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Doctor Strange Trailer


Stephen Strange is one of the most talented neurosurgeons in the world, he's still relatively young and has saved the lives of thousands of people. When he's in a serious car accident, his most important assets, his hands are damaged beyond intricate repair and it's an abrupt end to his most loved profession.

Continue: Doctor Strange Trailer

Secret In Their Eyes Review

Excellent

It's rare for an American remake to be scruffier than the original, but this film is an intriguingly messier take on the super-slick, hugely engaging 2009 Oscar winner from Argentina. Filmmaker Billy Ray (Captain Phillips) has stripped down the tone and revamped the plot considerably, replacing the original film's big emotional surges with grittier intrigue and subtle intelligence.

The story begins as New York security expert Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor) returns to Los Angeles, picking up the trail of an unsolved murder he worked on 13 years earlier when he was an FBI agent. His former colleague Jess (Julia Roberts) is still in the FBI, while Claire (Nicole Kidman) is now the city's district attorney. Together, they secretly begin looking into the case again, tracking the suspect (Joe Cole) through the city and dodging interference from fellow agent Reg (Michael Kelly). But the investigation doesn't go as planned, jeopardising all of them in their current jobs. And Ray is having trouble sorting out his relational history with both Jess and Claire.

These three fine actors cleverly play with the delicate tensions both between them and in the larger picture. At the centre, Ejiofor is gripping as a man of conscience who is tenaciously hoping for justice in a seriously murky situation. Kidman adds a slightly cheeky tone as a woman who has achieved professional success but never forgets the dodgy choices she has made. And Roberts gets the showier role, losing all of her Hollywood glamour as the tomboyish Jess, a woman with layer after layer of emotional turmoil. The chemistry between them is fascinating, even if the filmmaking approach feels dry and aloof. But there's so much going on in both the story and characters that it's impossible to look away. Nothing that happens is quite what it seems to be, and the big ideas linger in the background, leaving plenty for us to chew on.

Continue reading: Secret In Their Eyes Review

Triple 9 Review

Good

After a post-apocalyptic dystopia (The Road) and Prohibition-era America (Lawless), Australian director John Hillcoat brings his edgy Wild West sensibilities to this gritty present-day heist thriller. The film is fierce and stylish, and utterly gripping even though there's the nagging sensation that nothing is happening under the surface. Thankfully, the actors add plenty of terrific texture to their characters.

It's set in Atlanta, where Terrell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) leads his crew of thugs (Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr., Aaron Paul and Norman Reedus) through a riotously dangerous bank robbery. They're working for the cold-hearted Russian mobster Irina (Kate Winslet), who demands an even bigger heist before she'll pay them. Terrell has a child with Irina, so feels like he has little choice in the matter, but his team is made up of unstable hotheads and corrupt cops who have their own opinions. One of the cops also has a new partner in Chris (Casey Affleck), a tenacious good guy who's the nephew of a cynical detective (Woody Harrelson) who's just beginning to crack this case. So the gang decides to distract the city's police force with a triple 9, code for a downed officer, while they carry out their next elaborate robbery. The question is who will take the bullet.

Matt Cook's script is a bundle of mad twists and turns, usually the result of impulsive gang members who act without thinking. The tension is very high, as each person's morality is warped at every turn. All while Chris tries to remain upright in the middle of a storm he doesn't quite understand. Each character is up against a wall, ready to do whatever it takes to survive in a situation that is getting increasingly out of control. And without more subtext, or at least a sense of these people's back-stories, no one on-screen is very likeable.

Continue reading: Triple 9 Review

Triple 9 Trailer


Terrell Tompkins and his team of officers are corrupt, finding ways to embellish their wage has turned into a habit that's about to land them in a lot of trouble. When a powerful member of the Russian mafia learns of Tompkins' money making ways, she blackmails him and his team into pulling a heist for her. Fearing they'll be exposed, the gang carry out the job for Irene, a woman who might look glamourous but has a dark soul. Once the job's complete, the crew believe they're in the clear but savvy Sergeant Detective Jeffrey Allen has been put on the case and he soon discovers that there's probably more to the robbery than first thought.

That's not the only problem facing Tompkins, Irene tracks the cop down and requests another job - if refused Irene won't hesitate in taking their lives. This job is far bigger than the last and is an almost impossible mission. Feeling their only option is to distract all the cops in their district, the team come up with a plan to pull a Triple 9 call - police code for 'officer down'. However, with Sergeant Detective Allen constantly uncovering more information and being faced with the ordeal of killing one of their own, the job will be far from straight forward.

Triple 9 is directed by John Hillcoat who also directed 2012's Lawless starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy & the film adaptation of The Road starring Viggo Mortensen.

A Week In Movies: Berlin Wraps Up, Dames Judi And Maggie Hit The Red Carpet, Julia Roberts Films In L.A. And There Are New Trailers For Age Of Adaline, Big Game And Crimson Peak


Cate Blanchett Helena Bonham Carter Tom Courtenay Judi Dench Maggie Smith Adam Scott Julia Roberts Chiwetel Ejiofor

Cinderella

The Berlin Film Festival wrapped up last weekend after the premiere for Disney's new live-action version of Cinderella, and stars Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Lily James and Richard Madden, plus director Kenneth Branagh were all on hand for the event.

Photos - 65th Berlin International Film Festival - 'Cinderella' - Premiere

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Berlin Wraps Up, Dames Judi And Maggie Hit The Red Carpet, Julia Roberts Films In L.A. And There Are New Trailers For Age Of Adaline, Big Game And Crimson Peak

Z For Zachariah - Clip


After a dramatic cataclysm seemingly destroys all of mankind, a single woman in the deep south of America faces up to the very real possibility that she is the last woman on Earth. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie) does whatever she can to survive in her own tiny corner of the world, until Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) stumbles upon her small valley sanctuary. While the two struggle to find common ground at first, aside from their survival, they steadily begin to form an uneasy bond. But when Caleb (Chris Pine) happens to find the two of them as well, tensions steadily rise as the last three people on Earth give way to jealousy and bitterness towards one another. 

Continue: Z For Zachariah - Clip

Non-White Ethnic Groups Dangerously Under/Misepresented In Hollywood


Penelope Cruz Chiwetel Ejiofor

A study has found that non-white ethnic groups were severely underrepresented in Hollywood in 2013, indicating deep-seated issues regarding inclusion and equality at the heart of the movie industry.

12 Years a Slave'12 Years a Slave' - an Oscar winner with a predominantly black cast. But Hollywood is still far, far behind

The study found that, while America’s population includes a large Hispanic population – more than 16% - only 4.9% played speaking parts in blockbuster movies from 2013. Black actors were cast in 14.1% of roles and 17% of films had no black speaking characters.

Continue reading: Non-White Ethnic Groups Dangerously Under/Misepresented In Hollywood

Video - Chiwetel Ejiofor And His Girlfriend Sari Mercer Seen Leaving NY Hotel For Met Gala - Part 3


'12 Years A Slave' star Chiwetel Ejiofor with his model girlfriend Sari Mercer were among the stunningly dressed celebrities snapped leaving their New York hotel to attend the 2014 Costume Institute Gala where this year's theme was 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion'.

Continue: Video - Chiwetel Ejiofor And His Girlfriend Sari Mercer Seen Leaving NY Hotel For Met Gala - Part 3

Next Bond Villain Chiwetel Ejiofor: His Career So Far


Chiwetel Ejiofor James Bond

12 Years a Slave may have finally brought Chiwetel Ejiofor the worldwide recognition he deserved, but now the actor is reported to be taking on another massive role, as James Bond's new nemesis in the next Bond movie. The British actor, who had carved out a remarkable career in stage and independent films before 12 Years A Slave, seems ready now to firmly take his place among the Hollywood A-List. It’s been a long time coming for a man who has five Golden Globe nominations and now an Oscar nod to his name.

