemas for the much-anticipated 22nd feature Pain & Glory. Finally, if it’s edgier fare you’re after, you could do worse than look out for Midsommar, the latest horror from Hereditary writer-director Ari Aster and Quentin Tarantino’s exploration of the LA scene at the time of the Manson murders, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
F E A T U R EF E A T U R E
The Lion King
Aladdin
Late Night
Midsommar
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Artemis Fowl
Vita & Virginia
Pain & Glory
Spider-Man: Far From Home
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BIRDS OF PASSAGE opens 17 May Also available on CURZON HOME CINEMA
Ciro Guerra’s 2015 monochrome epic, which channelled the early features of Werner Herzog and the wayward excesses of Apocalypse Now (1979) whilst remaining utterly unique, felt like a bolt out of the blue. The director’s earlier The Wind Journeys (2009) and Wandering Shadows (2004) already hinted at Guerra’s attraction to offbeat characters (Variety described his debut as ‘Beckett goes to Bogota’) alongside journeys off the beaten track. But Embrace of the Serpent’s combination of scale and its
engagement with the blurring of history and myth was wildly ambitious.
With Birds of Passage, Guerra’s producer Cristina Gallego has joined Guerra as co-director. Their subject this time is the rise and fall of a real-life Colombian drug cartel. And it’s unlike any crime drama you’ll have previously seen – a world away from Hollywood and the sprawling Narcos series on Netflix. Unfolding in a pre-Escobar world and divided into five chapters (‘Wild Grass’, ‘The Graves’, ‘Prosperity’, ‘The War’ and ‘
RITE OF
PASSAGEThe filmmakers behind Embrace of the Serpent deliver an explosion of colour with Birds of Passage
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Limbo’), beginning in the late 1960s and spanning two decades, Birds of Passage focuses on members of the indigenous Wayuu tribe in Colombia’s mineral-rich north. Having failed reap any rewards from local mining operations (like the exploitation of rubber in Embrace of the Serpent) the tribe decides to dominate marijuana market. But ambition soon gives way to greed for one young man, which threatens everyone’s existence.
Guerra and Gallego set out their intentions in the film’s intoxicating opening scenes,
presenting a world of tradition and ritual. It’s here that we encounter domineering matriarch Ursula Pushaina (an excellent Carmiña Martínez). When she says, ‘I am capable of anything for my family and clan’, you believe her. There’s also a sense that Birds of Passage is no less fearless, willing to go where other films might fear to tread.
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SOUL MININGTwo concert films showcase Aretha Franklin and Bruce Springsteen at their best and drawing on their own complex past
In one of the many epiphanies in the lyrical, Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening, RaMell Ross’ camera pans across the congregation of an evangelical church, where men and woman are crying, some curled up on a pew, emotionally exhausted. At a window, a more composed woman breaks into song. Before she is also overcome, her voice breaks through the wailing, resulting in a moment of sweet rapture. Stretch those few seconds to the length of a feature documentary and you have Amazing Grace, a legendary performance of gospel hymns by Aretha Franklin, performed in a Los Angeles church in 1972.
The film itself has, over decades, gained something of a myth-like status for decades. Sydney Pollack had arranged with Warner Bros to film the two nights Franklin was preparing to sing at The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, just off Highway 110 in South Central Los Angeles. The minister there was Reverend Dr. James Edward Cleveland, an influential voice in the gospel music scene and an innovator in synthesising traditional black gospel, jazz, and contemporary pop and soul. He emceed the evenings, which were recorded and released as a double album, which remains the biggest selling release of Franklin’s 50-year career.
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by Ian Haydn Smith
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What to knowClaire Denis cut her teeth working as an assistant director on films by Costa Gavras (Hanna K., 1983), Wim Wenders (Paris Texas, 1984) and Jim Jarmusch (//Down by Law, 1986) before making her accomplished feature debut Chocolat in 1988. That film, like the later White Material (2009), drew on her experiences growing up in Africa. She returned to Paris for No Fear, No Die (1990), which looked at the world of cockfighting and underpinned Denis’ desire to focus on troubled
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souls existing on the edges of society. I Can’t Sleep (1994), Trouble Every Day (2001), The Intruder (2004) and Bastards (2013) followed in this vein. By contrast, Friday Night (2002), 35 Shots of Rum (2008) and Let the Sunshine In (2017) exude a romanticism that is intoxicating. Many of these films feature beautiful, haunting scores by The Tindersticks and front man Stuart Staples. Visual PoetryWith Beau Travail (1999), Denis took Herman Melville’s novella ‘Billy Budd’ and transposed it from the high seas to the arid desert landscape on the coast of Djibouti, on the horn of Africa. Denis Lavant plays a sergeant in the French Foreign Legion whose surprise at his desire for Gregoire Colin’s new recruit can only end in tragedy. The film finds Denis at her most sensuous – it’s shot by regular collaborator Agnès Godard – creating a heady atmosphere in an otherworldly environment.
New FrontiersDenis travels even further afield in High Life. With her Let the Sunshine In star Juliette Binoche, along with Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth, she heads into space for her first English-language feature. But this is no sci-fi blockbuster. It is a heady, even trippy, journey to the edges of a black hole, where a group of prisoners have been guaranteed their freedom if they can tap its energy. But the narrative is less important than Denis’ study of the way bodies interact in space and the result is yet another unique work by this singular filmmaker.
