Entering the “likely a money-laundering scheme for Spanish businessmen” part of his European travelogue era, Woody Allen turns uniquely narrow-minded and bitter with Rifkin’s Festival, which takes aim at the film culture that’s both alienated and abandoned him this past decade. Exciting though it is to see the proverbial gloves come off, the hands, sadly, don’t get very dirty.
Beginning on the therapist couch, film critic, professor, and failed novelist Mort Rifkin recounts the story of how he accompanied his wife Sue (Gina Gershon) to the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival, where she was handling publicity for Philippe (Louis Garrel), a socially conscious, classic-American-cinema-loving filmmaker diametrically opposed to Mort’s own cinephilic principles. It’s hard to pinpoint what straw man Allen’s exactly going after here—perhaps Phillippe is just a stand-in for all the millennial A24 directors who’ve pissed him off in recent years—but regardless,...
Beginning on the therapist couch, film critic, professor, and failed novelist Mort Rifkin recounts the story of how he accompanied his wife Sue (Gina Gershon) to the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival, where she was handling publicity for Philippe (Louis Garrel), a socially conscious, classic-American-cinema-loving filmmaker diametrically opposed to Mort’s own cinephilic principles. It’s hard to pinpoint what straw man Allen’s exactly going after here—perhaps Phillippe is just a stand-in for all the millennial A24 directors who’ve pissed him off in recent years—but regardless,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Ethan Vestby
- The Film Stage
Studiocanal is unveiling a raft of French projects with high commercial potential, including Claude Zidi Jr.’s “Tenor,” the romantic comedy “The Tasting” and “Happy 50,” starring Lambert Wilson (“Benedetta”) and Frank Dubosc (“Rolling to You”).
“Tenor” (pictured) marks Zidi Jr.’s follow up to “Divorce Club” and boasts an eclectic cast, including César nominee Michèle Laroque, beatboxing world champion MB14, and opera singer Roberto Alagna. “Tenor” tells the uplifting journey of a talented young underdog who rises from suburban streets to the grand stage of the Paris Opéra. The movie is produced by Firstep, Raphael Benoliel’s Paris-based banner whose credits include “Emily in Paris,” “Magic in the Moonlight,” “Midnight in Paris,” and Darka Movies (“Gogo”). “Tenor” is available worldwide excluding Benelux, France and Poland. The company will release it in French cinemas on May 4.
”The Tasting” is penned and directed by Ivan Calberac (“The Student and Mr Henri”) and...
“Tenor” (pictured) marks Zidi Jr.’s follow up to “Divorce Club” and boasts an eclectic cast, including César nominee Michèle Laroque, beatboxing world champion MB14, and opera singer Roberto Alagna. “Tenor” tells the uplifting journey of a talented young underdog who rises from suburban streets to the grand stage of the Paris Opéra. The movie is produced by Firstep, Raphael Benoliel’s Paris-based banner whose credits include “Emily in Paris,” “Magic in the Moonlight,” “Midnight in Paris,” and Darka Movies (“Gogo”). “Tenor” is available worldwide excluding Benelux, France and Poland. The company will release it in French cinemas on May 4.
”The Tasting” is penned and directed by Ivan Calberac (“The Student and Mr Henri”) and...
- 1/12/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mars Films, the Paris-based distribution company that released Oscar winners “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” has finalized its restructuring plan with minority shareholder Vivendi Content, a branch of Universal Music Group and Canal Plus Group’s parent company.
Founded by Stephane Celerier and Valerie Garcia in 2007, the once thriving company has been in the process of financial restructuring and monitoring since Aug. 2019.
Vivendi, which had acquired a 30% stake in the company back in 2015, will convert its €11.2 million ($13 million) debt into equity and is acquiring Mars Films’ library of more than 200 titles for all rights in France.
The Mars catalogue includes hit French co-productions such as “La Famille Belier,” the hit French heart-warming comedy that was remade into “Coda,” “Two is a Family” with Omar Sy, Fred Cavayé’s “Le jeu”; and award-winning indies such as Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” Asif Kapadia’s “Amy,...
Founded by Stephane Celerier and Valerie Garcia in 2007, the once thriving company has been in the process of financial restructuring and monitoring since Aug. 2019.
Vivendi, which had acquired a 30% stake in the company back in 2015, will convert its €11.2 million ($13 million) debt into equity and is acquiring Mars Films’ library of more than 200 titles for all rights in France.
The Mars catalogue includes hit French co-productions such as “La Famille Belier,” the hit French heart-warming comedy that was remade into “Coda,” “Two is a Family” with Omar Sy, Fred Cavayé’s “Le jeu”; and award-winning indies such as Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” Asif Kapadia’s “Amy,...
- 8/20/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: One week after we brought you news of his app Erupt, today we can reveal that film and Broadway producer Edward Walson (Blue Jasmine) is launching Curia, a curated film streaming SVOD platform.
The idea behind the platform — which is initially only available in the U.S. — is to offer rotating monthly programming organized into niche sub-genres. Organizers say the service will be a fixture on the film festival circuit — including the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and market — with an appetite for new, exclusive acquisitions, including shorts.
The lineup will include auteur-driven cinema, movie classics and some commercially-minded fare. The first month’s programming in June will include sections such as Lol (comedies), Growing Pains (coming-of-age), Les Provocateurs and LGBTQ Pride.
Movies at launch will include Some Like It Hot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, In The Loop, Capote, Birdman Of Alcatraz, Paths Of Glory, A Ciambra, Boyhood, The Selfish Giant,...
The idea behind the platform — which is initially only available in the U.S. — is to offer rotating monthly programming organized into niche sub-genres. Organizers say the service will be a fixture on the film festival circuit — including the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and market — with an appetite for new, exclusive acquisitions, including shorts.
The lineup will include auteur-driven cinema, movie classics and some commercially-minded fare. The first month’s programming in June will include sections such as Lol (comedies), Growing Pains (coming-of-age), Les Provocateurs and LGBTQ Pride.
Movies at launch will include Some Like It Hot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, In The Loop, Capote, Birdman Of Alcatraz, Paths Of Glory, A Ciambra, Boyhood, The Selfish Giant,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Producer and cable scion Edward Walson is launching news and debate app Erupt, aimed at the 18-34 year old demo.
The “nonpartisan” news and debate streaming site will run 24/7 and will be led by former ABC News/GMA producer Bryan Keinz.
Film and Broadway producer Walson is known for a string of Woody Allen movies including Blue Jasmine, Café Society, Magic In The Moonlight and Irrational Man, and stage shows such as Bullets Over Broadway and Pretty Woman: The Musical. A few years back he stepped in to help John Travolta pic Gotti reach the screen. The Sunriser Productions chief is also president and owner of New Jersey-based cable company Service Electric Broadband Cable TV, and the son of cable pioneer John Walson Sr.
