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by Chad Kennerk

Behind the scenes of The Greatest Hits: writer/director Ned Benson with David Corenswet, Lucy Boynton, and Austin Crute.

Photo by Merie Weismiller Wallace, All images courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Writer/director Ned Benson captivated audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, and beyond in 2014 with his astute, intimate look at a relationship torn apart by tragedy. Although The Greatest Hits technically marks Benson’s sophomore feature as writer/director, in a way, it’s also his fourth.

Conceived and shot as two films simultaneously, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her were later edited into a single film; Benson’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, which premiered at Cannes and opened in the U.S. in September of that year, with Him and Her later releasing together as a double feature the following month. The origin of his new film,...

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One of the most interesting experiments in recent years was filmmaker Ned Benson’s “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” Starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, with great supporting help from Viola Davis, William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert, Jess Weixler, Bill Hader, and Ciarán Hinds, the indie drama looks at the dissolution of a marriage from two perspectives: the husband and the wife. And so, three versions were eventually released: “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him,” that centered on James McAvoy’s point of view; “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her,” from Chastain’s perspective; and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,” a condensed version that cut down ‘Her/Him’ into one version. It’s a lot to digest, but we called it a “finely tuned and tenderly detailed love story of two people told on a cosmic scale…on the year’s greatest relationship films.” And for more, you can check...

Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have announced the home entertainment release of Ned Benson’s emotionally thrilling film, The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby.

Audiences can own this inspired example of “groundbreaking cinema” (Sasha Stone, Awards Daily) on digital download on January 23, 2015 before heading to DVD, Blu-Ray™ and On Demand February 3, 2015.

Both the DVD and Blu-Ray include bonus films, The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Her, giving the consumer the complete picture ofthe story as it was intended to be seen.

With his unique vision, writer/director Ned Benson ambitiously captures a complete picture of thehighs and lows of a relationship in a beautifully relatable portrait of love, empathy and truth, told from differing Him and Her perspectives. The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby elicits riveting performances from an acclaimed cast led by Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, and a richly...

By Anjelica Oswald

Managing Editor

From a newcomer award at the Deauville Film Festival in 2011 to a career tribute this fall, two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain has come a long way in just three years. This year, she has been a part of four films: Christopher Nolan’s potential best picture nominee Interstellar, which opens in select theaters Nov. 5; J.C. Chandor’s A Most Violent Year, which is opening AFI Fest Nov. 6; Liv Ullmann’s Miss Julie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival; and Ned Benson’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is a combination of 2013’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him.

After graduating from Juilliard in 2003, Chastain was plucked from relative obscurity by Al Pacino to star in his production of Salome at Los Angeles’ Wadsworth Theatre in 2006. Pacino chronicles...

But, no, I'm not talking about Dracula Untold or The Judge...

For Everyone:

Paddy Considine humbly requests that you see Pride this weekend! It's no longer an exclusive joy for New Yorkers and California residents. It's moved into several more cities in 19 more states so check your listings and see it. If you still need convincing, read our review and interview with the director (who is bringing the stage hit Matilda the Musical to the screen next).

For the Oscar Watchers:

You'll definitely want to check out Whiplash which can safely expect one nomination for J.K. Simmons in Supporting Actor (even though he's really a lead... same as it ever was) but it's the type of movie that might snowball given the enthusiasm and end up in the big race. (Here's Michael's review)

For the Actress Enthusiasts:

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby has finally arrived in its intended Her (Jessica Chastain...

Intense music drama Whiplash, already a big winner at Sundance and the Deauville American Film Festival earlier this year, should drum up plenty of audience interest in its debut this weekend, even though it faces a crowded specialty market that also features several other notable newcomers, including the Bill Murray comedy St. Vincent, Hilary Swank‘s You’re Not You and Jeremy Renner‘s Kill the Messenger. All are what I’d call “big” specialty releases, with big names attached that should attract big attention.

The weekend also includes what I’d call some “small” releases, including documentaries The Overnighters (another Sundance winner) and I Am Ali, about the former heavyweight boxing champion, alongside the Mormon Church-backed Meet the Mormons. All will be clawing for attention in a market that’s seen more than 30 films debut in the past three weeks.

That said, Whiplash should be a real career turner...

Last month saw the release of “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,” and next Friday brings the long-awaited release of the original version of the film, the two-part film “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her.” To get audiences excited about seeing second and third versions of the same story, the Weinstein Company has released a new clip from the movie, and a ten-minute Academy Q&A with writer-director Ned Benson has also surfaced. First up is the nearly-minute long clip of Jessica Chastain’s titular Rigby and James McAvoy’s Connor Ludlow having a romantic moment in a scene that appears to be from the ‘Them’ version. Next, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted a Q&A session with filmmaker Benson where he discusses meeting his future leading lady and producer, Chastain, at a film festival, how he ended up with Son Lux as the film’s composer,...

