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Swallows And Amazons Trailer


The first book in Arthur Ransome's much loved book series has been turned into a movie. The story follows a group of children who holiday with their family in the Lake District. Once the children arrive they immediately start to explore and their mother, Mrs. Walker, couldn't be happier that her children get the chance to act like real kids out of the city which is a possible target in a country on the brink of war.

When Mr Jones agrees to let the kids take out his sailing boat called Swallow, they're quick to explore the lake and ask their mother if they can go on an overnight camping trip to the small island in the middle of the lake which they aptly adopt as their own and name it Walker Island. As the children walk further from their base, they soon discover that they might not be the only ones on the island. They're soon approached by two girls who call themselves The Amazons, they say the island is theirs and tell the Walker children to return home on Swallow, their boat.

The two sets of children start a rivalry but as time passes, events unfold which mean the children must work together to uncover the disappearance of one of the islanders most mysterious inhabitants.

The BFG Review

Very Good

For his adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic, Steven Spielberg reunited with screenwriter Melissa Mathison, with whom he made E.T. nearly 35 years ago. Another story of an unlikely friendship, this film is even more wondrous and earnest, and also much more reliant on effects. But it's also hugely involving, with a terrific cast and of course a delightful story with a wry sense of humour.

 

It's set in a timeless London, where Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill) lives in an orphanage. One night she spots a stealthy giant (Mark Rylance) prowling the city streets, so he grabs her and takes her back to Giant Country so she can't reveal his secret existence. As she gets to know him, Sophie discovers that he's an outcast in his own community, half the size of the nine giants (including Jemane Clement and Bill Hader) who live around him and bully him mercilessly because he doesn't eat human beans. This has earned him the nickname Big Friendly Giant, which Sophie shortens to BFG as she accompanies him into a colourful parallel world in his job collecting dreams and nightmares. Then when the bullies' threats grow stronger, Sophie comes up with a plan to get help from the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and her staff (Rebecca Hall and Rafe Spall).

Continue reading: The BFG Review

The BFG Extended - Trailer


One of Roald Dahl's most popular children's novels The BFG is once again going to appear on the screen, this time it the retelling comes courtesy of director Steven Spielberg. The narrative follows a 10 year old girl, Sophie, on her journey as she comes face to face with a giant that shows her that giants really do exist in the world. The BFG takes Sophie to his cave, in Dream Country to show her how he collects dreams and shows her how he sends them to children.

Continue: The BFG Extended - Trailer

The Big Short Review

Excellent

Smart and snappy, this comedy is one of the scariest films of the year, using humour to outline the 2008 economic collapse from the inside. With characters who are based on real people, the film shows how economists made a fortune from the financial devastation inflicted on millions of families. And the movie cleverly points out that all of this happened (and people are still getting away with it) because the general public can't be bothered to pay attention.

Things were so booming in the first years of this century that it was easy for the media to divert the attention of Americans away from the dark underbelly of the financial world, creating big scandals out of nothing, spurring rampant buying sprees and making stars of non-entities like the Kardashians. Meanwhile in 2005, investment expert Michael Burry (Christian Bale) noticed that America's mortgage market was turning toxic. So he offered to "short" it, betting against this always-stable market by purchasing credit default swaps. The banks thought they would make a fortune from him, carrying on their dangerous practices. But other experts saw Burry's point, including the nerdy genius Mark Baum (Steve Carell), the shark-like Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) and a pair of newbies (Finn Wittrock and John Magaro) who tip off their reclusive mentor Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt). When the economy imploded, these men became billionaires.

Director-cowriter Adam McKay is better known for silly movies like Anchorman, so he packs this film with raucous cutaways to pop culture references of the period, as well as hilariously absurd explanations of economic issues from, for example, Margot Robbie in a bubble bath or Selena Gomez playing blackjack. This approach actually heightens the horror of what's going on as fraudulent bankers and corrupt government officials conspire to undermine the foundations of the economy. Although the explanations still feel like gibberish to mere mortals, it's at least presented in a way that's entertaining.

