Bankside Films is in development on Everything I Ever Knew, a true-life story to be directed by Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady filmmaker Phyllida Lloyd.
It explores the story of a woman named Jacqui who discovers, after 25 years, that the father of her eldest son was an undercover police officer. The case is the subject of an ongoing public inquiry that reveals one of the worst cases of state-sanctioned abuse of women in recent British history.
The UK feature is based on a screenplay by Suzie Miller, the writer behind Olivier and Tony-award winning hit one-woman play Prima Facie,...
It explores the story of a woman named Jacqui who discovers, after 25 years, that the father of her eldest son was an undercover police officer. The case is the subject of an ongoing public inquiry that reveals one of the worst cases of state-sanctioned abuse of women in recent British history.
The UK feature is based on a screenplay by Suzie Miller, the writer behind Olivier and Tony-award winning hit one-woman play Prima Facie,...
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Gemma Arterton will lead the cast of After You’d Gone, a new feature from the producers of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title Sister Midnight.
Arterton will play Mel, a woman whose long-term partner disappears abruptly. She discovers he had created an entire false identity; Mel’s search for truth then exposes a scandal at the heart of the UK’s Metropolitan Police.
Producers Al Clark of Wellington Films and Anna Griffin – a 2018 Screen Star of Tomorrow – of Griffin Pictures are raising production finance and taking meetings at Cannes, as well as attending the world premiere of Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight...
Arterton will play Mel, a woman whose long-term partner disappears abruptly. She discovers he had created an entire false identity; Mel’s search for truth then exposes a scandal at the heart of the UK’s Metropolitan Police.
Producers Al Clark of Wellington Films and Anna Griffin – a 2018 Screen Star of Tomorrow – of Griffin Pictures are raising production finance and taking meetings at Cannes, as well as attending the world premiere of Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight...
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
The BBC’s controversial Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning will be handed its long-awaited premiere in the autumn, while it has unveiled more cast and a first-look image.
Joining Coogan are BAFTA-winner Gemma Jones (Marvellous), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley), Mark Lewis Jones (Outlander) and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley).
The BBC has also unveiled a first-look image (top), in which Coogan portraying the posthumously-outed serial sex offender can be seen smoking one of his famous cigars ponderously staring out the window.
Produced by ITV Studios, penned by Neil McKay and EP’d by Jeff Pope, the four-part series will trace Savile’s life through the decades. He was one of the BBC’s most popular presenters when alive but in death was outed as using his involvement in multiple organizations, such as the BBC, hospitals, prisons, and charities, to legitimise himself, forging friendships in showbusiness, politics, journalism, the Catholic Church and...
Joining Coogan are BAFTA-winner Gemma Jones (Marvellous), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley), Mark Lewis Jones (Outlander) and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley).
The BBC has also unveiled a first-look image (top), in which Coogan portraying the posthumously-outed serial sex offender can be seen smoking one of his famous cigars ponderously staring out the window.
Produced by ITV Studios, penned by Neil McKay and EP’d by Jeff Pope, the four-part series will trace Savile’s life through the decades. He was one of the BBC’s most popular presenters when alive but in death was outed as using his involvement in multiple organizations, such as the BBC, hospitals, prisons, and charities, to legitimise himself, forging friendships in showbusiness, politics, journalism, the Catholic Church and...
- 8/17/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Michelle Williams always delivers grounded, deeply moving performances but is rarely showy about it. Her work with frequent collaborator Kelly Reichardt -- including "Wendy and Lucy" and "Showing Up" -- best illustrates this quiet brilliance. Reichardt makes minimalist, unhurried films that demand both precision and flexibility from her actors.
In addition to her films with independent directors like Reichardt, Williams also delivers exemplary turns in bigger films, which pair her king with legendary directors like Martin Scorses and Steven Spielberg. Her roles in Reichardt's "Certain Women" and Spielberg's "The Fabelmans" couldn't be more different, but her simultaneous sense of grace and familiarity are common threads. Even in her most theatrical performances -– notably "The Fabelmans" -– Williams always feels like a woman you could really know or someone you might see on the street.
Despite her status as a five-time Oscars nominee, Williams seems to somehow still fly under the radar,...
In addition to her films with independent directors like Reichardt, Williams also delivers exemplary turns in bigger films, which pair her king with legendary directors like Martin Scorses and Steven Spielberg. Her roles in Reichardt's "Certain Women" and Spielberg's "The Fabelmans" couldn't be more different, but her simultaneous sense of grace and familiarity are common threads. Even in her most theatrical performances -– notably "The Fabelmans" -– Williams always feels like a woman you could really know or someone you might see on the street.
Despite her status as a five-time Oscars nominee, Williams seems to somehow still fly under the radar,...