There’s a fine line between turning a romantic film into something unique and letting it slip into the void of Hallmark cheese. Thankfully, “The Disappearance Eleanor Rigby” aims for the former. In order to separate it from other like-minded projects, writer-director Ned Benson got risky. He split the film into two separate narratives, titling them “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her,” respectively. The finished product gives us a glimpse at the depths of heartbreak. Overall, it’s a tragic, emotional and ambitious project, anchored by two wonderful performances from actors Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. (For those un-interested in watching the full 202-minute version of the movie, a combined two-hour cut, entitled “Them,” is also getting a release this week.) I spoke with McAvoy (the film’s 'Him') in New York recently about the film(s). We discussed everything from the story...

Earlier this year, James McAvoy dazzled audiences as the psychic mutant Charles Xavier (known mostly by his cool superhero moniker Professor X) in the blockbuster "X-Men: Days of Future Past." In that movie, he was on one side of an embittered relationship with the leader of the mutant uprising, Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and the movie tried, with varying degrees of success, to show both sides of that relationship (and point-of-view).

Similarly, McAvoy returns to cinemas this week in "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them." Now, when the film played the Toronto International Film Festival last year and Cannes this year, it was split into two halves: "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him" and "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her." The "Him" chapter told the story of a crumbling relationship from McAvoy's perspective, while "Her" was completely devoted to the point-of-view of his ex-wife, played by always-wonderful Jessica Chastain. It's like...

There are two sides to every love story. And Ned Benson will tell both in this fall’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, which will hit the multiplex in three different versions. In October, we’ll see The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her, two separate movies which tell the story of the relationship between Conor (James McAvoy) and Eleanor (Jessica Chastain) first from Conor’s perspective, then from Eleanor’s. Before that, though, a condensed version titled The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them will arrive in September.

Though my preference is going to be for Benson’s original duology, the way he intended the movie to be viewed, all three films will undoubtedly be must-sees this fall. Now, an international trailer for Him and Her has arrived, utilizing split-screen to directly compare the two narratives. Check it out below.

Bill Hader, Jess Weixler,...

Okay, this might be confusing at this point, but here's the deal: "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby" is coming in three flavors this year. The originally conceived, two part movie "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him” and "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Her” will both open in limited release on October 10th. The condensed version, encompassing both narratives and simply titled “The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them” will arrive first on September 12th. Whichever version you come across first should be on your must-see list for the fall. Starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, the directorial debut from Ned Benson tracks Eleanor and Conor, who come together, fall in love and break apart. The 'Him' and 'Her' movies tell the tale from each of their perspectives, while 'Them' brings both together. You can read our feature Comparing And Exploring The Changes Between 'Eleanor Rigby: Them' And 'Eleanor Rigby: Him & Her' to.

The Weinstein Company will release the two-part awards hopeful The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her on October 10The combined version known as The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them that screened in Cannes will open in limited release on September 12 and expand one week later.The film stars Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy and received its world premiere at Toronto 2013. Myriad Pictures handles international sales and introduced the project to buyers

The Weinstein Company will release the two-part awards hopeful The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her on October 10

The combined version known as The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them that screened in Cannes will open in limited release on September 12 and expand one week later.

The film stars Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy and received its world premiere at Toronto 2013. Myriad Pictures handles international sales and introduced the project to buyers in Berlin 2012.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has scheduled a December 25 release for Kim Jong-un action comedy...

The Weinstein Company have announced an October 10th limited release date for "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her". Ned Benson's two films will be screened back-to-back in a slightly over three hour long cut from that date.

For those who balk at the idea of a film that long, a cut-together single two-hour narrative piece entitled "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them" will hit in limited release on September 12th.

Meanwhile, Sony Pictures has pushed its controversial comedy "The Interview" by two months. Originally slated for October 10th, the James Franco and Seth Rogen-led laugher about an attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will now open on Christmas.

It’s a unique and ambitious endeavor, one that took almost a decade to get off the ground and one that began before Jessica Chastain became a star. First-time director Ned Benson had wanted to make a relationship movie from the perspectives of both a male and female – though in fact it began as one screenplay and when Chastain said it didn’t really represent her viewpoint, the filmmaker hit a eureka moment and expanded on his story. The rest is history. And also, what was originally two films (which premiered last year at Tiff) — "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him” and 'The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Her” — was eventually cut into a third film entitled “The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them” (which screen at Cannes this past spring, though when it hits theaters, the “them” will likely get dropped from the title). To clarify, ‘Them’ is the condensed version that opens on Sept.

Briefly: The first trailer for the Cannes hit The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby debuted at the end of June, with a release date already set by The Weinstein company for a September 26th release. Now Deadline reports the film will arrive two weeks earlier on September 12th in limited release. But you might also recall that there will be two more versions of the film, The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her, each telling the two different sides of the crumbling love story between Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. Those films have now been dated for a release on October 10th. Apparently each of the films hold a unique perspective on the breaking romance, and we can't wait to see how it unfolds this fall.

Writer-director Ned Benson’s film got a 10-minute standing-o at Cannes, where it screened at a single, cut-together narrative piece. That version, called The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them, opens September 12 in limited release — two weeks earlier than originally planned. Now the Weinstein Company says it will bow the complete package, The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her, on October 10. Him/Her is two separate films, starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy as a couple whose marriage unravels, told from the man and the woman’s perspective. Nina Arianda, Jess Weixler, Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Ciarán Hinds, Isabelle Huppert and William Hurt […]...