HIGH LIFE opens 10 MayCurzon Home Cinema’s Claire Denis Selection is available from 10 May
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AMAZING GRACE opens 10 May
ASBURY PARK: RIOT, REDEMPTION, ROCK & ROLL plays at Curzon cinemas on 22 May
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The film hit a snag the moment the rushes were developed. Much of the sound was out of sync with the images. The quality of the filming was also rough at times. So the film was shelved. (Bizarrely, Warners’ original plan was to release the film as part of a double bill with the Gordon Parks Jr. Blaxploitation crime thriller Super Fly.) Shortly before his death, Pollack gave the footage to music producer Alan Elliott. He spent two years gradually piecing together sound and image. But when it came to the film’s release, Aretha Franklin sued to stop it being screened. Various injunctions continued and the film was finally screened for the first time in November 2018, three months after the singer’s death.
Amazing Grace is compelling as a document of the times as it is a record of Franklin’s performance. The completed film is unfussy (the few moments of split screen highlight the various activity in the church, or emphasise a counterpoint between various voices or dancers during a specific song) and pays as much attention to the audience – which includes Mick Jagger on the second night – as it does Franklin. Her version of ‘The Old Landmark’, best known cinematically as the gospel song James Brown performs (with Reverend Cleveland’s choir) in The Blues Brothers (1980) is sublime, while the film’s title track is reconstructed as a showcase for the sheer power and spirituality of Franklin’s voice. At certain points, choir members respond ecstatically to the singer’s vocal gymnastics. She was the Queen of Soul who drew in pop, jazz and blues, but for these two evenings, Franklin paid her dues to the music that forged that extraordinary voice.
Just as Saving Grace unfolds against a recent past of racial tension in Los Angeles (the Watts Riots took place streets away in 1965 and Reverend Cleveland’s introduction hints at the troubles still plaguing the city and country), Tom Jones’ Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock & Roll takes a look at a legendary New Jersey music scene. on July 4, 1970, a race riot exploded on the streets of Asbury Park and what had been one of the most exciting music scenes on the East Coast came to an abrupt end. In contrast to the divisions in much of the US, the venues in this West Side district of New Jersey had helped bring people together. Jones’ film documents this scene, along with the rise of Bruce Springsteen and the Jersey sound, with footage of the singer-songwriter performing alongside Steve Van Zandt and Southside Johnny Lyon at a 2017 gig at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park.
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THE FILMS THAT MADE USTHE INFLUENCES BEHIND IN FABRIC
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that world and giving it a sensibility akin to ghost story author M. R. James: the smiling catalogue model who is no longer alive, the silent queues for the sales at dawn. Imagining M. R. James writing about the January sales in a Thames Valley town was a way to find the haunted within the prosaic.
Herk Harvey’s Carnival of Souls (1962) was another influence, but more for its uncanny atmosphere. I loved the film’s askew artifice, which led to other influences such as Edward Kienholz’s mannequin sculptures and ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos on YouTube. These influences might feel wilfully polar, but they fed into the world of flamboyant department stores with their strange mannequins and the sound of high gloss 80gsm paper in clothing catalogues being turned.
There were a few references such as Hugues Quester’s plastic bag yanking in Serge Gainsbourg’s Je t’aime moi non plus (1976) and Mel Gibson’s intimate leg-lock over Gary Busey’s head in Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon (1987). However, the biggest influence is actually from the small screen: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s The Office. It perfectly encapsulates the hopes and frustrations of my life as a temporary worker. Not as glamorous a reference as Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) perhaps, but then In Fabric is set on a British high street. IN FABRIC opens 28 JuneAlso available on CURZON HOME CINEMA
Peter Strickland is the director of In Fabric, The Duke of Burgundy, Berberian Sound Studio and Katalin Varga.
After making films that were prone to encouraging a ‘spot the reference’ approach, I tried to make something free of influences. The irony of adopting such a purge was that In Fabric became my most reference-associated film. Several cursed object films were cited by others as benchmarks for In Fabric, despite the fact I hadn’t even heard of any of them, which in itself is more embarrassing than the prospect of plagiarism. Similarly, the Italian thriller genre Giallo came up constantly, which again was not on my mind even though I’ve seen my fair share of those films.
Pop cinema, with its re-contextualization of imagery initially made for consumers, felt the closest to In Fabric. I loved the use of press clippings and catalogues in William Klein’s joyous Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? (1966), which evoked the mysterious world of department stores. It was a matter of taking
In Fabric
A F I L M B Y C L A I R E D E N I S
“A M A S T E R P I E C E. S E E K O U T A S E C O N D,
T H I R D A N D F O U R T H V I E W I N G A . S . A . P
B A R R Y H E R T Z , T H E G L O B E A N D M A I L
HHHHHL I T T L E W H I T E L I E S
HHHHHT H E G U A R D I A N
HHHHHS F X
“ I ’ V E N E V E R S E E N A N Y T H I N G L I K E I T
G L E N N W H I P P , L O S A N G E L E S T I M E S
R O B E R TPAT T I N S O N
J U L I E T T EB I N O C H E
A N D R ÉB E N J A M I N
M I AG O T H
O B L I V I O N A W A I T S .
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2019
“ A T H R I L L I N G , G R I P P I N G S T O R Y A B O U T S T A R D O M A N D G E N I U S ”DANNY LEIGH - FINANCIAL TIMES
FOURFOURTWO
★★★★★
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