- 5/7/2023
- by Kira Deshler
- Slash Film
BBC One has announced that Steve Coogan has joined the cast of “The Reckoning,” an upcoming drama miniseries about the dark legacy of Jimmy Savile, the English television personality known for hosting “Top of the Pops.”
Written by Neil McKay, “The Reckoning” will tell the story of Savile’s life from his childhood to after his death in 2011, when he was ultimately found to have abused more than 500 children.
People accused Savile of sexually assaulting children during his career, but Savile denied these allegations and they received little publicity. According to the BBC, the team behind the series is working closely with several of Savile’s victims.
Savile’s working class background, including teen years spent in working in coal mines, made him a galvanizing figure as he rose to fame. He became a DJ after sustaining a major spinal injury in the coal mines, first playing in dance halls,...
Written by Neil McKay, “The Reckoning” will tell the story of Savile’s life from his childhood to after his death in 2011, when he was ultimately found to have abused more than 500 children.
People accused Savile of sexually assaulting children during his career, but Savile denied these allegations and they received little publicity. According to the BBC, the team behind the series is working closely with several of Savile’s victims.
Savile’s working class background, including teen years spent in working in coal mines, made him a galvanizing figure as he rose to fame. He became a DJ after sustaining a major spinal injury in the coal mines, first playing in dance halls,...
- 9/26/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Steve Coogan (Philomena) has been cast as Jimmy Savile in BBC One drama The Reckoning.
Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television, but faced rumors of misconduct during his career. After his death in 2011, the full extent of his crimes, which included sexually abusing hundreds of child victims, were revealed.
The controversial TV project, first revealed in October last year, comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope (The Moorside) and is produced by ITV Studios. It will be directed by Sandra Goldbacher (Ordeal by Innocence).
The team said they are working closely with people whose lives were impacted by Savile to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect. It will look into the way Saville used his celebrity and powerful connections to conceal his wrongdoings and to hide in plain sight.
“To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly.
Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television, but faced rumors of misconduct during his career. After his death in 2011, the full extent of his crimes, which included sexually abusing hundreds of child victims, were revealed.
The controversial TV project, first revealed in October last year, comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope (The Moorside) and is produced by ITV Studios. It will be directed by Sandra Goldbacher (Ordeal by Innocence).
The team said they are working closely with people whose lives were impacted by Savile to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect. It will look into the way Saville used his celebrity and powerful connections to conceal his wrongdoings and to hide in plain sight.
“To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly.
- 9/26/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve Coogan will play Jimmy Savile in the BBC One drama The Reckoning
The series comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope and is produced by ITV Studios. Sandra Goldbacher will direct all episodes and Clare Shepherd will produce.
The Reckoning will follow Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when he sought to dispel the growing rumors about his life. Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television. However after his death in 2011, his legacy plummetted when the ...
The series comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope and is produced by ITV Studios. Sandra Goldbacher will direct all episodes and Clare Shepherd will produce.
The Reckoning will follow Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when he sought to dispel the growing rumors about his life. Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television. However after his death in 2011, his legacy plummetted when the ...
- 9/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Steve Coogan will play Jimmy Savile in the BBC One drama The Reckoning
The series comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope and is produced by ITV Studios. Sandra Goldbacher will direct all episodes and Clare Shepherd will produce.
The Reckoning will follow Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when he sought to dispel the growing rumors about his life. Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television. However after his death in 2011, his legacy plummetted when the ...
The series comes from Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope and is produced by ITV Studios. Sandra Goldbacher will direct all episodes and Clare Shepherd will produce.
The Reckoning will follow Savile through his early years in the dance halls of northern England, his career with the BBC, to his twilight years when he sought to dispel the growing rumors about his life. Savile rose from working-class origins to become one of the biggest stars of British television. However after his death in 2011, his legacy plummetted when the ...
- 9/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New projects from ‘The Father’, ‘Born To Be Blue’ producers in Ontario Creates iff forum (exclusive)
Virtual meetings, panels and networking to take place September 12-13.
New projects from producers and production companies behind The Father, Born To Be Blue, Mustang and I’m No Longer Here are among the roster at the virtual 16th Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (iff) set to run from September 12-13.
The two-day co-financing and co-production market, which will run online due to the pandemic, serves international and Canadian producers developing mostly English-language projects and takes place in association with Toronto International Film Festival.
Sessions encompass one-on-one producer and executive meetings with 42 executives in attendance including new companies like Voltage Pictures,...
New projects from producers and production companies behind The Father, Born To Be Blue, Mustang and I’m No Longer Here are among the roster at the virtual 16th Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (iff) set to run from September 12-13.