Ukrainian director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy to present his short films as part of a talk at the film festival; two new titles added to programme.

Ukrainian director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, whose debut feature The Tribe screened at Cannes in May, is to present his short films at the Karlovy Vary International Film Fesitval on July 10.

The director will present his short films Diagnosis, Deafness and Nuclear Waste. The session will be held in Ukrainian with a translation to Czech only.

Kviff has also added two new titles to its programme: Gabe Polsky’s documentary Red Army, which premiered at Cannes, and Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January.

Also, instead of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, Kviff will present both original parts of the story directed by Ned Benson - The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her. The previously scheduled screening on July 4 is cancelled.

Writer and director Ned Benson’s ambitious love story drama was created to be two different movies with each serving as a companion to the other, and when it was first shown at Tiff last year, it was in two parts as The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Her.

As you might have realised, one took place from the point of view of James McAvoy’s character and the other from Jessica Chastian’s. However, a third version combining their stories – The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them – will be the one which is released in cinemas later this year.

The first trailer for that has now been released, and it gives us a very good idea as to what we should expect from the movie; it’s clear to see that McAvoy and Chastain share a lot of chemistry!

There has been a lot...

Every romance tells an elaborate story of the perspectives from two people. This is why romances are divided as "chick flicks" versus "made for men"', and never the twain shall meet. Writer-director Ned Benson upsets this balance with The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby , which just debuted its new trailer. The road to this film's existence is fairly unusual. Benson debuted his directorial debut at Cannes this year in a wildly different form, splitting the movie into The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Her - which are completely different films that will both gain arthouse releases through The Weinstein Company. But the studio is likely thinking Oscars with The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby, and as a means of raising the odds of that happening involves uniting the two films into one. The newly released official synopsis reads, With his unique vision, writer/director Ned...

Every romance tells an elaborate story of the perspectives from two people. This is why romances are divided as "chick flicks" versus "made for men"', and never the twain shall meet. Writer-director Ned Benson upsets this balance with The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby , which just debuted its new trailer. The road to this film's existence is fairly unusual. Benson debuted his directorial debut at Cannes this year in a wildly different form, splitting the movie into The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him and The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Her - which are completely different films that will both gain arthouse releases through The Weinstein Company. But the studio is likely thinking Oscars with The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby, and as a means of raising the odds of that happening involves uniting the two films into one. The newly released official synopsis reads, With his unique vision, writer/director Ned...

When Ned Benson showcased his two-part love story, “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her,” back-to-back at the Toronto International Film Festival, his work was hailed as groundbreaking. But then the Weinstein Co. and Benson decided to fuse the films together and offer an alternative single version, “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them.” Also read: Jessica Chastain's Rep on ‘True Detective': ‘She's Not Doing This Project Officially’ Coombining the two might sound like cop-out, a timid backpedal away from the avant garde, but the first official trailer is actually stunning. Fleeting moments between...

Ned Benson’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is a movie, but it’s also three movies, or three versions of the same movie. Benson set out to tell a love story from the perspectives of both the woman and the man, with each gender getting its own 95-minute movie. Then, for approachability and Weinstein reasons, Benson made a third film, which runs about two hours and is built as a more traditional movie, featuring both perspectives. All three films will be released, with the two-hour unified movie, called The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, getting a wide release on September 26; and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him getting a limited release later in the fall. Okay, with the logistics out of the way, let’s get to the story itself. The film(s) star(s) Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy as a...

Exclusive: I hear that the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s eagerly anticipated revival of Fool For Love is about to undergo a key casting switch: Out are leads Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit; Cinderella’s Prince in Disney’s upcoming bowdlerization of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods) and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under; USA Network’s upcoming Dig) ; in are Sam Rockwell (The Way Way Back) playing opposite Tony winner Nina Arianda (a sensation in Venus In Fur whose upcoming films include The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Barry Levinson’s The Humbling). Rockwell and Arianda play former lovers Eddie and May in Sam Shepard’s ferocious 1983 drama, […]...

Since 2012 we've known that The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was going to be two films split into His and Hers, telling the same story of a couple's disintegrating marriage, but from two different perspectives. Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy star in the films which debuted at Tiff just last year. However, you'll also find it listed on the line-up for the Cannes Film Festival as a single film with the running time of 1 hour and 59 minutes. So what's the deal there? Well, Deadline has learned The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is now actually three movies, and a new version will be playing at Cannes. The version of the film playing in France will be The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them. And as you might have guest, this film will be a more traditional presentation of the story, using both footage from both His and Hers to make up this...

In Competition is obviously the most prestigious place to play during the Cannes Film Festival, but the riches of the fest is such that the sidebar sections often have terrific discoveries too. Two new first looks have arrived from two films playing outside competition. The first is Lisandro Alonso’s “Jauja” starring Viggo Mortensen. It’s playing in the Un Certain Regard section alongside films like Ryan Gosling’s debut “Lost River” and Ned Benson’s “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” Starring Mortensen and Danish actress Ghita Nørby, “Jauja” centers on a Danish father (Mortensen) who, along with his daughter, settles in the desolate Jauja region in Patagonia Argentina. Essentially a desert that exists in a realm beyond the confines of civilization, it’s an inhospitable place. A bunch of new photos of the spare-looking film are below. Up next, we have a first look of “The Salvation” starring another Danish actor,...

