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The Congress Review


Very Good

Fiercely original and wildly ambitious, this provocative drama is often thrilling simply because it's like nothing ever put on-screen. This means that it can be somewhat overwhelming at times, as the film cycles through its dense plot, which seems to meander and stumble here and there. From inventive filmmaker Ari Folman (who made the award-winning animated doc Waltz With Bashir), this is a challenging look at identity in an increasingly digital society.

The story begins in the present day, as actress Robin Wright (playing a variation on herself) is living out of the limelight with her two kids (Kodi Smit-McPhee and Sami Gayle). Then her agent Al (Harvey Keitel) brings her a very strange job offer: a film studio boss (Danny Huston) wants to buy Robin's image to digitise and use in movies, while the real Robin is free to live her life away from Hollywood. Since her son's medical condition needs her attention, she signs a 20-year contract and lets the studio create an avatar that will carry on her career. Two decades later, advances in technology have made this kind of virtual existence available to the general public, so as a pioneer Robin is invited to the Futurists Congress, which is held in an animated alternate reality.

Essentially the story is told in two halves. The first part of the film is a smart and funny razor-sharp satire of Hollywood image-making, as the studio wants the young Robin Wright of The Princess Bride and Forrest Gump rather than the older, more serious actress. And from her perspective, she still wants to control her image as much as possible ("no Nazi or sci-fi movies!"). Then events leap forward to the animated Congress, which is a deluge of colourful characters from vintage cartoons and videogames. In this realm, people can be whatever they want to be. But the truth is that they are living drugged-up Matrix-style lives in the real world while their avatars cavort as if in a dreamland.

Continue reading: The Congress Review

The Congress Trailer


'The Princess Bride' actress Robin Wright plays a fictional idea of herself, as someone struggling to land acting roles despite her immense fame decades ago. In the movie, her son is suffering from increasing blindness for which she needs to raise many to help. Her agent has one last idea; seeing as she can no longer land movie roles, Miramount Studios want to scan her whole body, emotions, voice and personality to be used in digital imagery for future films so she no longer has to act. Desperate, she accepts the deal; allowing the studio to take ownership of her and accepting the money they pay her for it. Years later, however, she has become a major movie star once again and now Miramount want to showcase their new avatar programme at the Futurological Congress, whereby buyers can turn themselves into animated versions of anyone - and Miramount wants Robin to let people become her. As her life progresses, she starts to wonder just where the reality has gone in this virtual world.

This intriguing half-animated sci-fi drama explores themes of virtual reality and the limitlessness of human endeavour in the technological era. It has been directed and written by Ari Folman ('Waltz with Bashir', 'Made in Israel', 'Saint Clara') and is based on the novel 'The Futurological Congress' by Stanislaw Lem. 'The Congress' is due for UK release on August 15th 2014.

Click here to read The Congress movie review

Noah - Featurette


The cast and crew of ‘Noah’; director Darren Aronofsky, actors Russell Crowe and Emma Watson, and production designer Mark Friedberg; discuss the creation of the ark on set in a short featurette.

Continue: Noah - Featurette

Noah - Extended Trailer


Noah is a normal family man faced with major responsibility when his dark visions lead him to see God's plan to wipe out the corrupt humanity that has plagued his Earth. When he realises that a great flood will be the disaster that will destroy all life, he subsequently sees that a new life will come after it that he must help to re-create. He and his family decide to build a colossal ark to keep them safe from the oncoming catastrophe, and thus use it to save the planet's animals as well. However, the fact that they have been blessed to live has angered their fellow neighbours, who band together in an attempt to seize the ark and save themselves. In an extraordinary turnaround, Noah and his family find themselves facing the bigger threat of their own people, rather than the deadly wrath of the Lord himself.

Continue: Noah - Extended Trailer

Vampire Academy Trailer


Rose Hathaway is formidable half human half vampire with only one purpose in life; to defend the royal moroi clan - in particular Princess Vasilisa Dragomir - with her life as the evil vampires, named strigois, target her and the rest of the peaceful nightwalkers of St Vladimir's Academy. Rose and Lissa may only drink when blood is donated to them, but the strigois hunt to kill, with no discrimination between vampire and human. Rose and Lissa initially try to run away from the city in search of safety, but they are brought back and Rose is forced to continue her training. Her mentor, Dimitri Belikov, takes time to help them in increasing their strength and making them equipped enough to deal with their foes - but there's deception everywhere, and not everyone is who they seem.