Chiwetel Ejiofor                                                                                      Chiwetel Ejiofor is the new Bond villain

Born in London to Nigerian parents Chiwetel Ejiofor decided on an acting career at a young age. Starting off in school productions, he joined the National Youth Theatre at 18. Showing early promise, Ejliofor played Othello twice in his early career, first in London’s Bloomsbury theatre and then in Glasgow. Nearly ten years later he would reprise the role to wide acclaim. The young actor then got his first big movie break after being cast in Steven Spielberg's film Amistad in 1997.

The 2002 movie Dirty Pretty Things brought Chiwetel Ejiofor’s talents to real critical acclaim for the first time. For his performance he was nominated for a string of awards and won the British Independent Film Award for best actor and the Evening Standard British Film Award for best actor. The following year Ejiofor would be seen as part of the all star British cast of Love Actually, before taking on his first leading role in British drama Red Dust, opposite Hillary Swank. More acclaimed performances followed as Ejiofor began showing himself as one of Britain’s most talented rising stars. For the 2005 comedy Kinky Boots Ejiofor picked up his first Golden Globe nomination, this time for best actor in a musical or comedy. A year later he would be a Golden Globe nominee again, for Tsunami: The Aftermath, a TV minseires for which he picked up the best actor nomination.

Continue reading: Next Bond Villain Chiwetel Ejiofor: His Career So Far

'12 Years A Slave' Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor Set For Bond Villain Role


Chiwetel Ejiofor James Bond Daniel Craig Sam Mendes Ralph Fiennes Ben Whishaw Naomie Harris

The Oscar-nominated star of 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor, is likely to become the next James Bond villain, according to Variety. The trade magazine says the British star is the top name on producers' wish list for the 24th official James Bond movie, which will once again be directed by Sam Mendes as well as starring Daniel Craig.

Chiwetel EjioforChiwetel Ejiofor Could Be The Next Bond Villain

Bond 24 is due to begin filming in the summer for a November 2015 release date. Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris are also set to return as M, Q and Moneypenny respectively. 

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor Set For Bond Villain Role

Odds Suggest 'Star Wars Episode 7' Cast Is Fisher, Ford, Hamill, Oldman, Driver


Harrison Ford Carrie Fisher Mark Hamill Gary Oldman Adam Driver Lupita Nyong'o Chiwetel Ejiofor Jj Abrams Star Wars

The Star Wars Episode 7 cast will be nearing completion behind closed doors, but fans are still none the wiser as to who will be starring in one of the biggest movies of the past 20 years. Rumors have reached boiling point, though unusually, nobody has given the slightest indication that they've signed on the dotted lines for Jj Abrams new movie. 

Gary OldmanGary Oldman May Well Be Joining the Empire

We know that the cast will feature both new and old faces, and Irish bookmaker Paddy Power are convinced that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill will be reprising their roles as Princess Leia, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.

Continue reading: Odds Suggest 'Star Wars Episode 7' Cast Is Fisher, Ford, Hamill, Oldman, Driver

Chris Pine Slapped With Six Month Driving Ban After Pleading Guilty To DUI


Chris Pine Chiwetel Ejiofor Margot Robbie

Chris Pine has pleaded guilty to a DUI charge after having being caught drunk driving in New Zealand. The 33 year-old Star Trek actor was handed a six month suspension of his New Zealand driving license and a $93 fine at an Ashburton court hearing today. Pine had been celebrating the wrap of his latest movie, Z For Zachariah, in the south island town of Methven when he was pulled over by cops doing a routine check.

Chris Pine
Chris Pine's New Zealand Driving License Has Been Suspended For Six Months.

Pine wasn't identified by New Zealand police in their statement, which instead reported that a 33-year-old American was charged on the 1st March with driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, which is .08 percent, after being stopped during a routine early morning check near Methven.

Continue reading: Chris Pine Slapped With Six Month Driving Ban After Pleading Guilty To DUI

New York Times Amends '12 Years A Slave' Article, 161 Years After It Was Written [Trailer]


Chiwetel Ejiofor Lupita Nyong'o Steve McQueen Brad Pitt

The New York Times has chosen to amend a detail from an article written 161 years ago about the memoir of Solomon Northup, the free African-American man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Steve McQueen received an Academy Award on Sunday for his harrowing adaptation of Northup's tale, which caused articles related to the story to be dug up.

Benedict Cumberbatch Chiwetel Ejiofor 12 Years A Slave
An Article Written About The Original '12 Years A Slave' Memoir Has Been Amended 161 Years Later.

An article written on January 20th 1853 was discovered by author Rebecca Skloot, who discovered the mistake and publicised it via Twitter. The problem was that the 19th century article had Northup's name spelt in two different ways: Northrop and Northrup, neither of which were accurate.

Continue reading: New York Times Amends '12 Years A Slave' Article, 161 Years After It Was Written [Trailer]

"12 Years A Slave" To Hit 1,000 More Theaters Thanks To Oscar Buzz


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Lupita Nyong'o

A Best Picture Oscar definitely brings a lot of cache to a film. Now that 12 Years a Slave has won the big one, Fox Searchlight is planning a major expansion in US theaters. The unexpected move comes after the film saw an unexpected spike in profits over Oscar weekend. On its 20th weekend, the film grossed $975,931 from 411 theaters - up 86 percent from the previous weekend and pushing its domestic total to a strong $50.3 million, THR reports.

Steve McQueen, Oscars Ceremony
McQueen's film is seeing additional commercial success after its awards season run.

The new expansion will include more than 1,000 theaters across the US. Typically, a movie would not see an expansion once its out on DVD, since theater owners don’t make significant profits of them. However, in the case of 12 Years a Slave, all concerned parties are willing to make an exception. The expansion is expected to contribute to a sizeable profit for both Fox and the additional 1,000 theaters. 

Continue reading: "12 Years A Slave" To Hit 1,000 More Theaters Thanks To Oscar Buzz

Leonardo DiCaprio Misses Out On Another Oscar, And The People Are Rioting


Matthew Mcconaughey Leonardo Dicaprio Chiwetel Ejiofor

The Academy members have been known to be an unpredictable bunch when it comes to the bigger awards – Best Actor, Actress, Director, Picture. The winner this year didn’t exactly come out of left field, and yet everyone seems surprised. Instead of Chiwetel Ejiofor (whom so many people were rooting for) or Leonardo Dicaprio (whose Best Actor losing streak is a running joke at this point), the best actor statuette went to… drum roll please… Matthew Mcconaughey for Dallas Buyers Club.

Matthew McConaughey, Independent Spirit Awards
Meet your new Best Actor winner.

Naturally, disappointed fans took to social media to vent about this cruel and important injustice. But as much press and love as Ejiofor had received before the ceremony, the disappointed reactions mostly favored DiCaprio. Although, to be completely fair, it didn’t seem like it was his year from the get go.

Continue reading: Leonardo DiCaprio Misses Out On Another Oscar, And The People Are Rioting

Brits In America: UK Oscars Contingent In Patriotic Celebrations Before Tomorrow's Big Night


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Helen Mirren Sally Hawkins

Captain Phillips, Gravity, Iron Man 3, Karama Has No Walls, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Philomena, Prisoners, Room on the Broom, The Act of Killing; The Invisible Woman, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, and The Voorman Problem. These films all have a British spine in common, and will be celebrated at tomorrow night’s Oscars ceremony.

12 Years a SlaveChiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender star in 12 Years a Slave

But the revelry won’t begin on the red carpet; last night saw an all-out anglo-centric bash in dedication to the British influence on this year’s Academy Awards. The Great British Film event was held at the home of the British Consul General Chris O'Connor, who said: "The UK consistently features as the country with the most nominations outside of the US, and this year is no exception, with our world-class nominees in everything from acting and directing to music, animation and visual effects."