The genesis of Erupt was sparked by Walson’s desire to give young people in the 18-34 demo a platform for debate and an alternative...
The “nonpartisan” news and debate streaming site will run 24/7 and will be led by former ABC News/GMA producer Bryan Keinz.
Film and Broadway producer Walson is known for a string of Woody Allen movies including Blue Jasmine, Café Society, Magic In The Moonlight and Irrational Man, and stage shows such as Bullets Over Broadway and Pretty Woman: The Musical. A few years back he stepped in to help John Travolta pic Gotti reach the screen. The Sunriser Productions chief is also president and owner of New Jersey-based cable company Service Electric Broadband Cable TV, and the son of cable pioneer John Walson Sr.
The genesis of Erupt was sparked by Walson’s desire to give young people in the 18-34 demo a platform for debate and an alternative...
- 5/20/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Woody Allen lashed out at all the actors who have publicly condemned him in recent years and expressed regret about having worked on his films — or refuse to act for him again.
“I think they’re well-meaning but they’re foolish,” the filmmaker said in a new CBS News interview released on Paramount+ Sunday. “All they’re doing is they’re persecuting a perfectly innocent person and they’re enabling this lie.”
In the interview, which was recorded last July after the publication of Allen’s memoir “Apropos of Nothing,” Allen repeated his previous denials that he had sexually molested his then-7-year-old daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. The accusations, which were investigated at the time, resurfaced in mid-2010s and led many to take a public stand against the filmmaker — particularly after the emergence of the #MeToo movement in 2017.
Stars such as Kate Winslet (“Wonder Wheel”), Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite...
“I think they’re well-meaning but they’re foolish,” the filmmaker said in a new CBS News interview released on Paramount+ Sunday. “All they’re doing is they’re persecuting a perfectly innocent person and they’re enabling this lie.”
In the interview, which was recorded last July after the publication of Allen’s memoir “Apropos of Nothing,” Allen repeated his previous denials that he had sexually molested his then-7-year-old daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. The accusations, which were investigated at the time, resurfaced in mid-2010s and led many to take a public stand against the filmmaker — particularly after the emergence of the #MeToo movement in 2017.
Stars such as Kate Winslet (“Wonder Wheel”), Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite...
- 3/28/2021
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Stars: Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Liev Schreiber, Selina Gomez, Diego Luna, Jude Law | Written and Directed by Woody Allen
Woody Allen can be hit-and-miss these days. He’s a great writer and director. We all know that, with films like Manhattan; Annie Hall; Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona and my favourite of his films, Midnight in Paris, he has the ability to create some magical human stories when he wants to. Even fairly recently, with Blue Jasmine, he’s knocked it out of Yankee Stadium. Now, personal opinions of Allen aside, he’s created some wonderful films over the years, and so I was intrigued by his most recent one, A Rainy Day in New York.
A cast featuring the very-talented Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Liev Schreiber, Selina Gomez, Diego Luna and Jude Law, this is the story of a young couple, Gatsby (Chalamet) and Ashleigh (Fanning) who head to Manhattan when...
Woody Allen can be hit-and-miss these days. He’s a great writer and director. We all know that, with films like Manhattan; Annie Hall; Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona and my favourite of his films, Midnight in Paris, he has the ability to create some magical human stories when he wants to. Even fairly recently, with Blue Jasmine, he’s knocked it out of Yankee Stadium. Now, personal opinions of Allen aside, he’s created some wonderful films over the years, and so I was intrigued by his most recent one, A Rainy Day in New York.
A cast featuring the very-talented Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Liev Schreiber, Selina Gomez, Diego Luna and Jude Law, this is the story of a young couple, Gatsby (Chalamet) and Ashleigh (Fanning) who head to Manhattan when...
- 7/2/2020
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
The film will centre on maverick coach ‘King’ Otto Rehhagel.
Piece of Magic Entertainment will give a global theatrical release this summer to King Otto, a documentary about the European Championship winning Greek football team and its maverick German coach, “King” Otto Rehhagel.
Piece of Magic Entertainment, best known for their successful Andre Rieu event cinema releases, are partnering with Cinema Nolita and producer Shani Hinton on the project, which is directed by Christopher André Marks.
The release date has not been confirmed but is expected to be in time for this year’s Euros, which kick off on June...
Piece of Magic Entertainment will give a global theatrical release this summer to King Otto, a documentary about the European Championship winning Greek football team and its maverick German coach, “King” Otto Rehhagel.
Piece of Magic Entertainment, best known for their successful Andre Rieu event cinema releases, are partnering with Cinema Nolita and producer Shani Hinton on the project, which is directed by Christopher André Marks.
The release date has not been confirmed but is expected to be in time for this year’s Euros, which kick off on June...
- 2/18/2020
- by 57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦
- ScreenDaily
The Stand is shaping up to be one of the series of the decade.
Even having already airing in the longer format on television, the cast and knowing the story will get the streaming treatment and can take more risks than was formerly done on broadcast makes this event series quite an attraction.
Plus, some faces we adore are joining the already-announced cast.
CBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced that Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara and Hamish Linklater have joined the cast of its original limited event series The Stand.
It is, of course, based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name.
They join previously announced cast members James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Alexander Skarsgård and Whoopi Goldberg.
Eion Bailey will play Teddy Weizak, a superflu survivor and member of the body crew,...
Even having already airing in the longer format on television, the cast and knowing the story will get the streaming treatment and can take more risks than was formerly done on broadcast makes this event series quite an attraction.
Plus, some faces we adore are joining the already-announced cast.
CBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced that Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara and Hamish Linklater have joined the cast of its original limited event series The Stand.
It is, of course, based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name.
They join previously announced cast members James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Alexander Skarsgård and Whoopi Goldberg.
Eion Bailey will play Teddy Weizak, a superflu survivor and member of the body crew,...
- 10/11/2019
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” starring Timotheé Chalamet and Elle Fanning, which had its American release cancelled by Amazon Studios, is set to open the Deauville American Film Festival taking place in France, the festival announced Wednesday.
The festival takes place between Sept. 6 -15, and the film will serve as the opening night movie before opening in theaters on Sept. 18.
Olivier Assayas’s “Wasp Network” is closing the festival.
Also Read: Woody Allen Faces Legal Setback in Lawsuit Against Amazon as 4 Claims Dismissed
Seven of Allen’s previous films have opened the Deauville Festival, most recently 2014’s “Magic in the Moonlight.” But “A Rainy Day in New York” will be presented at the Deauville Festival in preview of the film’s French release from Mars Distribution. Fanning was also awarded the New Hollywood prize at the festival last year.
“A Rainy Day in New York” stars...
The festival takes place between Sept. 6 -15, and the film will serve as the opening night movie before opening in theaters on Sept. 18.
Olivier Assayas’s “Wasp Network” is closing the festival.