Ned Benson‘s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, to hooting, hollering, and an air of general acclaim. So when this year’s Cannes Film Festival unveiled its lineup and Eleanor Rigby made the cut, I doubt anyone’s eyes were boggling out of their head, Tex Avery cartoon-style. Except for one pesky detail that made absolutely zero sense. On the official Cannes documentation, Eleanor Rigby is marked with the running time of one hour and fifty-nine minutes. Confused? You should be — not only is Eleanor Rigby not two hours long, but it’s not even one movie. To get the full Eleanor Rigby experience, you’ve got to watch it twice. Sort of. First, you see The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His, which chronicles the collapse of an extremely good-looking marriage from the perspective of its husband, played by James McAvoy. Then...

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i09 see what your favorite...

Two films that The Weinstein Company is bringing to Cannes this month have faced very different, complicated issues in the editing room -- resulting in multiple versions, or at least multiple visions for a single version, of festival opener "Grace of Monaco" and Un Certain Regard title "Eleanor Rigby." Just another day at the office for Harvey Scissorhands, then, though clarity seems to be arriving on both projects just in time for the start of the festival next week. "Eleanor Rigby" is the less contentious project -- one which isn't experiencing editing conflict so much as a desire to keep as many options open as possible. Ned Benson's debut film occupies the unofficial Un Certain Regard slot reserved annually for a standout from a previous festival -- usually Sundance, though in this case, the film first appeared (as "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby") at Toronto last year. The film that screens at Cannes,...

When it premiered at Toronto last Fall, writer/director Ned Benson's "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby," like monogrammed towels, appeared in two version: "Him," and "Her." Starring James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain, this three-hour-plus drama about the disintegration of a relationship could be seen from either perspective, respectively.  Once we knew that a new, two-hour cut -- now officially dubbed "Them" -- would be hitting la Croisette on May 17 in Cannes' Un Certain Regard, the real question became: what version will The Weinstein Company, who bought the film for some three million dollars at Tiff, unveil in theaters this Fall? The answer, folks, is all three. The Weinsteins have strategically slated the film for a September 26, 2014 release, with virtually no festival play between Toronto '13 and Cannes '14. According to Deadline, TWC plans to release all three cuts ("Him," "Her," "Them") of Benson's debut feature, which was originally Black Listed,...

Stay with me, folks. This is one of the most confounding and confusing tales of distributing a film in recent memory. Tiff favourite The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is set for release in theatres this fall. Or to be more exact, three releases in theatres this fall. One two-hour cut of the romance starring James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain, subtitled Them, will come out on September 26. A month to six weeks later, two films – one subtitled Him, following McAvoy’s character, and one subtitled Her, following Chastain’s – will come out in limited release.

So, moviegoers have two options: they can either see the truncated two-hour cut, or wait a few weeks and see two separate films that focus more on the respective stories of married couple Eleanor Rigby (Chastain) and Connor Ludlow (McAvoy). While this may not be hard to follow as a news story, it could be a...

Several years ago, Ned Benson set out to do an ambitious two-part film for his feature directorial debut entitled "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby".

Enlisting the help of actors Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, the result was two films, one subtitled 'Him' and the other 'Her', which both chronicled the disintegration of a marriage from different perspectives. Both films screened at Toronto last Fall.

Then came word a few weeks ago that The Weinstein Company would release the project in North America on September 26th, but it would be one film only - a two-hour cut that interweaves both perspectives and goes by the subtitle 'Them'. That one will premiere at Cannes this month.

Now, Deadline reports that TWC will release all three versions (Him, Her, Them) this Fall. 'Them' is the one that will hit cinemas on September 26th, with the longer two-film version scoring a limited art house...

Eleanor Rigby will be missing for a far shorter time period than first expected. Ned Benson's directorial debut, “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” premiered last year at Toronto as two different films, a pair of romantic dramas told from the perspectives of characters played by James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain. The companion pieces, which played back-to-back under “Him” and “Her” subtitles, won great acclaim at the festival, but it was unclear how they'd be viable in commercial theaters. Also read: Toronto: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain's ‘Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby’ Heading to Weinstein Co. The Weinstein Company bought the project for $3 million,...

When the Cannes Film Festival lineup was revealed last month, there was a curious entry in the Un Certain Regard category: Ned Benson's "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby." It was strange because, last September, the director hit the Toronto International Film Festival with a work-in-progress showing of the project as it was originally conceived—as two films: "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: His" and "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Hers" (read our review). The Cannes news made us wonder if Harvey Weinstein, who is signed up to distribute the film, had weighed in and kiboshed those original plans. The answer is much more complex, but the good news is, you'll be able to see all three cuts. Deadline reports that on September 26th, The Weinstein Company will release the two-hour Cannes cut, the newly-titled "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them" into theatres. Then later in the fall, "The Disappearance...