Continue reading: Brits In America: UK Oscars Contingent In Patriotic Celebrations Before Tomorrow's Big Night

A Week In Movies: Oscars Too Close To Call, Lupita Rules The Red Carpet, Godzilla Crushes San Francisco, And Veronica Mars Is Back


Alfonso Cuaron Steve McQueen Matthew Mcconaughey Chiwetel Ejiofor Jared Leto Barkhad Abdi Cate Blanchett Lupita Nyong'o Aaron Johnson Bryan Cranston Michael Cera Kristen Bell

The Oscars 2014

All eyes are on Hollywood this weekend as the Academy Awards take place this Sunday night. The least predictable Oscars in years, there are multiple possible winners in most of the major categories, as Gravity, 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle vie for Best Picture and Alfonso Cuaron and Steve McQueen contend for Best Director. We relive some of the the biggest upsets in Oscars history here.

Other too-close races include actor (Matthew Mcconaughey vs Chiwetel Ejiofor), supporting actor (Jared Leto vs Barkhad Abdi) and supporting actress (Lupita Nyong'o vs Jennifer Lawrence). The only sure thing is Cate Blanchett for Best Actress. And that Gravity will mop up all the technical awards. Here is more detail on the best supporting actress Oscar battle between jennifer lawrence and lupita nyong'o being too close to call.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Oscars Too Close To Call, Lupita Rules The Red Carpet, Godzilla Crushes San Francisco, And Veronica Mars Is Back

Ahead Of The Oscars, Leonardo DiCaprio Wins Most Googled Male Lead


Leonardo Dicaprio Matthew Mcconaughey Chiwetel Ejiofor Bruce Dern Christian Bale

The Academy Awards are almost upon us and, like any other major event of the past decade, Google Trends are one of the most reliable ways to measure interest in the coming show. This week the trends say one thing: people really care about Leonardo Dicaprio. And by “people”, we mostly mean “North America” since the volume of their Oscar-related searches trumps any other region of the world.

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street Still
DiCaprio may or may not get the Oscars, but he's already captured people's minds/Google searches.

Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio is the most popular nominee in the race for Best Actor for the coming Academy Awards. Matthew Mcconaughey comes in second, but it’s not even a close second. The average amount of Google searches for the past 30 days favors DiCaprio over McConaughey by about 24 points. Christian Bale (nominated for American Hustle) is third, with Bruce Dern and Chiwetel Ejiofor tied for last. Leo also pops up as the most searched term, related to the Academy awards. No other actors make the top ten. Ouch.

Continue reading: Ahead Of The Oscars, Leonardo DiCaprio Wins Most Googled Male Lead

A Week In Movies: Stars Hit London, Guardians Show Their Faces, British Thrillers Tease, Nic Returns To Acting And Angelina Directs


Chiwetel Ejiofor Leonardo Dicaprio Chris Pratt Zoe Saldana Bradley Cooper Nicolas Cage Angelina Jolie

The Bafta Awards 2014

The stars turned out once again in London on Sunday for the British Academy Film Awards, better known as the Baftas, and winners were spread between 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Blue Jasmine, American Hustle, Captain Phillips and Philomena. All of these contenders continue to jostle for attention in the final stretch before Oscar night on 2nd March. Catch up on the Bafta action here.

Meanwhile, a flurry of trailers have been released. Marvel gave us a peek at Guardians of the Galaxy, including Chris Pratt's Star Lord and Zoe Saldana's Gamora, plus digital characters played by Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), Vin Diesel (Groot) and Dave Bautista (Drax). It looks like a full-on action romp with a strong comical slant. Costars include Benicio Del Toro and John C Reilly. It opens in August. Meet the Guardians of the Galaxy characters here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Stars Hit London, Guardians Show Their Faces, British Thrillers Tease, Nic Returns To Acting And Angelina Directs

Crime Dramas 'The Fall,' 'Broadchurch' And 'Top Of Lake' Dominate Broadcasting Press Guild


David Tennant Chiwetel Ejiofor Channel 4

'The Fall,' 'Broadchurch' and 'Top of The Lake' - arguably the three biggest dramas of 2013 – have each received four nominations at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, proving their dominance with the critics and within TV conversations last year.

Elisabeth MossTop of The Lake's Elisabeth Moss

They’re all up for Best Drama, but David Tennant and Olivia Colman are in line for individual acting nods for their respective roles. Top of the Lake's Elisabeth Moss and Peter Mullan, and The Fall's Gillian Anderson also compete.

Tennant will go up against Bafta award winning Chiwetel Ejiofor, star of 12 Years a Slave, in the lead male category. He’s in the running for his part in BBC Two’s Dancing on the Edge. While Tennant’s role as DI Alec Hardy in Broadchurch - a role he’s currently reprising in an American remake - has landed him a spot on the short list.

Top of the Lake's Jane Campion, Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall, and The Fall’s  Allan Cubitt are all nominating for writing awards as the Broadcasting Press Guild is dominated by Channel 4 and BBC 2 – the former of which took all four documentary nominations in best single documentary prize.

Broadcasting Press Guild Awards - full list of nominations

Continue reading: Crime Dramas 'The Fall,' 'Broadchurch' And 'Top Of Lake' Dominate Broadcasting Press Guild

Daniel Day-Lewis To Present An Oscar, But Who Is Most Likely To Win It?


Daniel Day Lewis Chiwetel Ejiofor Matthew Mcconaughey Leonardo Dicaprio

Daniel Day-Lewis is joining the presenters’ lineup at the coming Oscars. The 56-year-old actor has been announced to present an award, among other Hollywood big-timers like Jennifer Lawrence, who have already had a few moments of Oscar glory. While it hasn’t been announced officially, the overall hunch online is that DDL will present the Best Actor award this year, having won it himself three times in the past – for My Left Foot in 1990, There Will Be Blood in 2008 and again last year for his performance in Lincoln.

Daniel Day-Lewis, Oscars 2013
DDL and the Oscars go way back.

This year, the nominees’ list is packed with talent and with each nominee having won a couple of Best Actor awards at various shows, the competition is unpredictable. Most recently, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is nominated for his role as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave, won the BAFTA for Best Actor, placing him as the frontrunner for the Oscar this year. On the other hand, the Golden Globe, which is typically considered a solid indication of the Academy’s leanings, went to Matthew McConaughey for his role in Dallas Buyers Club.

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis To Present An Oscar, But Who Is Most Likely To Win It?

Chiwetel Ejiofor Trumps Leonardo DiCaprio For BAFTA, DiCaprio Applauds


Chiwetel Ejiofor Leonardo Dicaprio Matthew Mcconaughey

Chiwetel Ejiofor triumphed at Sunday night’s BAFTA honours ceremony, beatings his fellow nominees for the best actor award (obviously, that’s how award shows work). The 12 Years a Slave actor beat out The Wolf of Wall Street’s Leonardo Dicaprio, Nebraska's Bruce Dern, American Hustle lead Christian Bale and two time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, but all of them took it in stride. Leonardo DiCaprio in particular was very sportsmanlike. When the winner was revealed at last night’s ceremony in Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House, DiCaprio proved there were no hard feelings and gave Ejiofor a standing ovation along with the rest of the room.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, BAFTA Awards
Ejiofor took home a well-deserved BAFTA - one of only two awards for 12 Years.

In contrast, Ejiofor was visibly flustered, when he took the stage to accept his very first BAFTA. The actor seemed overwhelmed by the reaction and as he thanked "my mother who is here and my father who is not here, I love you too", along with his director Steve McQueen and the all-star cast of the movie. 12 Years a Slave also won Best Picture, but missed out on the six other awards it was nominated for.