Also Read: Woody Allen Faces Legal Setback in Lawsuit Against Amazon as 4 Claims Dismissed
Seven of Allen’s previous films have opened the Deauville Festival, most recently 2014’s “Magic in the Moonlight.” But “A Rainy Day in New York” will be presented at the Deauville Festival in preview of the film’s French release from Mars Distribution. Fanning was also awarded the New Hollywood prize at the festival last year.
“A Rainy Day in New York” stars...
- 8/21/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Jacki Weaver’s “big break” story is unique because she was finally embraced by Hollywood at age 63, landing an Oscar nomination for her incredible performance in the Australian film Animal Kingdom, after being a staple in the Australian theater and film world for 30 years. She went on to great roles in such films as Widows, The Disaster Artist, and Magic in The Moonlight, plus the acclaimed new version of Uncle Vanya on the stage with Cate Blanchett, not to mention her second Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook. And this year she stars opposite Diane Keaton in the cheer-elder […]...
- 6/25/2019
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Jacki Weaver’s “big break” story is unique because she was finally embraced by Hollywood at age 63, landing an Oscar nomination for her incredible performance in the Australian film Animal Kingdom, after being a staple in the Australian theater and film world for 30 years. She went on to great roles in such films as Widows, The Disaster Artist, and Magic in The Moonlight, plus the acclaimed new version of Uncle Vanya on the stage with Cate Blanchett, not to mention her second Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook. And this year she stars opposite Diane Keaton in the cheer-elder […]...
- 6/25/2019
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Emma Stone celebrates her 30th birthday on November 6, 2018. The Oscar-winning actress has extra reason to rejoice this year, since her new film “The Favourite” could land her back in the awards race when it’s released on November 23. In honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Stone began acting at an early age, making television appearances as a teenager in such shows as “Medium,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” and “Lucky Louie.” She transitioned to film with a prominent role in the high school sex romp “Superbad” (2007). Just three years later, she was competing at the Golden Globes as Best Comedy/Musical Actress for her lead role in “Easy A” (2010).
It took four more years for Stone to reap her first Oscar bid: Best Supporting Actress for “Birdman” (2014). She may have lost to Patricia Arquette (“Boyhood”), but the groundwork...
Stone began acting at an early age, making television appearances as a teenager in such shows as “Medium,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” and “Lucky Louie.” She transitioned to film with a prominent role in the high school sex romp “Superbad” (2007). Just three years later, she was competing at the Golden Globes as Best Comedy/Musical Actress for her lead role in “Easy A” (2010).
It took four more years for Stone to reap her first Oscar bid: Best Supporting Actress for “Birdman” (2014). She may have lost to Patricia Arquette (“Boyhood”), but the groundwork...
- 11/6/2018
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
David Crow Sep 25, 2018
We examine how Emma Stone and Jonah Hill's new Netflix show, Maniac, may be the most cinematic TV series ever produced.
This article contains Maniac spoilers.
We’ve been here before. That was the immediate sensation at seeing the underlying Npb labs wherein the fantastical drug tests of Maniac occur. With the circular white table surrounded by a series of wide chairs, and a central overhead light that’s buttressed by a ring of cabinet-shaped television screens, everything about the set is intimately familiar for those who’ve viewed one of the most iconic scenes in science fiction history—the one where an alien pops out of John Hurt’s chest and onto the dinner table in Ridley Scott’s Alien.
However, this homage, which is one of the most overt in Maniac, is more than just an intertextual reference that has been reduced to the...
We examine how Emma Stone and Jonah Hill's new Netflix show, Maniac, may be the most cinematic TV series ever produced.
This article contains Maniac spoilers.
We’ve been here before. That was the immediate sensation at seeing the underlying Npb labs wherein the fantastical drug tests of Maniac occur. With the circular white table surrounded by a series of wide chairs, and a central overhead light that’s buttressed by a ring of cabinet-shaped television screens, everything about the set is intimately familiar for those who’ve viewed one of the most iconic scenes in science fiction history—the one where an alien pops out of John Hurt’s chest and onto the dinner table in Ridley Scott’s Alien.
However, this homage, which is one of the most overt in Maniac, is more than just an intertextual reference that has been reduced to the...
- 9/25/2018
- Den of Geek
Stéphane Célérier is one of the first high-profile industry players to speak out in the director’s defence.
Source: Wiki Commons
Woody Allen
Mars Films chief Stéphane Célérier, the long-time distributor of Woody Allen’s work in France, has publicly denounced the media’s treatment of the director over allegations he molested his adopted daughter.
In a bold move, Célérier, who rarely speaks to the press, voiced his shock at the coverage of Allen by the world’s media and on the social networks, in an editorial in French weekly news magazine Le Point.
He is one of the first high-profile industry players connected to Allen to speak out in the director’s defence.
“I have been shocked by the wave of hate provoked by the Woody Allen affair, particularly in the United States and on the social networks, and by the lack of rigor by certain media outlets and the pack which condemns without looking into the full...
Source: Wiki Commons
Woody Allen
Mars Films chief Stéphane Célérier, the long-time distributor of Woody Allen’s work in France, has publicly denounced the media’s treatment of the director over allegations he molested his adopted daughter.
In a bold move, Célérier, who rarely speaks to the press, voiced his shock at the coverage of Allen by the world’s media and on the social networks, in an editorial in French weekly news magazine Le Point.
He is one of the first high-profile industry players connected to Allen to speak out in the director’s defence.
“I have been shocked by the wave of hate provoked by the Woody Allen affair, particularly in the United States and on the social networks, and by the lack of rigor by certain media outlets and the pack which condemns without looking into the full...
- 2/2/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
‘All the Money in the World’ did not Michelle Williams all the money in the world. Despite having equal screen time, Michelle Williams $625,000 to Mark Wahlberg’s $5 million. Cool. (THR) Speaking of gender pay gaps in Hollywood...“Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross getting paid “significantly less” than co-star Anthony Anderson. The gap is so severe that Ellis Ross is considering appearing in fewer episodes so she can make up the disparity with other projects. (THR) It’s been a week for Woody Allen...finally.On Tuesday, Timothée Chalamet said he was giving his wages from his work on Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” to Time’s Up, the L.G.B.T. Center in New York, and Rainn. Later in the week, Colin Firth (who worked with Allen on “Magic in the Moonlight”) said he will never work with the writer/director again. On Thursday, Dylan Farrow...
- 1/19/2018
- backstage.com
Colin Firth says he will not work again with Woody Allen, becoming the first male actor to make such a definitive vow after the director's estranged adopted daughter Dylan Farrow revisited her accusations of childhood sexual abuse against him. Woody, who had directed the British Oscar-winning star in the 2014 film Magic in the Moonlight, has not responded to his remarks. He has repeatedly denied Dylan's accusations. "I wouldn't work with him again," Firth told The Guardian when asked about it on Thursday, the same day Dylan gave her first televised interview accusing the director of sexually assaulting her when she...