Continue: Vampire Academy Trailer

Noah Trailer


When Noah is faced with a dark message from God thanks to his gift of envisioning the future, he realises he is the only person who can save the world. The Lord is angry with the entirety of humanity for their increasingly violent behaviour, and is thus forced to oversee an enormous flood deadly enough to wipe out all people and animals on the planet. Noah and his family are the only humans on the planet who God is willing to save, and so they build an ark big enough to home two of every animal as well as themselves as God attempts to start over again. However, when word gets around that Noah is given the gift of survival while everybody else is doomed to die, naturally a siege ensues and Noah must protect himself and his family against more than one great threat.

This Biblical dystopian tale is based on the Genesis story 'Noah's Ark' which depicts an apocalyptic flood destroying mankind. It has been directed by Darren Aronofsky ('Black Swan', 'The Wrestler', 'Requiem for a Dream ') who co-wrote the screenplay alongside his previous collaborator Ari Handel ('The Fountain'). 'Noah' will be released next year on March 28th 2014.

Click here to read - Noah Movie Review

Video - Gina Gershon And Courtney Love Hit The Marchesa SS14 NY Fashion Week Show - Part 2


Photographers were poised and ready with their cameras at the rear entrance of the Marchesa Spring/ Summer 2014 show where a huge host of glamorous celebrities attended during the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. Former Hole rocker Courtney Love and 'Killer Joe' star Gina Gershon were among them, both opting for black gowns for the event.

Continue: Video - Gina Gershon And Courtney Love Hit The Marchesa SS14 NY Fashion Week Show - Part 2

Stolen Trailer


Will Montgomery has just been released from jail after an eight year sentence for participating in a bank robbery of $10 million that left him duped and ultimately trapped. He left behind his young daughter, Alison Loeb, who is now 14-years-old and has mixed feelings about her father returning and trying to bond with her. His attempt at leading an ordinary and straight life out of incarceration is disrupted when his former partner in crime, Vincent, kidnaps Alison and locks in the back of a soundproof taxi cab on Mardi Gras day so she's not likely to be noticed. Vincent, angered that he never received his share of the bank robbery loot and believing that it was hidden before Will went to prison, demands the $10 million as ransom with the threat of harm coming to Alison. Will is given 24 hours to hand over the cash, however in spite of what Vincent and FBI agent Tim Harlend believe, the money was burned and he no longer has a penny. He is forced to enlist the help of the stunning Riley Jeffers to help him attempt a robbery in order to rescue his daughter.

Continue: Stolen Trailer

Detachment Review


Good
An almost overpowering sense of hopelessness makes this education-system drama difficult to watch. Fortunately, it's directed and acted with enough sensitivity to stir our sympathies. Although we're not sure we want to go wherever this bleak story might be heading.

Henry (Brody) takes a month-long assignment teaching at a tough school run by beleaguered principal Carol (Harden). Unflappable in the face of the unruly students, he calmly tries to get through to the teens. He clicks with fellow teacher Sarah (Hendricks). As a substitute, Henry's job is to maintain order, which seems like an impossible challenge. So he instead reaches out to a teen hooker (Gayle), thinking he might actually be able to make a difference in her life. But he can't help but wonder if he's doing more harm than good.

Continue reading: Detachment Review

Detachment Trailer


Henry Barthes is a highly recommended substitute teacher, a compliment he doesn't really accept. His latest job is subbing at an inner city high school for a month, where exam grades are slipping; the pupils are unruly and the head teacher is under fire for the decline in standards there.

Continue: Detachment Trailer

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The Congress Movie Review

The Congress Movie Review

Fiercely original and wildly ambitious, this provocative drama is often thrilling simply because it's like...

The Congress Trailer

The Congress Trailer

'The Princess Bride' actress Robin Wright plays a fictional idea of herself, as someone struggling...

Noah Trailer

Noah Trailer

The cast and crew of ‘Noah’; director Darren Aronofsky, actors Russell Crowe and Emma Watson,...

Noah Trailer

Noah Trailer

Noah is a normal family man faced with major responsibility when his dark visions lead...

Vampire Academy Trailer

Vampire Academy Trailer

Rose Hathaway is formidable half human half vampire with only one purpose in life; to...

Noah Trailer

Noah Trailer

When Noah is faced with a dark message from God thanks to his gift of...

Vampire Academy Trailer

Vampire Academy Trailer

Rose Hathaway is a dhampir which means that she is half human and half vampire....

Stolen Trailer

Stolen Trailer

Will Montgomery has just been released from jail after an eight year sentence for participating...

Detachment Movie Review

Detachment Movie Review

An almost overpowering sense of hopelessness makes this education-system drama difficult to watch. Fortunately, it's...

Detachment Trailer

Detachment Trailer

Henry Barthes is a highly recommended substitute teacher, a compliment he doesn't really accept. His...

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