Continue reading: Chiwetel Ejiofor Trumps Leonardo DiCaprio For BAFTA, DiCaprio Applauds

The 2014 BAFTAs Run Like The Oscars' Older, Funnier Sister


Stephen Fry Emma Thompson Chiwetel Ejiofor Steve McQueen Alfonso Cuaron Lupita Nyong'o Barkhad Abdi

As the British equivalent to the Oscars, last night’s BAFTAs were obviously a glamorous affair. In between bouts of Stephen Fry’s self deprecating humor (“[Oprah’s] performance in The Butler was so moving, I almost gave mine the afternoon off.”) and jabs at all of his colleagues (Fry introduced the flawless Emma Thompson as “In the film world, a goddess. In real life, a ghastly piece of sickly shrieking awful.”) there were also some awards given out.

Stephen Fry, The Hobbit Premiere
Stephen Fry always makes for an entertaining awards show.

The big winners of the night were somewhat surprising. Predictions pegged Gravity and 12 Years A Slave – the two award show favorites so far – for the majority of BAFTAs as well. Instead, the Steve McQueen directed 12 Years only took two awards out of 8 nods total. Granted, they were the big ones - best film and leading actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) – but that was it.

Continue reading: The 2014 BAFTAs Run Like The Oscars' Older, Funnier Sister

A Week In Movies: 12 Years Rules London, Stars Mourn Hoffman, New Films From Russia, Macfarlane And Gyllenhaal


Chiwetel Ejiofor Gary Oldman Steve Coogan Philip Seymour Hoffman Seth Macfarlane Jake Gyllenhaal Stephen Mangan

The London Critics' Circle Film Awards

Awards season finally hit London on Sunday night as Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave collected three top awards at the London Critics' Circle Film Awards: Film of the Year, best actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and supporting actress for Lupita Nyong'o. Winners in attendance included McQueen, supporting actor Barkad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Excellence in Film honouree Gary Oldman, and cast and crew of the double winner The Selfish Giant. In addition, Steve Coogan collected Judi Dench's British actress award, while Andy Serkis read out a hilarious message from Cate Blanchett, who won best actress. Have a look over our photos from the event, we have The London Critics' Circle Film Awards Arrivals photos as well as photos of the guest leaving and signing for fans at the end of the night. We also have a full list of London Critics' Circle Film Awards winners, lead by 12 Years a Slave.

The awards ceremony started just a few minutes after it was confirmed that Philip Seymour Hoffman died in New York, and when the announcement was made the audience rose in a spontaneous standing ovation. Over the last few days, the film and theatre communities have been speaking out over Hoffman's untimely death. We have video footage shot as Philip Seymour Hoffman's body is retrieved from his apartment. We also recap his glorious career - Philip Seymour Hoffman's movies list features classic after classic.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: 12 Years Rules London, Stars Mourn Hoffman, New Films From Russia, Macfarlane And Gyllenhaal

Stringent Nudity Censorship In India Doesn't Apply To '12 Years A Slave'


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Lupita Nyong'o

Such is the importance of Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, the usually strict nudity censorships practices in India have lightened somewhat to allow the film to be shown unhindered, according to The Guardian.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel EjioforBenedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

The Oscar-nominated has been hailed as a modern classic, and is the favorite to take home the prize of Best Picture. It has attained such a status in part due to its unerring approach to the atrocities of slavery.

Continue reading: Stringent Nudity Censorship In India Doesn't Apply To '12 Years A Slave'

Steve McQueen Becomes Ambassador For Anti-Slavery International


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Lupita Nyong'o

Following his modern classic, 12 Years a Slave, which portrays the true story of Soloman Northrup’s (Chiwetel Ejiofor) kidnapping, subsequent slavery and escape, director Steve McQueen has been made a patron of the world's oldest human rights organisation.

12 Years a Slave Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender12 Years a Slave - starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender - has been hailed as a modern classic

He joins the Anti-Slavery International, a committee set up in 1839 to lobby against slavery and related abuses, in an ambassadorial role.

Continue reading: Steve McQueen Becomes Ambassador For Anti-Slavery International

Steve McQueen Ecstatic About Oscar Nominations, Credits Cast For '12 Years' Success


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Lupita Nyong'o

With nine nominations, 12 Years A Slave is the obvious favorite at the Oscars this year. Among those nine nods are the big ones – Best Director and Best Picture. This could make McQueen the first black director to win the Best Director award, prompting the question: why did it take so long? Overdue or not, McQueen is ecstatic about the nominations and optimistic about 12 Years’ (generally great) chances.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave Still
12 Years a Slave's chances are looking great at this point.

“I am exhilarated, ecstatic,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Getting all those nominations, I’m so very happy.”

Continue reading: Steve McQueen Ecstatic About Oscar Nominations, Credits Cast For '12 Years' Success

Santa Monica Tastes Hollywood Glamour As Stars Come Out For Critics Choice Awards [Photos]


David O Russell Amy Adams Leonardo Dicaprio Jennifer Lawrence Chiwetel Ejiofor Steve McQueen Alfonso Cuaron Sandra Bullock Cate Blanchett Matthew Mcconaughey Margot Robbie Adele Exarchopoulos

The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, set the stage for the latest instalment of the awards season program, playing host to some of the biggest names in showbiz and paying tribute to some of the year's biggest films for the 19th annual Critic's Choice Awards.

Alfonso Cuaron Sandra Bullock
Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron and star Sandra Bullock both took home awards

The latest instalment of the awards show schedule to pass us by offered another indicator of what films will continue to find success over the course of the next few months, with Gravity, American Hustle and 12 Years A Slave dominating proceedings.

Continue reading: Santa Monica Tastes Hollywood Glamour As Stars Come Out For Critics Choice Awards [Photos]

'Gravity,' 'American Hustle' And '12 Years A Slave' Scoop Major Wins At Critic's Choice Awards: Full Nominees & Winners


Alfonso Cuaron Sandra Bullock Matthew Mcconaughey Chiwetel Ejiofor Cate Blanchett Bradley Cooper Jared Leto James Gandolfini Jennifer Lawrence Lee Daniels David O Russell Spike Jonze Woody Allen

On the same day as the nominations for this year's Academy Awards ceremony were revealed, the latest instalment of the ongoing awards season went by at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, where the 19th annual Critic's Choice Awards honoured the cast and crew of some of last's year's biggest and best films.

Gravity
Gravity soared to success at the Critic's Choice Awards

The big winner on the night was the space thriller Gravity, which soared to success with seven wins by the end of the night. Among it's credits the film earned Alfonso Cuarón the award for Best Director and the award for Best Editing, shared with co-editor Mark Sanger. The film also earned Sandra Bullock the award for Best Actress In An Action Movie and was crowned as crowned the Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie. The film also scored recognition for Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography and Best Score.

Continue reading: 'Gravity,' 'American Hustle' And '12 Years A Slave' Scoop Major Wins At Critic's Choice Awards: Full Nominees & Winners

Last Week's Box Office Saw The Hobbit Dethroned - What Will This Weekend Bring?


Martin Freeman Disney Chiwetel Ejiofor Benedict Cumberbatch

After ruling the roost for nearly a month in both the US and UK, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug has finally fallen from its perch atop the box office charts. In the UK, American Hustle stormed the chart after gaining terrific reviews, knocking The Hobbit into second place and Frozen into third.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugThe Hobbit's supremacy was scuppered by Disney's animated winter powerhouse, Frozen

In North America on the other hand, Frozen made a post-holiday surge - perhaps sparked by the continent's "polar vortex" ice storm - to take the top spot. Other new films last week included Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, which wasn't screened to the press and managed to land at second place in the US and fifth in the UK.