- 1/19/2018
- E! Online
Colin Firth has become the latest celebrity to speak out about Woody Allen, insisting he won’t be taking part in any projects with the director in the future. Firth, 57, who worked with Allen, 82, on the 2013 film “Magic in the Moonlight,” told The Guardian: “I wouldn’t work with him again.” The actor joins...
- 1/19/2018
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Colin Firth has become the latest high-profile actor to refuse to work with embattled director Woody Allen. Firth starred in Allen's 2014 romantic comedy Magic in the Moonlight alongside Emma Stone. Firth told the Guardian: "I wouldn't work with him again." He joins actors including Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Hall, who both said they would donate their salaries from Allen's A Rainy Day in New York to Time's Up, and To Rome With Love star Greta Gerwig, who said she…...
- 1/19/2018
- Deadline
Colin Firth has joined the growing chorus of voices speaking out against Woody Allen.
"I wouldn't work with him again," the actor told The Guardian on Thursday, just hours after Dylan Farrow had given her first TV interview in which she accused her adoptive stepfather of sexually assaulting her when she was 7 years old, accusations that Allen has repeatedly denied.
Firth starred in Allen's 2013 film Magic in the Moonlight alongside Emma Stone, and adds his name to a number of actors who have worked under the director to have now expressed their regret at...
"I wouldn't work with him again," the actor told The Guardian on Thursday, just hours after Dylan Farrow had given her first TV interview in which she accused her adoptive stepfather of sexually assaulting her when she was 7 years old, accusations that Allen has repeatedly denied.
Firth starred in Allen's 2013 film Magic in the Moonlight alongside Emma Stone, and adds his name to a number of actors who have worked under the director to have now expressed their regret at...
- 1/19/2018
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor starred in Allen’s Magic In The Moonlight in 2014.
Source: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Colin Firth
Colin Firth said he won’t appear in any more Woody Allen films, telling The Guardian in a statement: “I wouldn’t work with him again.”
Firth, who starred in Allen’s Magic In The Moonlight in 2014, is the latest actor to turn their back on the controversial 82-year-old filmmaker.
Allen’s adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of molesting her in an attic when she was seven years-old in a TV interview with CBS yesterday (January 18), prompting the director to deny the claims.
Allen was never charged in relation to the alleged incident and issued a statement denying the allegations.
He said: “The Farrow family is cynically using the opportunity afforded by the Time’s Up movement to repeat this discredited allegation, that doesn’t make it any more true today than it was in the past. I never molested...
Source: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Colin Firth
Colin Firth said he won’t appear in any more Woody Allen films, telling The Guardian in a statement: “I wouldn’t work with him again.”
Firth, who starred in Allen’s Magic In The Moonlight in 2014, is the latest actor to turn their back on the controversial 82-year-old filmmaker.
Allen’s adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of molesting her in an attic when she was seven years-old in a TV interview with CBS yesterday (January 18), prompting the director to deny the claims.
Allen was never charged in relation to the alleged incident and issued a statement denying the allegations.
He said: “The Farrow family is cynically using the opportunity afforded by the Time’s Up movement to repeat this discredited allegation, that doesn’t make it any more true today than it was in the past. I never molested...
- 1/19/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Colin Firth is the latest star to publicly denounce Woody Allen, saying he will never work with the director again.
“I wouldn’t work with him again,” Firth said in a statement late Thursday, according to The Guardian.
The actor’s announcement comes the same day Allen’s estranged daughter Dylan Farrow gave her first televised interview about her allegations of sexual abuse against her father.
In 2014, Dylan, 32 – who is one of the star’s three children with ex Mia Farrow — publicly claimed that Allen, now 82, molested her as a child. Allen has long denied the allegations, which first surfaced...
“I wouldn’t work with him again,” Firth said in a statement late Thursday, according to The Guardian.
The actor’s announcement comes the same day Allen’s estranged daughter Dylan Farrow gave her first televised interview about her allegations of sexual abuse against her father.
In 2014, Dylan, 32 – who is one of the star’s three children with ex Mia Farrow — publicly claimed that Allen, now 82, molested her as a child. Allen has long denied the allegations, which first surfaced...
- 1/19/2018
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Update: Director responds: ‘I never molested my daughter’
Woody Allen
Update: Dylan Farrow has spoken of alleged sexual assault by her adoptive father Woody Allen in her first TV interview on the subject on Thursday (January 18), prompting the director to deny the claims.
Farrow told CBS’s This Morning that on August 4 1992 Allen took her into a small attic crawl space in her mother Mia Farrow’s Connecticut home and molested her.
“He instructed me to lay down on my stomach and play with my brother’s toy train that was set up,” Farrow, 32, told interviewer Gayle King. “And he sat behind me in the doorway and as I played with the toy train, I was sexually assaulted.”
Allen was never charged in relation to the alleged incident and issued a statement denying the allegations.
“When this claim was first made more than 25 years ago, it was thoroughly investigated by both the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of the Yale-New...
Woody Allen
Update: Dylan Farrow has spoken of alleged sexual assault by her adoptive father Woody Allen in her first TV interview on the subject on Thursday (January 18), prompting the director to deny the claims.
Farrow told CBS’s This Morning that on August 4 1992 Allen took her into a small attic crawl space in her mother Mia Farrow’s Connecticut home and molested her.
“He instructed me to lay down on my stomach and play with my brother’s toy train that was set up,” Farrow, 32, told interviewer Gayle King. “And he sat behind me in the doorway and as I played with the toy train, I was sexually assaulted.”
Allen was never charged in relation to the alleged incident and issued a statement denying the allegations.
“When this claim was first made more than 25 years ago, it was thoroughly investigated by both the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of the Yale-New...
- 1/18/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
When Woody Allen makes a movie these days, it’s akin to watching a dart in midair as it readies to hit the board. When he makes a hit, it hits (‘Midnight in Paris‘, ‘Blue Jasmine‘, ‘Café Society’, even older hits such as ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors‘); when the project flops, oh boy, does it flop (‘You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger‘ and ‘To Rome with Love‘ [you know, the one Ellen Page said she regretted working on. She was right, just not for the reasons she believes]); and sometimes, there’s a middle ground where the movie can fall into either group (‘Magic in the Moonlight‘ and ‘Irrational Man‘). ‘Wonder Wheel‘ marks three milestones for Mr. Allen: his forty-eighth major motion picture as he turns, a reunion with iconic Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro after their previously acclaimed collaboration and directing Kate Winslet, certainly one of the most iconic actresses of today, in what...