Exclusive: Ned Benson, who made his feature directorial debut on The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby, recalls his beleaguered editor Krissy Boden paraphrasing fellow editor Walter Murch that, “we write one film, we shoot one film, and we cut another film.” Murch was talking about the process of making a single film and not what Benson has done, which is to carve out three distinctly different versions of the same movie. The latest will play in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes. When Benson unveils his film on the Croisette on May 17, it will be his second international festival and the third version to appear at a festival. At Toronto last fall where The Weinstein Company bought the film for around $3 million, Benson debuted two versions of the film that stars James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain as a married couple whose relationship disintegrates. One version, which they call Him, showed...

On this week's podcast Nathaniel R (The Film Experience) grills Cannes enthusiast Nick Davis (Nick's Flick Picks) on the difference between the competitive slate, un certain regard, and director's fortnight. We discuss the complete competition lineup for 2014 and answer reader questions, too. 

00:01 Jane Campion and her jury

04:30 Un Certain Regard vs. Director's Fortnight 

08:00 Camera D'Or & The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby 

13:00 Ronit Elkabetz & Ryan Gosling's new films

16:00 Olivier Dahan's Grace of Monaco troubles 

18:00 The Competition Lineup

With sidebar chat on Olivier Assayas, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Mike Leigh, Dardenne Bros, Xavier Dolan, and Mike Leigh

37:30 Which directors should Cannes take a break from?

39:45 Hilary Swank and Best Actress

42:45 Nick and Nathaniel name least favorite Palme D'Or Winners

46:00 Juries of yore: Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Sally Field, Kathleen Turner, Quentin Tarantino

Who could have ever imagined this trio? Cannes...

The Weinstein Company has a pretty tight slate of prestige titles this year, a number of them likely set for the upcoming Oscar circuit. And indeed, today we're getting word that three of them are all lined up for prime awards season real estate on the release calendar, setting the stage for another slew of months in the trenches for Harvey and his team. Still, even a packed slate bursting with potential can be a bit of a burden. After all, the indie distributor is coming off a pretty busy but still skin-of-their-teeth Oscar season where a lack of overall campaign focus nearly cost them; for a while there, it was looking like none of TWC's many baity 2013 contenders was going to land a Best Picture nomination. But "Philomena" pulled it out, and I couldn't help but to congratulate Harvey at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on the night of...

It just might be Amy Adams year, but then again being an Oscar favorite this early makes for a very hard road ahead, especially when your film doesn't hit theaters until Christmas Day. Such is just the case for Tim Burton's Big Eyes, which Adams leads, playing painter Margaret Keane in the story focuses on her success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband (Christoph Waltz), who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s after much of her artwork was originally sold under his name... Thus begins our first look at the Best Actress race for the 2015 Oscars. Yes, Adams sits atop my field of 28 early contenders, a list that is certainly too long at this point and is certain to change as category fraud will likely play a role and fresh faces will soon emerge, perhaps as soon as within the...

The Weinstein Company has scheduled the Us release of three potential awards season contenders, including Benedict Cumberbatch starrer The Imitation Game on November 11.

The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby goes out on September 26 and Tim Burton’s Big Eyes on December 25. All films open initially in limited release except Big Eyes, which will open in a “moderate” release pattern.

Morten Tyldum directs The Imitation Game, the true story of British maths and computing genius Alan Turing, who cracked the German Enigma code in WWII and was driven to possible suicide in 1954 two years after he was prosecuted for being gay. Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode also star.

Writer-director Ned Benson conceived of The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby as a two-part his-and-her account of the disintegration of a romance. The drama debuted in Toronto last autumn as two separate films and discussions are ongoing as to what form the release will take.

Jessica Chastain and [link...

The Weinstein Company has announced Fall release dates for three of the most anticipated films on the 2014 docket, all of which have been strategically placed in the thick of awards season. But is the calendar written in ink? Don't bet on it. TWC is notorious for opportunistically moving dates as they see fit. Where, for example, is "The Giver" going to wind up.  Toronto hit "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" (September 26, 2014, limited) is a two-part love story seen through the eyes of both sides of one couple, played by Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. Costarring a dreamy cast including William Hurt, Viola Davis, Isabelle Huppert, Ciaran Hinds and Jess Weixler, the film is written and directed by feature-debut helmer Ned Benson. The original version of "Eleanor Rigby" clocked in at over three hours, but a two-hour cut will play Cannes' Un Certain Regard -- where the Weinsteins frequently situate their...

The Weinstein Co. has dated three of its upcoming films for release in 2014: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Benedict Cumberbatch starrer The Imitation Game and Tim Burton's Big Eyes. THR Cover: The Confessions of Benedict Cumberbatch The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, will have a limited release on Sept. 26. The romantic drama, written and directed by Ned Benson, is a film split into two parts. It played at the Toronto Film Festival and will play in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes. Once happily married, Conor (McAvoy) and Eleanor (Chastain), suddenly find

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The Weinstein Co. have set a few of their fall release dates lately and while I suspect a couple of them will likely change, as is par for the course when it comes to the Brothers 'stein, we at least can gauge their intentions as Tim Burton's Big Eyes, Eleanor Rigby and The Imitation Game have all landed late year release dates as the studio plots their awards season course. First off, Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, seems to be a title most everyone believes will be a major player at the Oscars this year and given it has now landed a Christmas Day release it would seem the Weinstein Co. agrees. Centering on the story of painter Margaret Keane (Adams), the story focuses on her success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband (Waltz), who claimed credit for her...