Continue reading: Last Week's Box Office Saw The Hobbit Dethroned - What Will This Weekend Bring?

10 Films Vying For Producers Guild Of America Best Picture Prize, American Hustle Favorite?


Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale Alfonso Cuaron Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Leonardo Dicaprio Tom Hanks Coen Brothers

American Hustle appears to have emerged as the favorite to claim the Producers Guild of America Best Picture award when it’s handed out on January 19th. The darkly comic crime drama sees Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale play 1970s con artists.

American HustleAre these two plotting an Oscars raid?

The 'outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures' award certainly acts as a bellwether for the Oscars, which will be taking place shortly after the Producer’s Guild awards.

Continue reading: 10 Films Vying For Producers Guild Of America Best Picture Prize, American Hustle Favorite?

'12 Years A Slave' Director Steve McQueen Attacks Hollywood's Fear Of Slavery


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender

Director Steve McQueen has spoken candidly about his latest film, 12 Years A Slave, and how it goes drastically against the grain to what audiences, as well as studio chiefs in Hollywood, are used to seeing: a brutally honest depiction of slavery. In a recent interview with the BBC, McQueen discussed Hollywood's tendancy to sugarcoat America's dark past and considers his film a wake-up call to those who still have their heads buried in the ground.

Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor has won wide-spread plaudits for his depiction of Northup

The new film, which is widely considered the front-runner to take home all the major prizes when awards season gets going, tells the real life story of free man Solomon Northup. Northup, played by the outstanding Chiwetel Ejiofor; another front-runner for awards glory, is a middle class free-born musician living in New York in pre-Civil War America. In 1841 he is kidnapped and sold into slavery into the the Antebellum South , where he spends ten years at the mercy of his slave masters in the backwards land.

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' Director Steve McQueen Attacks Hollywood's Fear Of Slavery

The Producers Guild Of America Nominate '12 Years A Slave,' 'Her,' 'Blue Jasmine' And More For Daryl F. Zanuck Award


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Tom Hanks Joaquin Phoenix Ryan Coogler Woody Allen Sandra Bullock George Clooney Martin Scorsese Will Forte

The members of The Producer's Guild of America have cast their vote and the list of nominee's for their annual Daryl F. Zanuck Awards - their Best Picture category - have been cast. Formerly known as the Golden Laurel Awards, the PGA's are usually pretty accurate at predicting which films will go on to be nominated in the Best Picture category at the Oscars, and their winners rarely differ too.

12 Years A Slave
Chiwetel Ejiofor's powerful performance in Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave has made it a favourite for the top honour

American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Saving Mr. Banks, 12 Years a Slave, and The Wolf of Wall Street make up the full list of nominees up for awards this year, so don't be surprised to see these films still being discussed vigorously until the beginning of March.

Continue reading: The Producers Guild Of America Nominate '12 Years A Slave,' 'Her,' 'Blue Jasmine' And More For Daryl F. Zanuck Award

Italian Distributor Apologizes, Pulls Whitewashed "12 Years A Slave" Posters


Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Brad Pitt

The Italian distributor, which released offensively edited versions of promotional posters for 12 Years a Slave, has now pulled the images and apologized. The story created uproar earlier this week when Italian company BIM Distribuzione released promotional materials, focusing on Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt, both of whom have only supporting parts in 12 Years. Meanwhile, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has been lauded for his performance as Solomon Northup, a free man who gets kidnapped and sold into slavery in pre-Civil War America, had been relegated to a small image in the corner of each poster.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, BAFTA Britannia Awards
Chiwetel's lead character was relegated to a corner, while the posters highlighted the white actors.

The materials were seen as highly offensive and both BIM and Summit Entertainment were criticised after the posters made waves online. Late in the week, the Italian distributor apologized and explained that all the posters had been pulled for being “inconsistent” with approved materials.

Continue reading: Italian Distributor Apologizes, Pulls Whitewashed "12 Years A Slave" Posters

A Week In News: Beyonce's Back, 12 Years A Slave Burns Brighter, Tila Tequila Announces Nazi Sympathies


Beyonce Knowles Paul Walker Tila Tequila Rebecca Black Mila Kunis Chiwetel Ejiofor Lupita Nyong'o Michael Fassbender Matt Smith

Beyonce Visual

Beyoncé Unveils Pre-Christmas Surprise: Beyoncé Knowles has dropped an entire album of new material suddenly and unexpectedly, somehow accomplishing the astonishing task of managing to evade those who seek to leak new pop albums. The singer dropped BEYONCÉ with its 14 new songs plus 17 music videos on iTunes after stating she was "bored" of the traditional way of releasing music. Find out more here.

Paul Walker Wreckage Thieves Charged: In a frankly unbelievable story of crime that rocked not only the grieving family and friends of the late Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker but Hollywood too, two thieves attempted to steal parts from the Porsche car that the actor and driver Roger Rodas died in. Jameson Witty, who bragged about his theft on Instagram, and Anthony Janow face charges of one felony count of grand theft of personal property and two misdemeanor counts of destroying evidence as well as delaying a police officer. Read the full story here.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Beyonce's Back, 12 Years A Slave Burns Brighter, Tila Tequila Announces Nazi Sympathies

Early Oscars Betting Guide - Make The Most Of Some Crazy Odds


Tom Hanks Chiwetel Ejiofor Woody Allen Cate Blanchett Steve McQueen George Clooney Sandra Bullock

There’s a special time in ‘Oscars season’. It comes after the standout pictures separate from the pack, but before the ceremony itself. It’s a time of conjecture, speculation and guesswork, and can often lead to wild predictions, like ‘The Counselor is going to win an Oscar’.

American HustleThese guys have messed about with the Oscars odds

This unique period of Academy lingo also leads to varied odds, as great films get pushed out – sometimes as far as 66-1 – as others triumph in the various Oscars precursor awards.

Continue reading: Early Oscars Betting Guide - Make The Most Of Some Crazy Odds

Idris Elba Hospitalised After Suffering Asthma Attack On Way To South Africa


Idris Elba Naomie Harris Nelson Mandela Chiwetel Ejiofor Robert Redford Matthew Mcconaughey

Idris Elba has been admitted to a unspecified UK hospital after suffering an asthma attack whilst on his way to the premiere of new film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The Brit-actor suffered the attack whilst on board the plane, but was able to be removed from the aircraft whilst it was still in the UK and taken to a near-by hospital to recover.

Nelson MandelaWinnie Mandela
Long Walk to Freedom has been given mixed reviews

Elba, who stars alongside fellow Brit Naomie Harris (who plays his wife Winnie Mandela) in the film, was forced to miss a press conference due to take place upon his arrival earlier today (2 Nov.), however producers have said that they remain confident that the star will be able to fly out and attend the premiere of the film on Sunday, 3 November, according to Sky News.

Continue reading: Idris Elba Hospitalised After Suffering Asthma Attack On Way To South Africa

Will Somebody Give '12 Years A Slave' An Oscar Already?


Steve McQueen Michael Fassbender Chiwetel Ejiofor

12 Years a Slave is the best movie of the year. It just is. And it's hitting its key audiences ahead of its full nationwide release on Friday (November 1, 2013) - notably highbrow arty movie fans and mainstream African Americans. 

12 Years a Slave Michael FassbenderMichael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave

According to the Los Angeles Times, Dallas and Detroit were added last weekend by Fox Searchlight as Steve McQueen's film moves towards an expanded release. Though it's only small pockets of screenings, the relatively big numbers hint at something special for the slave-drama once it opens across the U.S.  It took $34,200 from the Angelika in Dallas in just three days and $33,900 at the AMC Star Southfield 20 in Dallas.

Continue reading: Will Somebody Give '12 Years A Slave' An Oscar Already?