- 12/20/2017
- by William Coffey
- Age of the Nerd
As Emma Stone stood onstage at the Dolby Theatre accepting her Best Actress award at the Oscars on Sunday, she might think back to where it all started: A ninth grade history class in Scottsdale, Arizona.
That’s where Stone, 14 at the time, decided she was dropping out of school and moving to L.A. to become a star. “I had this Howard Beale-like moment,” she told The Hollywood Reporter about her realization, citing Peter Finch’s character’s iconic meltdown in Network. “It’s the last period of the day, and I have a revelation that I needed to...
That’s where Stone, 14 at the time, decided she was dropping out of school and moving to L.A. to become a star. “I had this Howard Beale-like moment,” she told The Hollywood Reporter about her realization, citing Peter Finch’s character’s iconic meltdown in Network. “It’s the last period of the day, and I have a revelation that I needed to...
- 2/27/2017
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Image Source: Getty / Fotonoticias Former couple Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have already come face to face during a handful of events this award season, including the Critics' Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, and the AFI Awards luncheon, where they had a sweet reunion while dropping by each other's tables. The two have been able to maintain an amicable friendship since their breakup in October 2015, but their recent run-ins and cute quotes about each other have us feeling nostalgic about the way they were. Now that both Andrew and Emma are confirmed to attend the Oscars - Emma nabbed the best actress nomination for her role in La La Land while Andrew is up for best actor for his role in Hacksaw Ridge - we're hoping for another heartwarming moment to add to our list. Look back on the details of their offscreen romance. The Beginning Andrew and Emma met...
- 1/24/2017
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield ended their three-year relationship back in October 2015, but they reunited (sort of) at the Critics' Choice Awards in La on Sunday. Both stars were in attendance for the big show while representing their respective films, the musical comedy La La Land and the drama film Hacksaw Ridge, which Andrew took home an award for at Sunday night's ceremony. We haven't seen the two at a high-profile event together since the NYC premiere of Magic in the Moonlight in July 2014, but they were spotted out in London after Andrew's 33rd birthday in August of this year. At the time of their split, sources close to the couple said, "They still have a lot of love for one another and they are on good terms with each another and remain close. It just wasn't working." It's clear the two didn't break up on bad terms, as Andrew...
- 12/12/2016
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Corey Stoll, Ken Stott, Sheryl Lee | Written and Directed by Woody Allen
Woody Allen is the kind of director that has cemented a style that is his very own. When the opening music begins to play and the letters appear on the screen you know that you’re about to watch a Woody Allen film. Café Society, Woody’s latest, begins in much the same way as his other cinematic offerings, and the familiar territory almost feels comforting.
Café Society has a cast of both Woody Allen alumni and first-timers, and it’s a good one. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart reconnect after appearing together in Adventureland and American Ultra. Steve Carell (The Office), Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris) and Ken Stott (The Hobbit) among others grace the screen in a gathering of acting talent that really dive in head-first and do their director proud.
Woody Allen is the kind of director that has cemented a style that is his very own. When the opening music begins to play and the letters appear on the screen you know that you’re about to watch a Woody Allen film. Café Society, Woody’s latest, begins in much the same way as his other cinematic offerings, and the familiar territory almost feels comforting.
Café Society has a cast of both Woody Allen alumni and first-timers, and it’s a good one. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart reconnect after appearing together in Adventureland and American Ultra. Steve Carell (The Office), Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris) and Ken Stott (The Hobbit) among others grace the screen in a gathering of acting talent that really dive in head-first and do their director proud.
- 9/22/2016
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
Like an apparition that dissipates back into the ether before it can assume any meaningful shape, Rebecca Zlotowski’s “Planetarium” is a starry-eyed and somnambulant period adventure that captures the spirit of the movies at the expense of their soul. The film, which stars Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp as vagabond sisters who land in Paris between the two great wars of the 20th century, begins with a compellingly morbid notion: Cinema isn’t dead, cinema is death itself. If only Zlotowski’s latest contribution to the medium ever found any life of its own.
A beautiful wisp of an idea that is seldom compelling and almost never coherent, “Planetarium” squanders an irresistibly alluring premise. Loosely inspired by the Fox sisters and other formative figures in the field of Spiritualism, the film clings to Laura (Portman) and Kate (Depp) Barlow as tightly as the siblings cling to each other. Orphaned...
A beautiful wisp of an idea that is seldom compelling and almost never coherent, “Planetarium” squanders an irresistibly alluring premise. Loosely inspired by the Fox sisters and other formative figures in the field of Spiritualism, the film clings to Laura (Portman) and Kate (Depp) Barlow as tightly as the siblings cling to each other. Orphaned...
- 9/7/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Jesse Eisenberg is suitably jittery as the director’s alter ego, but it’s Kristen Stewart’s naturalism that carries the movie
From the reassuring chug of Woody Allen’s trademark trad jazz score to Jesse Eisenberg’s disconcertingly accurate channelling of the director’s jittery introspection, this handsome, nostalgia-sodden romance feels rather familiar. But just when you are about to dismiss the picture as pure cappuccino froth, the bittersweet bite kicks in. It’s not in the same league as Allen’s finest work, but nor is it a honking misfire like Magic in the Moonlight.
Eisenberg plays Bobby Dorfman, the son of a Bronx jeweller who decides to try his luck in Hollywood. His one industry connection, his uncle Phil (Steve Carell), is a high-powered agent who takes a liking to his nephew. It’s through Uncle Phil that Bobby meets Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), Phil’s secretary. Bobby is smitten,...
From the reassuring chug of Woody Allen’s trademark trad jazz score to Jesse Eisenberg’s disconcertingly accurate channelling of the director’s jittery introspection, this handsome, nostalgia-sodden romance feels rather familiar. But just when you are about to dismiss the picture as pure cappuccino froth, the bittersweet bite kicks in. It’s not in the same league as Allen’s finest work, but nor is it a honking misfire like Magic in the Moonlight.
Eisenberg plays Bobby Dorfman, the son of a Bronx jeweller who decides to try his luck in Hollywood. His one industry connection, his uncle Phil (Steve Carell), is a high-powered agent who takes a liking to his nephew. It’s through Uncle Phil that Bobby meets Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), Phil’s secretary. Bobby is smitten,...
- 9/4/2016
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Late August is not prime release time for top-end specialized films. While the quality of new entries this week is better than usual, two Sundance premieres, A24’s “Morris from America” and Werner Herzog’s documentary “Lo and Behold” are also hitting prime exposure on Video on Demand.
The best limited theatrical opening went to rookie director Natalie Portman’s “A Tale of Love and Darkness” (Focus), shot in her native Israel. The breakout of the month is CBS Films’ second-week expanding “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate), which looks headed for Top Ten-level grosses over upcoming weeks.
Opening
“A Tale of Love and Darkness” (Focus World) – Metacritic: 55; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto 2015
$36,000 in 2 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $18,000
Natalie Portman’s Israeli-made drama did not garner strong critical response at its Cannes debut last year. But the movie star is campaigning hard to make it work, with appearances on both...