The Cannes Film Festival's lineup of films include the Competition titles of several legendary auteurs such as Jean-Luc Godard, David Cronenberg, The Dardenne Brothers, Atom Egoyan, Mike Leigh, and Ken Loach. In the Un Certain Regard section, the highly anticipated film by actor-turned-director Ryan Gosling. Those in the business will be happy to find Alison Thompson in her new company, Sunray Films, selling Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner. Two films out of 18 in Competition are by women, but across all sections there are 15 women directors. Further in Competition, three films are from Canada; two are from U.S. one film is from Latin America (Argentina); one is from Japan; one from Turkey; one from Russia and the rest are European.

Opening Night Film :

Grace of Monaco (Producer: Stone Angels/ U.S. The Weinstein Company) from France by Olivier Dahan

In Competition

Clouds of Sils Maria (Isa: MK2/ U.S. Distribution: IFC Films) from France/ Gremany/ Switzerland by Olivier Assayas

Saint Laurent (Isa: EuropaCorp) from France by Bertrand Bonello

Winter's Sleep aka Kis uykusu (Producer: Zeynofilm ) from Turkey by Nuri Bilge Ceylan who has a great website.

Maps to the Stars (Isa: Entertainment One) from Canada by David Cronenberg

Two Days, One Night (Isa: Wild Bunch/ U.S. Distribution: IFC Films) from Belgium and France by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Mommy (Isa: Seville International) from Canada by Xavier Dolan

The Captive (Isa: Entertainment One) from Canada by Atom Egoyan. You can watch the trailer here.

Goodbye to Language aka Adieu au Langage (Isa: Wild Bunch) from France by Jean-Luc Godard

The Search (Isa: Wild Bunch/ U.S. Distribution: Worldview Entertainment) from France by Michel Hazanavivius

The Homesman (Isa: Europacorp) from U.S. by Tommy Lee Jones

Still the Water (Isa: MK2) from Japan and France by Naomi Kawase ♀

Mr. Turner (Isa: Sunray Films/ U.S. Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics) from U.K. by Mike Leigh. Sunray Films is Alison Thompson's new company and she brought the film over from her former employer Focus Features International when they left the international sales business.

Jimmy's Hall (Isa: Wild Bunch) from Ireland and U.K. by Ken Loach

Foxcatcher (Isa: Panorama Media/ U.S. Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics) from U.S. by Bennett Miller

Le Meraviglie (Isa: The Match Factory) from Italy, Switzerland and Germany by Alice Rohrwacher ♀

Timbuktu (Isa: Le Pacte) from France by Abderrahmane Sissako

Wild Tales (Isa: Film Factory Entertainment/ U.S. Distribution: Palmera International) from Argentina by Damian Szifron

Leviathan (Isa: Pyramide International) from Russia by Andrey Zvyagintsev

Un Certain Regard

Party Girl (Isa: Pyramide International) from France by Marie Amachoukeli ♀ , Claire Burger ♀ , Samuel Theis

Jauja (Isa: Ndm) from Argentina by Lisandro Alonso

The Blue Room (Isa: Alfama Films) from France by Mathieu Amalric

Misunderstood aka Incompresa aka L'Incomprise (Production: Paradis Films) from Italy by Asia Argento ♀

Titli (Isa: Westend Films) from India by Kanu Behl

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (Isa: Myriad Pictures/ U.S. Distribution: The Weinstein Company) from U.S. by Ned Benson

Bird People (Isa: Films Distribution) from France by Pascale Ferran ♀

Lost River (Isa: Sierra/Affinity) from U.S. by Ryan Gosling

Amour Fou (Isa: Coproduction Office Paris) from Austria by Jessica Hausner ♀

Charlie's Country (Isa: Visit Films) from Australia by Rolf de Heer

Snow in Paradise (Isa: The Match Factory) from U.K. by Andrew Hulme

A Girl at My Door (Isa: Cj Entertainment) from So. Korea by July Jung ♀

Xenia (Isa: Pyramide International) from Greece by Panos Koutras

Run (Isa: Bac) from France by Philippe Lacote

Turist from Sweden and Norway by Ruben Ostlund

Beautiful Youth aka Hermosa Juventud (Producer: Fresdeval Films) by Jaime Rosales

Fantasia by Wang Chao

The Salt of the Earth (Isa: Le Pacte) from Germany and Brazil by Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado

Away From His Absence (Isa: Bizibi) from Israel by Karen Yedaya ♀

Out of Competition

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Dreamworks Animation) from the U.S. by Dean Deblois

Coming Home aka Gui Lai (Isa: Wild Bunch) from China by Zhang Yimou

Special Screenings

Bridges of Sarajevo (Les Ponts de Sarajevo) from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Portugal, Germany, and France