'12 Years A Slave' Makes Solid Box Office Debut, High Yield Expected For Wider Release


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Robert Redford

Get ready to be underwhelmed: when we say 12 Years A Slave’s box office was solid on opening, we’re talking about a limited release. $960,000 from 19 theaters over the weekend is pretty good going, though.

12 Years a Slave
 Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in 12 Years a Slave as Solomon Northup.

Steve McQueen’s powerful slave drama, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodward, and Brad Pitt – an all-star ensemble indeed – has been a hit with the critics, and its relative success on a limited release suggests the film has the fiscal legs to see it through a competitive season.

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' Makes Solid Box Office Debut, High Yield Expected For Wider Release

'12 Years A Slave' Is A Harrowing Trip Back To A Darker Period In History: Review Round-Up


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Brad Pitt Paul Giamatti Paul Dano Alfre Woodard Benedict Cumberbatch

12 Years A Slave is the film version of Solomon Northup's account of his kidnap and subsequent sale into slavery until his rescue twelve years later. The real-life account of the tragic fate of Northup and the appalling conditions he and millions of other slaves were forced to endure has been turned into a feature-length epic by British director Steve McQueen, who leads a largely British cast in the film that is being heralded by critics as a must-see film.

Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor is spellbounding in 12 Years A Slave

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon, McQueen adapted the memoirs of the main character along with John Ridley to chronicle Solomon's harrowing twelve years, where he went from being a freeman living in New York, to a plantation slave in New Orleans between 1841 and 1853. Ejiofor has been roundly praised for his exceptonal acting talents, as have the rest of the cast, who include Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodard and Michael Fassbender, whose role as the heartless slave trader Edwin Epps has also been widely applauded for his unflinching brutality and realism.

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' Is A Harrowing Trip Back To A Darker Period In History: Review Round-Up

'12 Years A Slave' Receives Rave Reviews Ahead Of US Release


Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Brad Pitt Sarah Paulson

12 Years a Slave tells of Solomon Northup, a black man living free from the shackles of slavery in upstate New York, until he is abducted and sold into slavery. Northup, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men), is taken to New Orleans where he is forced to work on a plantation. The film, based on the memoirs of Northup, has been praised for its brutal and unflinching portrayal of the horrors inflicted to slaves during the 1800s in the USA.

12 Years a Slave
 Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in 12 Years a Slave as Solomon Northup.

The film is due to be released in the US today (Friday 18th October) and early reviews suggest this may be one of the best - and most important- films of the year. The critics love 12 Years a Slave; and with a stellar cast and crew in addition to a moving, brutal and accurate portrayal of slavery, it's likely to be an Oscar contender. 

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' Receives Rave Reviews Ahead Of US Release

Video - Chiwetel Ejiofor Arrives At The NYFF Premiere Of His New Movie '12 Years A Slave' - Part 1


The cast of '12 Years A Slave' arrive at the movie premiere at the New York Film Festival including lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and director Steve McQueen. Ejiofor plays real life wronged man Solomon Northup in this story about one man's illegal enslavement despite his American citizenship and achievements, based on the autobiography of the same name.

Continue: Video - Chiwetel Ejiofor Arrives At The NYFF Premiere Of His New Movie '12 Years A Slave' - Part 1

'12 Years A Slave' And Every Inch An Oscar Contender Following Toronto Win


Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Brad Pitt Paul Dano Paul Giamatti George Clooney

Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave has secured a place as ‘Oscars favorite’ following its triumph at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. The Steve McQueen-directed epic – based on the memoir of Solomon Northrup – remains the odds on choice for Best Picture at 13/4.

Chiwetel Ejiofor 12 Years a SlaveChiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave.

By winning the BlackBerry People's Choice award, 12 Years a Slave follows in the footsteps of previous Oscar winners, The Kings Speech and Slumdog Millionaire. What was once a the faint hum of Oscars buzz is now a powerful thud as McQueen’s latest effort leaves Mandela and Osage County in its wake.

Continue reading: '12 Years A Slave' And Every Inch An Oscar Contender Following Toronto Win

Which Film Will Get An Oscars Boost At The Toronto Film Festival 2013?


George Clooney Sandra Bullock Paul Giamatti Benedict Cumberbatch Michael Fassbender Chiwetel Ejiofor Idris Elba Alfonso Cuaron

The Toronto Film Festival has grown into one of the most important events in the movie calendar. Following the prestigious and glamorous Cannes and Venice festivals, it’s the sheer scale of Toronto’s slate that gives it its Oscars precursor status. As we wrote in our – admittedly early – Academy preview, this year’s competition is stronger than ever.

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch's in The Fifth Estate

Of course, Toronto is famous for exposing a number of talents via their independent cinema; it doesn’t just cater for the mainstream. But when a film stuns at the Canadian fest, Oscars buzz is hot on its heels.

Continue reading: Which Film Will Get An Oscars Boost At The Toronto Film Festival 2013?

Calling All Timelords! Doctor Who Audition Script Released By Steven Moffat


Matt Smith Steven Moffat Ben Whishaw Rory Kinnear Ben Daniels Dominic Cooper Chiwetel Ejiofor Julian Rhind-Tutt David Harewood

Ever fancied yourself behind the controls to the TARDIS? This could be your chance: the audition script used by the BBC on the hunt for a new timelord has been published in Doctor Who magazine, giving us a glimpse of life after Matt Smith.

Matt Smith
The BBC Are On The Hunt For A Matt Smith Successor.

It could be safe to say that producers aren't on the lookout for a female Doctor Who. Although no indication is given whether the regenerated doctor's gender is the same or not, Jenna Lee Coleman's Clara's lines aren't half as surprised as they would have been had producers planned for the Doc to reappear with boobs and the Doctor doesn't react to a more feminine sounding voice. Sorry Olivia Colman and Helen Mirren; it's probably not going to be you.

Continue reading: Calling All Timelords! Doctor Who Audition Script Released By Steven Moffat

Toronto Film Festival To Open With WikiLeaks Movie 'The Fifth Estate' [Trailer]


Benedict Cumberbatch John Hawkes Mos Def Jennifer Aniston Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender

The Fifth Estate, the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring biopic of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, will be the opening film at at this years annual Toronto International Film Festival. The film festival will also feature advanced screenings of fellow Oscar teasers 12 Years A Slave and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, with Daniel Schecter's Life of Crime - which stars John Hawkes, Mos Def and Jennifer Aniston - closing the first night. The festival starts on September 5.

Watch the trailer for The Fifth Estate

The Fifth Estate follows the end of the turbulent relationship between Assange and Daniel Domscheit-Berg at the height of WikiLeaks' infamy and mass exposure. Based on the books Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website by Domscheit-Berg himself and WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy by Luke Harding and David Leigh, the movie adaptation has been without Assange's consent. The film was directed by the Oscar winning Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Dreamgirls) and adapted for the screen by Josh Singer (The West Wing, Fringe). The film is due to arrive in time for Oscar season in January 2014.

Continue reading: Toronto Film Festival To Open With WikiLeaks Movie 'The Fifth Estate' [Trailer]

Solomon Northup's Story Comes To Life In '12 Years A Slave' [Trailer + Pictures]


Chiwetel Ejiofor Steve McQueen Brad Pitt Benedict Cumberbatch Michael Fassbender Paul Dano Paul Giamatti Michael K. Williams Quvenzhane Wallis

Solomon Northup was a regular New York resident who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. He was rescued 12 years later. 172 years on, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is an early Oscar contender for his turn as Northup in Steve McQueen’s 12 Days a Slave, which has a new trailer.

Chiwetel Ejiofor 12 Years a SlaveChiwetel Ejiofor looks excellent as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave

British actor Ejiofor is joined by an impressive cast, featuring Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Michael K. Williams, Quvenzhane Wallis, Alfre Woodard, Scoot McNairy, Taran Killam and Brad Pitt, while John Ridley adapted the script from Northup’s biography.