The best limited theatrical opening went to rookie director Natalie Portman’s “A Tale of Love and Darkness” (Focus), shot in her native Israel. The breakout of the month is CBS Films’ second-week expanding “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate), which looks headed for Top Ten-level grosses over upcoming weeks.
Opening
“A Tale of Love and Darkness” (Focus World) – Metacritic: 55; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto 2015
$36,000 in 2 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $18,000
Natalie Portman’s Israeli-made drama did not garner strong critical response at its Cannes debut last year. But the movie star is campaigning hard to make it work, with appearances on both...
- 8/21/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
After one of the best openings of the summer, Texas western “Hell or High Water” could become one of the strongest specialized releases of 2016. This bank robbery and pursuit thriller debuted at Cannes and scored among the best reviews of the year. CBS Films and Lionsgate opted to take the easier commercial route rather than chase awards via the standard September festival rollout.
Late summer has yielded a spate of arthouse successes including strong holdovers “Café Society” and “Indignation.”
Opening
“Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate) – Metacritic: 86; Festivals include: Cannes 2016
$592,000 in 32 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $18,500
A gamble paid off big-time for CBS Films, who acquired this independent Texas story of two struggling brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who rob a bank to save the family farm. Distributed by Lionsgate, “Hell or High Water” debuted well at Cannes. Knowing it had rave reviews, CBS decided to go broader than...
Late summer has yielded a spate of arthouse successes including strong holdovers “Café Society” and “Indignation.”
Opening
“Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate) – Metacritic: 86; Festivals include: Cannes 2016
$592,000 in 32 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $18,500
A gamble paid off big-time for CBS Films, who acquired this independent Texas story of two struggling brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who rob a bank to save the family farm. Distributed by Lionsgate, “Hell or High Water” debuted well at Cannes. Knowing it had rave reviews, CBS decided to go broader than...
- 8/14/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Three Sundance premieres are boosting the late summer specialty box office as “Indignation” (Roadside Attractions), “Equity” (Sony Pictures Classics) and “Gleason” (Amazon/Open Road) lead openers. Several more including Woody Allen’s “Café Society” (Amazon/Lionsgate) are holding well with positive results beyond just initial dates.
Several documentaries getting play continue to impress, and two more beyond “Gleason” scored initial New York attention: “Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil” (Kino Lorber) and “Miss Sharon Jones!” (Starz).
Opening
“Indignation” (Roadside Attractions) – Metacritic: 83; Festivals include: Sundance, Berlin, San Francisco, Seattle 2016
$89,072 in 4 theaters; PTA: $22,268
After a long career as a producer-screenwriter (Ang Lee’s”Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Brokeback Mountain”) and distributor (Focus Features before Universal revamped the company), James Schamus directed his adaptation of Philip Roth’s early 1950s Oberlin-set story of a Jewish working class kid trying to adapt. After his earlier run of success, the reaction to his debut is gratifying.
Several documentaries getting play continue to impress, and two more beyond “Gleason” scored initial New York attention: “Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil” (Kino Lorber) and “Miss Sharon Jones!” (Starz).
Opening
“Indignation” (Roadside Attractions) – Metacritic: 83; Festivals include: Sundance, Berlin, San Francisco, Seattle 2016
$89,072 in 4 theaters; PTA: $22,268
After a long career as a producer-screenwriter (Ang Lee’s”Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Brokeback Mountain”) and distributor (Focus Features before Universal revamped the company), James Schamus directed his adaptation of Philip Roth’s early 1950s Oberlin-set story of a Jewish working class kid trying to adapt. After his earlier run of success, the reaction to his debut is gratifying.
- 7/31/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
With the second largest opening for a film in the Bourne franchise, Jason Bourne topped the weekend box office as audiences came out in support of Matt Damon's return to the title role nine years after The Bourne Ultimatum. Stx's ensemble comedy Bad Moms delivered a third place finish and the fifth largest R-rated opening of the year while Lionsgate's Nerve fell a bit below expectations, finishing in eighth place for the weekend, which was down a fraction from last weekend, but up nearly 27% compared to last year. With an estimated $60 million, Jason Bourne delivered the second largest domestic opening in the Bourne franchise behind only The Bourne Ultimatum, which opened with $69.2 million back in 2007. Additionally, this debut is almost $22 million more than what The Bourne Legacy brought in back in 2012 when Universal attempted to keep the franchise alive with Jeremy Renner stepping in as the lead character. While...
- 7/31/2016
- by Brad Brevet <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass return to the Bourne franchise after a nine year, one film hiatus as Jason Bourne is looking at a #1 finish as it debuts in over 4,000 theaters this weekend. The weekend also features the R-rated comedy Bad Moms and Nerve, a PG-13, teen-targeted thriller that opened on Wednesday with $3.75 million and hopes to find an audience over the weekend as a piece of counter-counter-programming. Looking at a comfortable first place finish is Universal's Jason Bourne, the fifth film in the Bourne franchise and fourth starring Damon in the title role following the lackluster response to 2012's The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner. That said, this should be looked at more as a sequel to The Bourne Ultimatum, which opened with $69.2 million in August 2007. Of course, this year has not been kind to the majority of sequels. Following last weekend's opening for Star Trek Beyond and Ice Age: Collision Course,...
- 7/28/2016
- by Brad Brevet <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Mid-summer brings the biggest limited opening of 2016, with a return to form by Woody Allen as new distributor Amazon Studios and partner Lionsgate pushed “Café Society” to numbers unseen since last December. It’s not at Allen’s top level, but a huge leap above his last two films as well as anything else so far this year.
For a totally different market, Dinesh D’Souza doc “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party” had a limited opening in Middle America with strong front-loaded initial numbers. The political doc goes wider this Friday and could see a better eventual total —via an entirely different audience—than Allen’s film.
“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (The Orchard) from New Zealand leads the films in wider release as it continues to build word-of-mouth success. “Captain Fantastic” (Bleecker Street) boasted a decent second weekend expansion and could end up at a...
For a totally different market, Dinesh D’Souza doc “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party” had a limited opening in Middle America with strong front-loaded initial numbers. The political doc goes wider this Friday and could see a better eventual total —via an entirely different audience—than Allen’s film.
“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (The Orchard) from New Zealand leads the films in wider release as it continues to build word-of-mouth success. “Captain Fantastic” (Bleecker Street) boasted a decent second weekend expansion and could end up at a...