Continue reading: The Big Short Review

Get Santa Trailer


'Twas nights before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring. until a loud crash was heard in the garage. Nine year-old Tom (Kit Connor) heads out into the darkness and snow to investigate, and to his surprise, he discovers non-other than Santa Claus (Jinn Broadbent), having crashed his sleigh and lost his reindeer. After attempting to recover them, Santa is arrested and sent to prison. Tom confronts his dad, Steve (Rafe Spall), and encourages him to help recover the reindeer, sleigh and then rescue Santa before 24th December, otherwise Christmas will be ruined. Hilarity ensues as the father/son team work against the clock in a desperate attempt to save Christmas for everyone. 

Continue: Get Santa Trailer

What If Trailer


Wallace has just about giving up on finding love and relationships. He's dropped out of medical school and seems quite happy to spend all of his time at home, barely venturing out of the apartment he shares with his promiscuous roommate Allen. When he is persuaded to attend a party, however, he meets Chantry; a girl determined to be friends with Wallace. While Wallace is rather taken by her initially, he is disappointed that she has a boyfriend but willing to make their special friendship work. Everyone around them is sceptical about their platonic relationship despite their insistence that men and women can indeed be just friends. Though the more they try and insist they are not falling in love, the less convinced they are making themselves. Feeling confused and guilty, Wallace and Chantry must look deep within themselves to puzzle out the meaning of their chemistry.

'What If' was originally named ‘The F Word’ and is a rom-com based on the  T.J. Dawe and Michael Rinaldi play 'Toothpaste and Cigars'. It has been directed by Michael Dowse ('Goon', 'Take Me Home Tonight', 'It's All Gone Pete Tong') and written by Elan Mastai ('Alone in the Dark', 'Fury', 'Sk8 Life'), and it has already won two awards with a further four nominations.

Click here to read What If movie review

Daniel Craig & Rachel Weisz Stun In Broadway Production Of 'Betrayal'


Daniel Craig Rachel Weisz Rafe Spall

How do you make a play about marital infidelity even more gripping, engaging and believable that it already did when it first left the pen of Nobel Prize-winning scribe Harold Pinter? By hiring a real-life husband and wife duo to take on the lead roles. That is what director Mike Nichols did when it came to casting the newly launched Broadway show, and with the help of husband and wife duo Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, his plan has proved to be a success.

Daniel Craig Betrayal
Craig leaves the Ethel Barrymore Theatre after performance earlier this month

The steamy erotic setting would have been enough to get people through the turnstiles in their droves anyway, but with Craig and Weisz on board the play became a runaway success before the first round of reviews had been published. the play, which also stars Rafe Spall, set a box-office record at the Barrymore Theater earlier this month when it grossed $1,100,818 from just seven performances, the New York Times reported at the time, and as tickets continue to sell at an unprecedented speed, those worrying that the hype may have led them to over pay for the performance have had their minds put at ease with continually positive feedback from critics.

Continue reading: Daniel Craig & Rachel Weisz Stun In Broadway Production Of 'Betrayal'

Daniel Craig's 'Betrayal' Takes $1.1 Million For Seven Shows, A New Record


Daniel Craig Rachel Weisz Rafe Spall

The Daniel Craig starring Harold Pinter play Betrayal has taken over $1.1 million for just seven preview shows on Broadway, breaking the Barrymore theater box office record previously set by Death of a Salesman in 2012, according to Variety. 

Co-starring Craig's wife Rachel Weisz and the actor Rafe Spall, Betrayal was helmed by Mike Nichols and produced by a commercial team led by Scott Rudin.

The success comes as no surprise, given Craig's status as the current James Bond and the added intrigue that comes with the very private actor starring opposite his wife. The advance hype for the show was monumental and Betrayal sold out its limited run before performances had started.

Continue reading: Daniel Craig's 'Betrayal' Takes $1.1 Million For Seven Shows, A New Record

Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz To Star In Pinter's Betrayal On Broadway


Rachel Weisz Daniel Craig Rafe Spall

Rafe Spall will join Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig on Broadway later this year in one of Harold Pinter’s seminal works, Betrayal. The production will mark the reunion of Scott Rudin and Mike Nichols, the producer/director team, which was responsible for one of the most successful productions last season, the revival of Death of a Salesman.