Red Army from the U.S. and Russia by Gabe Polsky

Maidan (Isa: Atoms & Void Bv) from Belarus by Segei Loznitsa

Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait from Syria by Ossama Mohammed

Cartoonists - Foot Soldiers Of Democracy from France by Stephanie Valloatto

Directors' Fortnight

Opening Film: Girlhood aka Bande De Files (Isa: Films Distribution) from France by Céline Sciamma

Closing Film: Pride (Isa:Pathe International) from the U.K. by Matthew Warchus

Features

Alleluia (Isa:snd- Groupe M6) from Belgium and France by Fabrice Du Welz

Catch Me Daddy (Isa: Altitude Film Sales) from the U.K. by Daniel Wolfe

Next To Her aka At Li La Yla (Isa: Films Boutique) from Israel by Asaf Korman

Cold In July (Isa: Memento Films International) from the U.S. by Jim Mickle

Fighters aka Les Combattants (ISa: Bac Films) from France by Thomas Cailley

Gett — The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem (Isa: Films Distribution) from France, Germany, Israel by Ronit & Shlomi Elkabetz

The Tale of Princess Kaguya aka Kaguya-Hime No Monogatari (Isa: Wild Bunch) from Japan by Isao Takahata

Eat Your Bones aka Mange Tes Morts (Isa:Capricci Films) from France by Jean-Charles Hue

A Hard Day aka Kkeut-Kka-Ji-Kan-Da (Isa: Showbox/Mediaples, Inc.) from South Korea by Seong-Hun Kim

National Gallery (Isa: Doc & Film International) from France by Frederick Wiseman

Queen And Country (Isa: Le Pacte) from the U.K. and Ireland by John Boorman

Sheltered aka Refugiado (Isa: Backup Media Films) from Argentina, France, Poland, and Colombia by Diego Lerman

These Final Hours (Isa: Celluloid Dreams/Nightmares) from Australia by Zach Hilditch

Tu Dors Nicole (Isa: Seville International) from Canada by Stéphane Lafleur

Whiplash (Isa:Sierra /Affinity) from the U.S. by Damien Chazelle

Special Screening

P'tit Quinquin by Bruno Dumont

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre by Tobe Hooper (4K restoration)

Acid Program

Brooklyn (Produced by Les Enfants de la Dalle) from France by Pascal Tessaud

The Way Out aka Cesta Ven (Produced by Cinema de Facto) from France and the Czech Republic by Petr Vaclav

Challat of Tunis aka Le Challat the Tunis (Produced by Cinetelefilms ) from Tunisia and France by Kaouther Ben Hania

The Girls and the River aka La Fille et le Fleuve (Produced by 31 Juin Films) from France by Aurélia Georges

Mercuriales (Produced by Kazak Productions) from France by Virgil Vernier

New Territories (Produced by Paraiso Production Difussion) from France by Fabianny Deschamps

Insecure aka Qui Vive (Isa: Udi- Urban Distribution International ) from France by Marianne Tardieu

The Rules of the Game aka Les Regles du Jeu (Isa: Doc & Film International) from France by Claudine Bories and Patrice Chagnard

Spartacus & Cassandra (Produced by Morgane Productions) from France by Ioanis Nuguet

Critics' Week

Opening Night: Faire: L'Amour (Fla) from France by Djinn Carrénard

Closing Nigh: Hippocrates aka Hippocrate (Isa: Le Pacte) from France by Thomas Lilti

Features

Darker Than Midnight aka Piu' Buio di Mezzanotte (Isa: Rai Trade) from Italy by Sebastiano Riso

Gente de Bien (Isa: Versatile) from Colombia and France by Franco Lolli

Hope (Isa: Pyramide International) from France by Boris Lojkine

It Follows (Isa: Visit Films) from the U.S. by David Robert Mitchell

Self Made aka Boreg (Isa: Westend Films) from Israel by Shira Geffen

The Tribe aka Plemya (Isa: Alpha Violet) from Ukraine by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy

When Animals Dream aka Nar Dyrene Drommer (Produced by Gaumont) from Denmark by Jonas Alexander Arnby

Critics' Week: Special Screenings

Breathe aka Respire (Produced by Gaumont) from France by Mélanie Laurent

The Kindergarten Teacher aka Haganenet Teacher aka (Isa: Le Pacte) from Israel by Nadav Lapid...

Tim here. It's Christmas morning, everybody: the Cannes Film Festival announced its line-up today for this year's edition, running from May 14-25.

Opening Night

Grace of Monaco (dir. Olivier Dahan; starring Nicole Kidman)

Official Selection

Sils Maria (Olivier Assayas)

Saint Laurent (Bertrand Bonelo)

Winter's Sleep (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

Maps to the Stars (David Cronenberg) Yes No Maybe So

Two Days, One Night (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne)

Mommy (Xavier Dolan)

The Captive (Atom Egoyan)

Goodbye to Language (Jean-Luc Godard)

The Search (Michel Hazanavicius)

The Homesman (Tommy Lee Jones) Yes No Maybe So

Still the Water (Naomi Kawase)

Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh)

Jimmy's Hall (Ken Loach)

Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller) We Can't Wait

Le Meraviglie (Alice Rohrwacher)

Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako)

Wild Tales (Damian Szifron)

Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev)

Channing Tatum & Mark Ruffalo as brothers in "Foxcatcher"

Un Certain Regard

Opener - Party Girl (Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis)

Jauja (Lisando Alonso)

The Blue Room...