- 7/17/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Woody Allen is once again enjoying (early) box-office success. His newest film, Cafe Society, debuted to $355,000 from five theaters in Los Angeles and New York over the weekend for a screen average of $71,000 — the top number of any film this year and his personal best as a director since Blue Jasmine in 2013. Allen's last two films, Irrational Man (2015) and Magic in the Moonlight (2014), both lagged after posting opening location averages of $25,045 and $24,241, respectively. (Irrational Man played in seven cinemas on its first weekend; Magic in the Moonlight,
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- 7/17/2016
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After “The Secret Life of Pets” (Universal) stunned with its best-ever animated feature opening of $104 million last weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters” relaunch will challenge recent market trends.
“Pets” stood out among several under performing new releases after “Finding Dory” staked its claim at the summer’s biggest smash. Did it portend a late summer surge that could salvage an uneven season? If the long-awaited “Ghostbusters” remake takes in over $50 million — higher than anticipated — or even if it doesn’t take the top spot, the momentum would look sustained.
The all-female lead redo is among the most talked-about films of the year. That much of the talk— initial resistance to the casting concept, then reaction to the early trailer —has been negative has tempered expectations to below the(“22 Jump Street’s $57 million best opening benchmark for a live-action comedy over the past three summers. “Ghostbusters” might challenge “Neighbors” ($49 million) as the...
“Pets” stood out among several under performing new releases after “Finding Dory” staked its claim at the summer’s biggest smash. Did it portend a late summer surge that could salvage an uneven season? If the long-awaited “Ghostbusters” remake takes in over $50 million — higher than anticipated — or even if it doesn’t take the top spot, the momentum would look sustained.
The all-female lead redo is among the most talked-about films of the year. That much of the talk— initial resistance to the casting concept, then reaction to the early trailer —has been negative has tempered expectations to below the(“22 Jump Street’s $57 million best opening benchmark for a live-action comedy over the past three summers. “Ghostbusters” might challenge “Neighbors” ($49 million) as the...
- 7/14/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Earlier today, we shared a few clips from Woody Allen‘s upcoming picture, Café Society. Although it’s sometimes difficult to know what to expect from Allen these days, Café Society looks more enjoyable and intriguing than, say, Magic in the Moonlight and You Will Meet a Tall Darker Stranger. Some of the writer and director’s most recent comedies haven’t struck a chord […]
The post ‘Café Society’ Trailer: Welcome to Hollywood, Bobby Dorfman appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Café Society’ Trailer: Welcome to Hollywood, Bobby Dorfman appeared first on /Film.
- 5/11/2016
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
Never afraid to take on a challenge, Emma Stone is slated to play the lead in “Cruella,” a forthcoming Disney prequel to “101 Dalmatians.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Magic in the Moonlight” star will begin filming the project sometime in the next three years, though further details are scarce.
Back in 1996, Glenn Close donned the fur coat and colorblocked coif as an especially scary version of Cruella in the live action version of “101 Dalmatians,” so Emma has some big shoes to fill!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Magic in the Moonlight” star will begin filming the project sometime in the next three years, though further details are scarce.
Back in 1996, Glenn Close donned the fur coat and colorblocked coif as an especially scary version of Cruella in the live action version of “101 Dalmatians,” so Emma has some big shoes to fill!
- 4/27/2016
- GossipCenter
Valley of Love star Isabelle Huppert Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special, starring Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst and Jaeden Lieberher, prompted Isabelle Huppert to bring up Mud in our conversation on Guillaume Nicloux's haunting Valley Of Love. Anaïs Romand, George Cukor's The Women with Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell and Woody Allen's Magic In The Moonlight came to mind.
Huppert and Gérard Depardieu, last seen on the screen together in Maurice Pialat's Loulou (1980), play a long divorced couple brought together by the death of their son. Similar in effect to what Nicloux did with The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq, fictional plot and biographical details merge so that in the end, only truth matters, once it has made its way through fact and fiction.
Isabelle Huppert: "For me, it's a great film about cinema ..."
Huppert, whose character is never named, arrives first in Death Valley.
Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special, starring Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst and Jaeden Lieberher, prompted Isabelle Huppert to bring up Mud in our conversation on Guillaume Nicloux's haunting Valley Of Love. Anaïs Romand, George Cukor's The Women with Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell and Woody Allen's Magic In The Moonlight came to mind.
Huppert and Gérard Depardieu, last seen on the screen together in Maurice Pialat's Loulou (1980), play a long divorced couple brought together by the death of their son. Similar in effect to what Nicloux did with The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq, fictional plot and biographical details merge so that in the end, only truth matters, once it has made its way through fact and fiction.
Isabelle Huppert: "For me, it's a great film about cinema ..."
Huppert, whose character is never named, arrives first in Death Valley.
- 3/21/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A mess of a romantic dramedy full of colonialistic offensiveness, forced quirkiness, implausible emotion, and oblivious masculine self-centeredness. I’m “biast” (pro): really generally like Cameron Crowe and the cast
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
So it turns out that casting Emma Stone as a woman who is one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian (“my mother is Swedish” she hastens to inform everyone) was far from the worst bad choice writer-director Cameron Crowe (We Bought a Zoo, Almost Famous) made with Aloha. This mess of an excuse for a romantic dramedy is all about ensuring that walking personal disaster Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper: Joy, Burnt) finds redemption and happiness, and that he is okay with his life and his choices… though why any of us watching should care whether he achieves this is never adequately broached.
A former soldier and military contractor,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
So it turns out that casting Emma Stone as a woman who is one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian (“my mother is Swedish” she hastens to inform everyone) was far from the worst bad choice writer-director Cameron Crowe (We Bought a Zoo, Almost Famous) made with Aloha. This mess of an excuse for a romantic dramedy is all about ensuring that walking personal disaster Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper: Joy, Burnt) finds redemption and happiness, and that he is okay with his life and his choices… though why any of us watching should care whether he achieves this is never adequately broached.
A former soldier and military contractor,...
- 3/10/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
To celebrate the cinema release of ‘Irrational Man’ on 11 September, starring Jamie Blackley, Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey and Emma Stone, written and directed by Woody Allen we’re giving three people the chance to win copies of ‘Blue Jasmine’, ‘Magic in the Moonlight’ and ‘Midnight in Paris’! Woody Allen’s Irrational Man is about a tormented
The post Win DVD prizes with ‘Irrational Man’! appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Win DVD prizes with ‘Irrational Man’! appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 9/21/2015
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Woody Allen is back in his second outing with current muse Emma Stone after last year's muddled Magic In The Moonlight. This time around he has brought his ingénue into the present day and into another romantic entanglement with an older man. Gone is the frothiness and light comedic touch of Moonlight in favour of a darker more serious tone and the film is all the more interesting for it. In yet another fine performance, Joaquin Phoenix plays Abe Lucas, a newly transferred philosophy professor whose deep depression with the banality of daily life is a source of fascination and attraction for two very different women, his student Jill (Stone) and his fellow faculty member Rita (Parker Posey). When a chance encounter leads Abe to find a purpose for his life, it takes him down a dark moral path and the question of murder. The moral quandary at the heart...