Pinter’s semi-autobiographical Betrayal centers around the elicit affair between the wife of a successful London publisher and his best friend. The play uses reverse chronology to uncover the cracks in a disintegrating marriage and the relationships that come into play in adultery. This will be the first time real-life husband and wife Craig and Weisz will share the stage and, rather appropriately, they will be playing the married couple. It’ll be interesting to see whether the pair can portray the right kind of chemistry and exactly how Spall’s performance will fit into the mix.

While this will not be Craig’s first turn on Broadway (he last worked with Hugh Jackman on Steady Rain in 2009), both Weisz and Spall have performed exclusively on a London stage up until this point. Both actors have been nominated for an Olivier award, with Weisz winning for her portrayal of Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Continue reading: Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz To Star In Pinter's Betrayal On Broadway

I Give It A Year Review


Good

Not so much a rom-com as an anti-romance comedy, this brightly amusing British film makes us laugh fairly consistently, although the story itself is pretty grim. It's also a problem that the plot and characters are contrived and inconsistent. Even so, there's enough jaggedly hilarious humour in here to make it worth a look, complete with a superior cast that knows how to make the very most of even the smallest role.

The film opens with the lavish wedding of Josh and Nat (Spall and Byrne), although their friends and family not-so-secretly wonder if the marriage will last. Over the coming months, Josh's best mate Danny (Merchant) tries to distract them with inappropriate jokes, but the tension between relatives Naomi and Hugh (Driver and Flemyng) only reminds them how much work marriages require. After nine months, they begin seeing a therapist (Colman) who encourages them to try to make it to their first anniversary. But Josh is thinking about rekindling romance with an ex (Faris), while Nat is falling for the charms of a sexy client (Baker).

Essentially a collection of comedy set-pieces, the plot lurches around in search of ways to lampoon relationships, often in the rudest way possible as people say the worst things at the wrong times. Along the way there are some hilarious sequences, such as a humiliating game of charades or a ridiculous attempt at a threesome. Each set-up is are seized upon by expert improvisors like Merchant and Key (as a pessimistic insurance salesman). And the funniest moments in the film belong to Colman, who makes the most of every scene-stealing opportunity, and Driver, who expertly delivers a constant stream of withering insults.

Continue reading: I Give It A Year Review

Life Of Pi Review


Essential

Working with perceptive writer David Magee (Finding Neverand), Ang Lee creates one of the most thoughtful, artistic blockbusters ever made by a Hollywood studio. Although Yann Martel's award-winning novel was considered unfilmable, Magee and Lee have managed to maintain the delicate balance of an awesome adventure story with provocative themes that echo long after the story reaches its tricky, mind-expanding conclusion.

Imaginative teen Pi Patel (Sharma) grew up in a zoo owned by his parents (Hussain and Tabu) in formerly French India. And when hard times come, they decide to pack up and move with the animals to Canada. But the ship they are travelling on runs into a fierce storm in the Pacific, sinking suddenly and leaving Pi as the lone survivor on a lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a frantic hyena, a seasick orang-utan and a hungry Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Over the coming months, Pi and Richard Parker survive due to the challenges of coexisting in such a confined space. And with his Buddhist, Christian and Islamic beliefs, Pi now believes the experience also helps explain the existence of God.

The film adds a framing device as a writer (Spall) interviews the older Pi (Khan), essentially putting both us and Martel into the story. This helps open the themes up in intensely personal ways, while grounding the extravagantly visual ordeal at sea with a quietly involving house-bound conversation. And far from removing suspense, knowing that Pi survives brings out the layers of meaning in ways that are suspenseful and challenging. Everything about the story is infused with the idea of faith in God, with intriguing parallels in the relationships between humans, animals and nature. But none of this is overstated: it's subtle and questioning rather than preachy. And much more effective as a result.

Continue reading: Life Of Pi Review

I Give It A Year Trailer


Josh and Nat thought they had the most perfect relationship and made no hesitation in getting married despite their family and friends doubting their longevity. In their first year of being hitched, cracks begin to show and they don't feel as connected as they once were; while before they were very much emphatically in love, now they don't feel like they know each other at all. For one thing, they are polar opposites: Nat is a successful working woman, but Josh is struggling in his career as a novel writer. Before long, Josh's stunning ex-girlfriend Chloe floats into the picture flaunting her enviable figure, while at the same time a handsome new client, Guy, enters Nat's life tempting the newlyweds away from each other. As much as they try and convince themselves that they are happily married, they flounder against their friends' adulterous encouragements.

