When a festival ends it’s become LOVEFiLM tradition to put together a blooper reel of when things don’t go according to plan. Expect lots of blah blahs and a little bit of swearing, and hopefully you’ll enjoy having a laugh at our expense. We present to you, The 2011 London Film Festival outtakes…
LFF 2011: The Blooper Reel
By Tegan Kniveton on Saturday October 29, 2011
Closing Night Gala & Our Festival Highlights
By Jennifer Trevorrow on Friday October 28, 2011
That’s it, 16 days later and the 55th BFI London Film Festival has come to an end. Of course we were on the red carpet for the premiere of closing night film The Deep Blue Sea, to talk to director Terence Davies and actor Tom Hiddleston, plus we catch up with Artistic Director of the festival, Sandra Hebron. And if that wasn’t enough, the LOVEFiLM team talk about their festival hightlights. Enjoy!
The London Film Festival 2011: Awards Ceremony
By Helen Cowley on Friday October 28, 2011
You’ve watched us chat to the stars on the red carpet, now see what happened inside this year’s awards…
The London Film Festival 2011: Awards
By Tegan Kniveton on Thursday October 27, 2011
The penultimate night of the London Film Festival brought us the awards, and we were on the red carpet to chat to whoever we came across, including David Cronenberg, Terry Gilliam and Gillian Anderson.
The 55th BFI London Film Festival awards ceremony took place at London’s LSO St Luke’s and the four awards were presented by some of the most respected figures in the film world. Watch pur video report below.
A Dangerous Method Review
By Jennifer Trevorrow on Wednesday October 26, 2011
A Dangerous Method
3 Stars
On the surface, David Cronenberg’s latest venture has the potential of being an Eastern Promises or A History of Violence, but in reality it lacks the punch needed to keep Cronenberg fans happy…
A Dangerous Method revisits the rocky relationship between psychologists and friends, Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). But it’s Jung’s affair with his troubled patient Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), which serves as the erotic backbone of the story.
The film opens with a screaming Sebina being dragged into a hospital for the clinically insane. Jung administers regular meetings with the girl to determine the source of her trauma, and concludes that abuse as a child, confused with sexual feelings are the cause of her distress. After several sessions, Jung acts upon his patient’s disturbed arousal and the two embark on a sordid affair.
Anonymous premiere
By Darren Bignell on Wednesday October 26, 2011
Roland Emmerich normally spends his time smashing up the world, but his latest film – Anonymous – is explosive for a very different reason.
Did William Shakespeare really write all those plays & sonnets, or was it a person or persons other? Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Jamie Campbell Bower, David Thewlis and Rafe Spall lead a massive ensemble cast in Emmerich’s rich, layered and passionate Elizabethan drama.
And we talked to as many of them as was humanly possible, on the red carpet of hey-nonny-nonymous…
A Dangerous Method Premiere
By Jennifer Trevorrow on Tuesday October 25, 2011
David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method premiered at the festival last night, and in town to promote the film was its star-studded cast, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen…
Based on the personal and professional relationship between psychologists, Carl Jung (Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Mortensen), Cronenberg’s film follows Jung as he embarks on a reckless relationship with troubled patient Sebina Sielrein (Knightley), and severs all ties with his mentor, Freud.
Madonna Madness at the Premiere of W.E.
By Jennifer Trevorrow on Monday October 24, 2011
With her hefty entourage in tow, Madonna breezed into town last night to talk about her most recent project, W.E.
The film tells the story of Wallis Simpson’s relationship with Edward VIII from a sympathetic stand point, all the while interweaving a contemporary fictional tale into the narrative. We hit the red carpet to quiz the queen of pop on what inspired her to write, direct and produce such an ambitious film.
Plus, earlier in the week we caught up with the delightful star of The Artist, Bérénice Bejo to talk about the power of silence.
Take Shelter Review
By Tegan Kniveton on Monday October 24, 2011
Take Shelter
4 Stars
In a quiet town in Ohio, all seems well. That is until Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon), a loving husband to Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and proud father of their young daughter, becomes plagued by terrifying visions and nightmares.
These vivid apparitions convince Curtis that there’s a deadly storm coming, and it’s pushing him to to breaking point. Unsure of his sanity, he sets about transforming the forgotten tornedo shelter in the yard to a fully functioning bunker, complete with water and sewage systems. All the while, alienating himself from the local community and stretching the limits of his marriage.
Take Shelter has a slow pace and with a 120 minute runtime feels a little on the long side, but this isn’t an end-of-world action movie a la Bruce Willis. It’s a subtle indie drama that is beautiful to look at, with CGI not dissimilar to the recent Melancholia.
Michael Shannon is unmissable as the quiet Curtis, teetering dangerously on the edge of control. While Jessica Chastain, who’s had an incredible year with starring turns in The Tree of Life and The Help amongst other, is mouth-wateringly good as the loyal but bemused wife.
The joy of Take Shelter isn’t a big bang of excitement, but it’s drawn out and delicate tone. It is a haunting film that will certainly stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema.
Miss Bala review
By Helen Cowley on Monday October 24, 2011
Miss Bala
2 1/2 STARS
This brutal Mexican drama bears a furious pace, a taste for relentless action and an angry tone.
Laura Guerrero (new comer Stephanie Sigman) is a wannabe beauty queen who proves to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Out drinking with her best friend in a dingy warehouse club – run by a bunch of decidedly nasty criminals – she’s in the toilet when a rival gang enter the premise armed to the hilt and coldly gun down all the inhabitants. Laura is the only one to make it out alive.
After reporting the incident to a cop – who swiftly volunteers the Intel to the rival gang – the nightclub killers kidnap her. But drug lord Lino (a quietly menacing performance from Noe Hernandez) takes a shine to her and instead of shooting her, Laura proves to be of use to the gang – whether she likes it or not.
Supposedly inspired by true events, Miss Bala, makes for genuinely tense, often uncomfortable viewing. It is a complex and bloody view on the corrupt, unforgiving state of Mexico. No one comes off well, the politicians and criminals have equal amounts of blood on their hands.
Director Gerardo Naranjo (Revolución) is impressively competent in directing the succession of shoot-outs and blunt action sequences that pepper the film, but it’s the sprawling narrative, with its continual shifts in direction and pace, that he struggles to keep hold of.
Miss Bala is nothing but ambitious, it is a punky, brave calling card from Naranjo and we will watch with interest to see what he decides to do next.
Follow us on Twitter!
- We watched #ThePact last week and tonight we're ghost hunting. Wish us luck!
(about 19 hours ago) - LOVEFiLM Instant TV Series of the Week: Spooks. We've got series 1-7 ready to watch now http://t.co/xLfzIAFT
(about 20 hours ago) - Last day to enter our Dark Shadows competition to win merchandise & a Tim Burton DVD Collection: http://t.co/haDCEuUZ
(about 22 hours ago) - INTERVIEW: We chat to the cast of Dark Shadows, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloë Grace Moretz & Helena Bonham-Carter http://t.co/9Kr90ckL
(about 1 day ago) - Happy birthday Cate Blanchett! Watch her in Benjamin Button, The Good German and more on LOVEFiLM Instant: http://t.co/XffjKeV7
(about 1 day ago) - Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows is out TODAY. To celebrate, we're giving away 3 Blu-rays & posters signed by RDJ & co. Just RT to win!
(about 2 days ago)