- 9/11/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Clare Daly)
- www.themoviebit.com
Woody Allen's output may now feel like the cinematic equivalent of a cosy comfort blanket, but he's still more than willing to bring a dark streak to his films - sometimes, in the case of Irrational Man, with mixed results.
Like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point, his latest offering has murder on the mind as Joaquin Phoenix's philosophy professor Abe Lucas ponders killing a judge to prevent an injustice. The film never takes off like Allen's recent Midnight in Paris or Blue Jasmine, but an engaging lead turn from Phoenix means it at least has something to shout about.
His Abe is something of a mess, shambling around a small uni campus in an existential funk. Wracked by emotional and physical impotence he hits rock bottom by testing his nerve in a demonstration of Russian roulette. Romantic attention from student Jill (Emma Stone) and faculty colleague Rita...
Like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point, his latest offering has murder on the mind as Joaquin Phoenix's philosophy professor Abe Lucas ponders killing a judge to prevent an injustice. The film never takes off like Allen's recent Midnight in Paris or Blue Jasmine, but an engaging lead turn from Phoenix means it at least has something to shout about.
His Abe is something of a mess, shambling around a small uni campus in an existential funk. Wracked by emotional and physical impotence he hits rock bottom by testing his nerve in a demonstration of Russian roulette. Romantic attention from student Jill (Emma Stone) and faculty colleague Rita...
- 9/11/2015
- Digital Spy
As always, the plot of Woody Allen's new movie is unknown, but the cast is not. His 2016 follow-up to this year's poorly received Irrational Man will find American Ultra stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart teaming once again as James and Theresa respectively, along with Blake Lively as Kat, Bruce Willis as Aaron, Jeannie Berlin, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll, Ken Stott, Anna Camp, Stephen Kunken, Sari Lennick and Paul Schneider. The film will begin production this month in New York and Los Angeles. This brings Allen back to New York after a long stint away from his home city after saying costs to shoot there had just gotten too high. His most recent films saw him take to Rhode Island for Irrational Man, San Francisco for Blue Jasmine, France for both Magic in the Moonlight and Midnight in Paris. As for Los Angeles, this is his first time there since 1977's Annie Hall,...
- 8/4/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Review by Dane Marti
One of the reasons I love the work of Woody Allen is that he obviously thinks of cinema as an art form, intellectual and aesthetic. Allen attempts –and often succeeds in a magnificent way—in delving deeper into a visual tale. Sure, his films ordinarily are extremely entertaining, but I find that they always contain a bit more. ‘The Irrational Man’ is a good, solid example of a film that offers thoughtful and interesting surprises for film viewers.
Allen’s films, even when they are not completely successful, are always interesting—and I mean that word in a truly positive way.
The Story: A young, disheveled professor, Abe Lucas, played with angst and passion by Joaquin Phoenix, arrives at a prestigious eastern University. Although only in his thirties, Abe is already a legend with the local academic environment, women in particular. And he definitely reeks Existential angst,...
One of the reasons I love the work of Woody Allen is that he obviously thinks of cinema as an art form, intellectual and aesthetic. Allen attempts –and often succeeds in a magnificent way—in delving deeper into a visual tale. Sure, his films ordinarily are extremely entertaining, but I find that they always contain a bit more. ‘The Irrational Man’ is a good, solid example of a film that offers thoughtful and interesting surprises for film viewers.
Allen’s films, even when they are not completely successful, are always interesting—and I mean that word in a truly positive way.
The Story: A young, disheveled professor, Abe Lucas, played with angst and passion by Joaquin Phoenix, arrives at a prestigious eastern University. Although only in his thirties, Abe is already a legend with the local academic environment, women in particular. And he definitely reeks Existential angst,...
- 7/31/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sony Classics opened Woody Allen's latest, Irrational Man, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone and Parker Posey in New York and L.A. this weekend, outpacing his 2014 feature Magic In The Moonlight, which also starred Stone as well as Colin Firth and Marcia Gay Harden, though his current film bowed in fewer theaters. The weekend's biggest specialty debut in terms of absolute numbers was by far Mr. Holmes from Roadside Attractions and Miramax, opening decently in 363…...
- 7/19/2015
- Deadline
Cinema’s obsession with the idea of a perfect murder is quite grotesque. The macabre fascination only cements what Francois Truffaut once said, “Film lovers are sick people.” Perfect murders are a form of intellectual freak show, and Irrational Man, Woody Allen’s newest feature, tackles on the visual and physical allure of taking a person’s life. A much less heavy-handed effort than the director’s previous Magic in the Moonlight, Irrational Man stays light while dissecting the ennui of existing.
Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix), a philosophy professor, arrives at the campus of the fictional Braylin University a broken man, suffering from a messy divorce and the untimely death of a friend in Iraq. Abe is often filmed from the waist up, exposing his less than attractive physicality. The guy does not walk; he lumbers around with his big belly. Yet women are inexplicably drawn to him, precisely because...
Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix), a philosophy professor, arrives at the campus of the fictional Braylin University a broken man, suffering from a messy divorce and the untimely death of a friend in Iraq. Abe is often filmed from the waist up, exposing his less than attractive physicality. The guy does not walk; he lumbers around with his big belly. Yet women are inexplicably drawn to him, precisely because...
- 7/18/2015
- by Phuong Le
- SoundOnSight
Emma Stone has received the highest praise from iconic filmmaker Woody Allen.
The actress is currently starring in Allen's Irrational Man, which sees a tortured philosophy professor find a reason to live when he enters into a relationship with his student (Stone).
"Emma can do everything: She can act, sing, dance, astonish, and she's beautiful and intelligent," Allen told Us Weekly. "She's really got it all. I was writing this script and I was worried about who could possibly pull off this part, and of course Emma could."
Allen said that nobody has anything bad to say about the actress.
He said: "Whenever I've mentioned I'm working with her on a movie, people brighten up, 'Oh I love her!'"
Stone first worked with Allen on 2014 movie Magic in the Moonlight, where she starred opposite Colin Firth.
Irrational Man is out now in North America and will make its UK...
The actress is currently starring in Allen's Irrational Man, which sees a tortured philosophy professor find a reason to live when he enters into a relationship with his student (Stone).
"Emma can do everything: She can act, sing, dance, astonish, and she's beautiful and intelligent," Allen told Us Weekly. "She's really got it all. I was writing this script and I was worried about who could possibly pull off this part, and of course Emma could."
Allen said that nobody has anything bad to say about the actress.
He said: "Whenever I've mentioned I'm working with her on a movie, people brighten up, 'Oh I love her!'"
Stone first worked with Allen on 2014 movie Magic in the Moonlight, where she starred opposite Colin Firth.
Irrational Man is out now in North America and will make its UK...
- 7/18/2015
- Digital Spy
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