This morning the 2014 Cannes Film Festival lineup was announced and while at least one Out of Competition title is still to be announced, along with the Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight lineups, we have a look at what films make up the competition and it's largely a lot of the titles that were rumored heading into today's announcement. Among the competition titles you have Atom Egoyan's Captives, which we'll have to hope is better than Devil's Knot, Bennett Miller's highly anticipated Foxcatcher, Jean-Luc Godard's 3D feature Goodbye To Language, The Homesman from Tommy Lee Jones, Ken Loach's Jimmy's Hall and David Cronengberg's Maps to the Stars. I'm jealous I won't be there to see Xavier Dolan's first time in competition with Mommy, Mike Leigh is again at Cannes with Mr. Turner and Michel Hazanavicius returns to Cannes after The Artist took the fest by storm with The Search.

This morning in Paris, the official competition lineup for the 67th Cannes Film Festival was announced. Jean-Luc Godard, the Dardenne brothers, Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Michel Hazanavicius, Tommy Lee Jones and Xavier Dolan are among the directors with films in this year's Cannes competition of 18 features. Over in the Un Certain Regard section, highlights include Ryan Gosling's directorial debut "Lost River" (previously titled "How to Catch a Monster"), Matthieu Amalric's "The Blue Room," Wim Wenders’ and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado's "The Salt of the Earth," and Ned Benson's two-part "Eleanor Rigby" (previously titled "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her"), starring Jessica Chastain. Zhang Yimou's latest, "Coming Home," starring Gong Li, is playing out of competition. As previously announced, Olivier Dahan's "Grace of Monaco," starring Nicole Kidman,...

Today's batch of MPAA ratings is dominated by one word films as Disney's new Disneynature feature Bears scores a G rating, David Gordon Green's Joe starring Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan received an R rating, John Curran's 2013 festival film, Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska and rising star, Adam Driver, landed a PG-13; and Relativity's Oculus held onto its R rating after a so-called "re-rate". Also included in today's rating is Ned Benson's The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, which I haven't added to the database yet because I don't know how the Weinstein Co. is going to handle the release. There is a Him installment (featuring James McAvoy) and a Her installment, telling the same story from Eleanor's perspective, she being played by Jessica Chastain. Once I hear more about the release plan I'll get it into the database, but for now both installments scored an R rating. I've...

While we didn't see much of Jessica Chastain at the multiplex in 2013, aside from the horror thing "Mama," 2014 promises to bring us a whole lot of the actress. Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" is, of course, already scheduled and the now-filming "A Most Violent Year" is expected to be ready for the awards season, also the dual movie "The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby His & Hers" will likely see some kind of release in the next twelve months. And one more to keep an eye out for, at least on the festival circuit, is Liv Ullman's "Miss Julie."  The directorial effort from the legendary actress is her first in over twelve years, an adaptation of the famed August Strindberg play, which has Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton co-starring. Needless to say, all the ingredients make this one we're eager to see, and these first images from the film are a nice tease.

Exclusive: Buyers have flocked to Toronto hit The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy.

Ned Benson wrote and directed the two-film suite that explores a damaged relationship from the perspective of both parties.

The film premiered in Toronto where The Weinstein Company acquired North America, the UK and France and plans a theatrical North American release in 2014.

Rights have gone to Germany and Austria (Prokino), Benelux (Imagine), South Africa (Ster Kinekor), Switzerland (Praesens), Greece (Seven Films), former Yugoslavia (Discovery), China (Hgc) and Thailand (Mono Generation).

Myriad previously licensed rights to Spain (Wanda Vision), Italy (Koch Media), Latin America (Swen), Australia (Transmission), Middle East (Eagle Films), Cis (Carmen Film), Turkey (D Productions), Portugal (Lanterna), South Korea (Dreamwest), Taiwan (CaiChang), Israel (Five Stars), Hong Kong (Golden Scene), Singapore (Cathay) and Ukraine (Aurora)

Star TV acquired pan-Asian TV rights and Jaguar will license to airlines.

Myriad president and CEO Kirk D’Amico and his team are...

Jessica Chastain and Vanessa Redgrave have been cast in The Secret Scripture.

The actresses will star as older and younger versions of the same character in the adaptation of Sebastian Barry's novel, reports Iftn.

They will play Roseanne McNulty, a woman who, as a 100-year-old mental patient, sits down to write her biography.

The woman's account differs wildly from the facts surrounding her troubled life.

Zero Dark Thirty star Chastain will next be seen in The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: His and Hers, Liv Ullmann's Miss Julie and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

Redgrave was most recently seen in Lee Daniels' The Butler and will appear in Foxcatcher and the upcoming television drama The Black Box.

The Secret Scripture was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

My Left Foot's Noel Pearson will produce, with a director yet to be announced.

The Secret Scripture will begin shooting in Sligo and Wicklow next June.