Continue reading: Solomon Northup's Story Comes To Life In '12 Years A Slave' [Trailer + Pictures]

12 Years A Slave Trailer


Solomon Northup was a well-educated man from a successful family living in upstate New York with his wife and three children. He was categorised as a free black man and made money through various jobs including as an entertainer playing the violin. In 1841, he was tricked into going to Washington DC with two white men for work where he was instead kidnapped and sold to slavery despite there being laws to protect free African-Americans. He spent twelve years on a plantation in Louisiana serving the brutal and abusive owner Edwin Epps. Determined to live his life again as a free man, he befriended a Canadian carpenter working for Epps by the name of Samuel Bass, whose high-morals turned Solomon's life around forever.

This poignant historical biopic is based on the 1853 autobiography 'Twelve Years a Slave' by the real Solomon Northup. It has been adapted to screen by writer John Ridley ('U Turn', 'Red Tails') and the BAFTA nominated director Steve McQueen ('Hunger', 'Shame'). With themes of freedom, racial inequality and the cruelty of mankind, '12 Years A Slave' could be one of the more heart-wrenching movies to kick of the year on its UK cinematic release on January 24th 2014.

Click Here To Read - 12 Years a Slave Movie Review

12 Years A Slave: The Slavery Movie We've All Been Waiting For


Chiwetel Ejiofor Steve McQueen Michael Fassbender Brad Pitt Michael K. Williams Benedict Cumberbatch Paul Giamatti Quvenzhane Wallis Sarah Paulson Paul Dano

Films - or should we say writers and directors - that dare to tackle the issue of slavery come rarely, and when they due, they face an increased level of scrutiny due to the sensitive subject matter. They are necessary though; teaching the world of the horrors it has faced will ensure they never happen again, or so they say.

Chiwetel EjioforChiwetel Ejiofor could be in for the biggest role of his life

Django Unchained came and went, as Quentin Tarantino’s ability to satirize and trivialize some of history’s most controversial times slowly turns into a trilogy of movies. Mixed reviews and a cavalier use of the ‘N’ word meant people saw it as less of a history lesson and more of a taboo comedy, which is exactly what it was.

Continue reading: 12 Years A Slave: The Slavery Movie We've All Been Waiting For

Is '12 Years A Slave' The Movie Django Should Have Been? [Trailer]


Chiwetel Ejiofor Michael Fassbender Steve McQueen Brad Pitt Paul Dano Paul Giamatti Michael K. Williams

The trailer for Steve McQueen's hugely anticipated historical drama 12 Years A Slave, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as a free man tricked into slavery in the 1840s, has rolled out online.

Also featuring Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Paul Giamatti, the movie appears to be a far more hard-hitting than many were expecting with some writers suggesting it tells the real story of the pre-civil war period in the United States of America, as opposed to, say, Quentin Taratino's Django Unchained.

Ejiofor plays a free black New Yorker who is sold into slavery after being lured to Washington DC with the promise of a well-paid job playing fiddle in a circus.

Continue reading: Is '12 Years A Slave' The Movie Django Should Have Been? [Trailer]

Ben Daniels Is New Favourite For 'Doctor Who' Job: Could He Be The One?


Ben Daniels Doctor Who Daniel Kaluuya Ben Whishaw Sue Perkins Olivia Colman Jenna-louise Coleman Domhnall Gleeson Chiwetel Ejiofor Steven Moffat Matt Smith David Tennant Rory Kinnear Dominic Cooper

Ben Daniels is the latest name to become the favourite to inherit the role of Doctor Who in the long-running BBC series. Very soon there'll be very few British male actors who haven't been rumoured to be taking over the controls to the TARDIS as the Merlin actor now has the most favourable odds at 6/1. With previous odds of 16/1, Chiwetel Ejiofor (Salt, American Gangster) now closely follows Daniels at 7/1.

Ben Daniels
Could Ben Daniels Take Over From Matt Smith As The New Doctor?

However, chances are the new Who may not be a male actor at all; there have been calls for the new Doctor to be female, which would mark a first for the series which has run since 1963.

Continue reading: Ben Daniels Is New Favourite For 'Doctor Who' Job: Could He Be The One?

Salt Review


Very Good
Intelligent filmmaking covers up the whopping plot holes in this action thriller. It's shot with confidence that makes it thoroughly enjoyable, with a few strong characters and a story that stays in constant motion.

Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is a skilled CIA operative devoted to both her husband (Diehl) and her country. Then a Russian spy (Olbrychski) tells her that she's actually a sleeper agent whose time has come. She denies this to her steely boss Ted (Schreiber) and hasty counter-intelligence agent Peabody (Ejiofor), but when things heat up she runs. Is she up to no good, or is she trying to stop the Russkies' evil plan? Sometimes it seems like even she isn't so sure.

Continue reading: Salt Review

2012 Review


Excellent
Gleefully over-the-top, this film takes the disaster movie pretty much as far as it can go, drawing on the Mayan prophecy that he world will end on 21 December 2012. Emmerich deploys all the genre elements (solid cast, detailed back-stories, gigantic set pieces) to give us a raucously enjoyable ride.

While on a camping trip in Yellowstone, novelist-turned-chauffer Jackson (Cusack) stumbles across a secret military operation and a raving nutcase (Harrelson) who claims the end of the world is nigh. Sure enough, top government scientist Adrian (Ejiofor) is advising the President (Glover) and his Chief of Staff (Platt) about preparations for impending natural catastrophes. By the time Jackson gets home to Los Angeles, the pandemonium has begun, and he barely gets his kids, his ex (Peet) and her new husband (McCarthy) out. But where do they go now?

Continue reading: 2012 Review

American Gangster Review


OK
There's something dead in Denzel Washington's eyes nearly all of the way through Ridley Scott's American Gangster, which takes what should have been a mesmerizing slice of urban historical grit and grinds it into roughly two hours of standard issue cinema. Washington is playing Frank Lucas, a real-life crime boss who for a period lasting from the late 1960s into the following decade, ran Manhattan "from 110th to 155th, river to river." A real slick character who doesn't need to strut his worth on the street, Lucas hates flash like a junkie hates rehab: It reminds him of all he truly is but doesn't want to be. Facing off against him is New Jersey narc Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a womanizing tough guy with a short fuse but a heart of gold (aren't they all), who's so clean that when he and his partner come across $1 million in untraceable cash he had the bad manners to turn it all in without taking a single bill for himself. In a big-city police department in the 1970s, boy scout behavior like that will just plain get you killed -- the guy who's not on the take is the guy who could very well sell you down the river when the grand jury comes sniffing around for who is on the take.

Ridley Scott has a good thing going here, tossing these two Hollywood bigshots into the ring and letting them play cops and robbers while he slathers on the period detail with a trowel. There's some serious Superfly outfits (including a godawful $50,000 chinchilla coat that plays a surprisingly key part in a plot twist), a generous helping of soul music, enough fantastic character actors to choke a horse (Idris Elba, Jon Polito, Kevin Corrigan, an incredibly sleazy Josh Brolin, and so on), the specter of Vietnam playing on every television in sight, and the odd enjoyment one gets from watching cops in the pre-militarized, pre-SWAT days take down an apartment with just revolvers, the occasional shotgun, and a sledgehammer to whack down the door. Scott's smart enough to let the story cohere organically and without rush, keeping his main contenders apart for as long as could possibly be borne, making them fully developed characters in their own right and not just developed in opposition to the other. But there's something in this broad and expansive tale that can't quite come together, and it seems to start in Denzel's eyes.