From the writer of 'Ali G Indahouse' and 'Bruno', Dan Mazer has taken up new project 'I Give It A Year' which he has also directed. It's a brilliantly funny British comedy with many nail bitingly awkward moments and one with a message to make us question true love and happiness.  It is set for release on February 8th 2013. 

Director: Dan Mazer

Continue: I Give It A Year Trailer

Prometheus Review


Excellent
There are clear echoes of Scott's last outer space thriller (1979's Alien) in this big, bold film, but this is something very different. It's certainly not a clear prequel. And even if the plot is full of holes, it's utterly mesmerising.

When archaeologists Shaw and Holloway (Rapace and Marshall-Green) figure out that ancient civilisations share a map to a specific star system, the Weyland CEO (Pearce) funds a two-year mission to get answers about the origin of humanity. Led by Weyland crony Vickers (Theron) and Captain Janek (Elba), Shaw and Holloway are accompanied by a helpful android (Fassbender) and a team of not-so-enthusiastic scientists. But what they find on this distant moon isn't what they expected, and the remnants of this civilisation aren't as dead as they seem.

Continue reading: Prometheus Review

Anonymous Trailer


Edward de Vere is the illegitimate child of Queen Elizabeth I, as well as the Earl of Oxford. In his youth, he wrote a play called A Midsummer Night's Dream but was forbidden from writing anymore from his family, as it was considered taboo.

Continue: Anonymous Trailer

One Day Review


OK
Following a relationship on one day a year over more than 20 years is an interesting idea, and this film features a solid cast and some genuinely moving situations. But it's ultimately too slushy and dreamy to really resonate.

On St Swithin's Day, 15th July, in 1988, Emma (Hathaway) meets Dexter (Sturgess). Both are university students in Edinburgh, and there's a clear spark between them, but circumstances prevent them from becoming a couple. The years pass. Dexter moves from being an annoying TV host to a chef and has a daughter with Sylvie (Garai). Meanwhile, Emma has a career as a teacher and maintains an unsatisfying relationship with Ian (Spall). And they keep running into each other along the way, wondering what might have happened - and may yet happen - if they got together.

Continue reading: One Day Review

Rafe Spall

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Rafe Spall

Date of birth

10th March, 1983

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.85


Rafe Spall Movies

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Trailer

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Trailer

The dinosaurs are under threat in the sequel to 2015’s 'Jurassic World', which reunites Bryce...

The Ritual Trailer

The Ritual Trailer

When one man meets up with his college friend Rob to arrange a boys trip,...

Swallows and Amazons Movie Review

Swallows and Amazons Movie Review

After a number of films, TV series and stage adaptations, Arthur Ransome's beloved 1930 novel...

Swallows And Amazons Trailer

Swallows And Amazons Trailer

The first book in Arthur Ransome's much loved book series has been turned into a...

The BFG Movie Review

The BFG Movie Review

For his adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic, Steven Spielberg reunited with screenwriter Melissa Mathison,...

The BFG Extended -  Trailer

The BFG Extended - Trailer

One of Roald Dahl's most popular children's novels The BFG is once again going to...

The BFG Trailer

The BFG Trailer

Sophie and the other girls at Mrs. Clonkers orphanage share a big sleeping dorm and...

The Big Short Movie Review

The Big Short Movie Review

Smart and snappy, this comedy is one of the scariest films of the year, using...

The Big Short Trailer

The Big Short Trailer

When Dr. Michael Burry discovered that the housing market in the US relied upon a...

X + Y Movie Review

X + Y Movie Review

With a gentle current of comedy, this relaxed British drama finds some cleverly involving ways...

Get Santa Movie Review

Get Santa Movie Review

Solidly entertaining Christmas movies are so rare that when one comes along it feels like...

X + Y Trailer

X + Y Trailer

Nathan (Asa Butterfield) is different. He has an amazing way with numbers - something which...

Get Santa Trailer

Get Santa Trailer

'Twas nights before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring. until...

What If Movie Review

What If Movie Review

With his first romantic-comedy, Daniel Radcliffe proves adept at delivering snappy dialogue and generating strong...

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