Continue reading: American Gangster Review

Tsunami: The Aftermath Review


Excellent
As its title suggests, HBO Films' Tsunami: The Aftermath begins not with a crashing wave of water but rather with something far more chilling. A boatload of vacationing scuba divers returns to their Phuket resort after a morning outing on December 26, 2004 and notice all sorts of debris, and then bodies, in the water. At the dock they see that the entire landscape is destroyed, the hotel is in ruins, and everyone, including their families and friends, is gone. As they run through the wreckage screaming, you'll feel chills.

Among the group is Susie Carter (Sophie Okonedo), who quickly reunites with her husband Ian (Chiwetel Ejiofor) but is devastated to learn their four-year-old daughter slipped out of her father's arms and has disappeared. Meanwhile, Kim Peabody (Gina McKee) has lost her husband but finds her teenage son horribly injured.

Continue reading: Tsunami: The Aftermath Review

Kinky Boots Review


Weak
I'd like to believe that my heart is open to even the most ill-conceived of English charmers. By all technical merits, both 2003's Love Actually and 2005's Layer Cake are absolute garbage, but if either of them shows up on HBO, there's a good chance I'll watch them to the end. It has to be something about the accents, or the way that English men tend to stutter a lot. Regardless, it wasn't until Kinky Boots that I realized that popular English films can, indeed, be as inane as popular films here.Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) has just left his father and his father's shoe business for a life farther away with his fiancée and a job in marketing. Literally the day he moves away, he gets the call that pops has passed away. With a buyer pulling out and mounting amounts of "redundancies," Charlie considers selling the factory (his father was thinking of it, also). That is until he meets Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a cross-dressing singer who Charlie attempts to save from a beating, not knowing that Lola used to be a boxer. In a moment of inspiration, Charlie decides to design cross-dressing boots for Lola and her friends and brings her in to supervise the proceedings. Charlie and his flirtatious assistant, Lauren (Sarah-Jane Potts), must defend him when the male company workers don't warm up to Lola, and Lola comes to their rescue when a fashion show goes disastrously wrong.The plot seems impenetrably charming in overview. Uptight young English man gets a wake up call about life and love from a life-loving cross-dresser; what's not to love about that situation? As it turns out, a lot. The major problem here is time, notably lack of it. There is little or no time given to the characters to really get to know them and let us fall for them. Lola is the only one that the audience feels anything for, and that is mainly because she is persecuted by everyone. As much time as Charlie is on screen, his motives and actions are always based on the store and not himself, and therefore we can't really get to know who he is in general. The script by Tim Firth and Geoff Deane supposes that he binds himself to the company as a remembrance of his father. Fine, but then we are not given enough time to get what his dad meant to him. All we get is a trite montage of "shoes are the key to life" vignettes between a young Charlie and his father. There is a serious lack of character development. And call me a broken record player, but the love story between Charlie and Lauren is undercooked to an amateurish degree. Lauren and Charlie actually talk together perhaps five times, and some of those are just about business.What salvages the film is Ejiofor, the terrifically talented character actor from Melinda and Melinda and Dirty Pretty Things (also a drab villain in Four Brothers). He brings charm and a distinct comic timing to Lola, especially in a hysterical scene where Lola teaches Charlie what is wrong with his initial design. Edgerton, especially for a leading man, seems lacking in the charm department and doesn't do anything with the role (he simply says the line in his accent for the most part). Potts might have registered with talent if she was given more screen-time but most of the time is given to Edgerton and (thank God) Ejiofor. Where a one man show would usually fair okay with a contrived or lopsided plot (The Matador), Kinky Boots simply just doesn't take the time to let us give a hoot about anyone but Ejiofor. If that was their mission, consider it accomplished.These boots are made for kinkin'.

Love Actually Review


Very Good
I can only presume that the British calendar is so uniquely screwy that it allows for a Christmas movie to open a week after Halloween. Or maybe Love Actually is just in a universe of its own... one in which the prime minister is inaugurated in November and where an adverb can be used to modify a noun.

But a little oddness is forgivable: Directing a movie is a strange place for Richard Curtis, who's written umpteen Brit-friendly movies and TV shows over the years but hasn't directed one, until now.

Continue reading: Love Actually Review

Three Blind Mice Review


Weak
What the title Three Blind Mice has to do with a movie about a serial killer and webcams is beyond me, but I'm not losing any sleep thinking about it. This Edward Furlong vehicle is a poor film at best, and its odd title is the least of its problems.

The story introduces us to Thomas Cross (Furlong), who is obsessed with Internet webcams (so 1999!). One night, he witnesses his favorite gal Cathy as she is murdered while she's preparing dinner in her apartment. Yipes! The dinner preparation isn't so exciting (though Thomas is enthralled by it), but that murder certainly wakes him up. Too bad he doesn't really know where she lives, just her web URL, which the cops don't really grab on to.

Continue reading: Three Blind Mice Review

Dirty Pretty Things Review


Very Good
The title of Stephen Frears' new film Dirty Pretty Things revels in contradiction. The same might be said of the film itself, which is part melodrama, part social critique, and part black comedy all rolled into one delectably grimy treat. It's a thriller that only nominally wants to thrill, and a critique of modern society's disregard for the illegal immigrant class that only sporadically bothers to drum up the audience's indignation over its characters' plight. Willfully unwilling to be pigeonholed, the film embraces its various temperaments with a poise imparted by a director whose steady hand never allows the unconventional material to falter. That the lurching tone of the film coalesces into a satisfyingly original narrative at all speaks to Frears' keen sense of the delicate balance between sentimentality and somberness.

Okwe (newcomer Chiwetel Ejiofor) works as a cab driver by day and a hotel desk clerk by night, regularly chewing addictive plant leaves to keep himself from dozing off. An illegal immigrant and former doctor who's arrived in London to flee political forces who sought his arrest in Nigeria, Okwe now resides on the couch of fellow hotel employee Senay (Amelie's Audrey Tautou), a Turkish maid whose legal immigrant status, in a puzzling twist that's never fully explained, prohibits her from being employed. The two social outcasts keep their friendship hidden from their fellow coworkers, each interested in blending into the environment like a chameleon changing spots to elude predators. In a city that eagerly makes use of immigrant labor, Okwe and Senay are the tattered fringe of society, forced to endure humiliation and unable to fight back for fear that their presence might be detected by the immigration police who constantly scour the city's underbelly. What's not mentioned, however, is that since Okwe is an illegal immigrant, he doesn't have any right being in London, and this near-sighted portrayal of his situation - one can assume that his life in London, no matter how difficult and unpleasant, is better than the life in Nigeria that he fled, although the film glosses over this fact - saps some of our sympathy for him.

Continue reading: Dirty Pretty Things Review

Four Brothers Review


Weak

Mark Wahlberg is perfectly cast in "Four Brothers" as an angry, scruffy Detroit greaseball who returns home for the first time in years to avenge his foster-mother's murder during a convenience store robbery.

While not an actor known for his emotional range, here his soft-featured scowl embodies resounding heartbreak without giving an inch on the kind of toughness and bravado that makes his character a loose cannon. How loose? He even tells the investigating cops (one an old friend played by the sublime Terrence Howard) who come to pay their respects that "I'm not here for the funeral."

Reunited with his three brothers -- fellow former delinquents adopted by the kindly but adamant Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan), and played by Garrett Hedlund ("Troy") and talented rappers-turned-actors Andre Benjamin and Tyrese Gibson -- it isn't long before they're literally beating a path through the ghetto toward any suspects they can get their hands on. And it isn't long after that before a conspiracy begins to emerge (the details of which are never entirely clear) involving bankruptcy and insurance money, connections to the mob, and crooked cops and city councilmen.

Continue reading: Four Brothers Review

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor Quick Links

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Chiwetel Ejiofor

Date of birth

10th July, 1977

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.78


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