The two-day co-financing and co-production market, which will run online due to the pandemic, serves international and Canadian producers developing mostly English-language projects and takes place in association with Toronto International Film Festival.
Sessions encompass one-on-one producer and executive meetings with 42 executives in attendance including new companies like Voltage Pictures,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
It’s not that anyone is especially happy in the opening chapter of “The Accident,” but as the new four-part series progresses into a morass of dehumanizing corporate nightmares and horrific tales of physical and emotional trauma, it’s enough to make you appreciate the brighter prologue of this tale set in the fictional coastal Welsh town of Glyngolau.
As with many aspects of creator Jack Thorne’s latest gutting TV drama, premiering Friday on Hulu after airing on Channel 4 last month, longing for any sort of relief and finding precious little is largely the point. To tell a community-wide story of tragedy and malfeasance, Thorne and director Sandra Goldbacher offer a relentless portrait of crisis that’s oppressive by design. That emotional vice grip is extremely affecting at times, but the more the show relies on recreating a feeling of emptiness, the more it gets what it’s going for.
As with many aspects of creator Jack Thorne’s latest gutting TV drama, premiering Friday on Hulu after airing on Channel 4 last month, longing for any sort of relief and finding precious little is largely the point. To tell a community-wide story of tragedy and malfeasance, Thorne and director Sandra Goldbacher offer a relentless portrait of crisis that’s oppressive by design. That emotional vice grip is extremely affecting at times, but the more the show relies on recreating a feeling of emptiness, the more it gets what it’s going for.
- 11/22/2019
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Westworld and Borgen star Sidse Babett Knudsen has joined Channel 4 and Hulu drama The Light (w/t).
Babett Knudsen, who plays Theresa Cullen in the HBO sci-fi thriller, is joining Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire in the four-part series, which is the follow-up to National Treasure and Kiri.
The cast also includes Nabhaan Rizwan (Informer), Mark Lewis Jones (National Treasure), Jade Croot (Casualty), Shaun Parkes (Line of Duty), Ruth Madeley (Years and Years), Joanna Scanlan (No Offence), Adrian Scarborough (Gosford Park), Genevieve Barr (Press) and Eiry Thomas (Rillington Place).
Written by Jack Thorne and produced by The Forge, it is currently in production in Wales with Anne with an E’s Sandra Goldbacher directing and Killing Eve’s Morenike Williams producing. George Ormond and George Faber are Executive Producers.
The Light is set in the fictional town of Glyngolau and explores a forgotten community devastated by disaster. An explosion...
Babett Knudsen, who plays Theresa Cullen in the HBO sci-fi thriller, is joining Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire in the four-part series, which is the follow-up to National Treasure and Kiri.
The cast also includes Nabhaan Rizwan (Informer), Mark Lewis Jones (National Treasure), Jade Croot (Casualty), Shaun Parkes (Line of Duty), Ruth Madeley (Years and Years), Joanna Scanlan (No Offence), Adrian Scarborough (Gosford Park), Genevieve Barr (Press) and Eiry Thomas (Rillington Place).
Written by Jack Thorne and produced by The Forge, it is currently in production in Wales with Anne with an E’s Sandra Goldbacher directing and Killing Eve’s Morenike Williams producing. George Ormond and George Faber are Executive Producers.
The Light is set in the fictional town of Glyngolau and explores a forgotten community devastated by disaster. An explosion...
- 6/21/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In the grand tradition of Agatha Christie stories, “Ordeal by Innocence” has, at its heart, an unsolved murder. In this case, the victim is Rachel Argyll (Anna Chancellor), wife and adoptive mother of four, found beaten to death in her own study. It’s a homicide that tears at the seams of an already threadbare family, only held together by a faint sense of familial obligation and a shared animosity toward the now-deceased matriarch.
But this version of “Ordeal of Innocence” goes beyond the standard murder mystery fare to become a ghost story as well, a monster movie told in three parts, with humans barely cloaking the darker parts of their nature. Though Rachel’s death is the opening scene of the series, released this week on Amazon after airing earlier this spring on the BBC, she’s an instrumental part of the story as it weaves through the Argyll children’s younger days.
But this version of “Ordeal of Innocence” goes beyond the standard murder mystery fare to become a ghost story as well, a monster movie told in three parts, with humans barely cloaking the darker parts of their nature. Though Rachel’s death is the opening scene of the series, released this week on Amazon after airing earlier this spring on the BBC, she’s an instrumental part of the story as it weaves through the Argyll children’s younger days.
- 8/10/2018
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Dubois Records, in cooperation with Mammoth Screen and Masterpiece will release the Victoria – Original Soundtrack digitally on all music streaming platforms to coincide with the Us release of the television series on PBS this coming weekend. The album features the limited series’ original score by multi-bafta and Ivor Novello winning composer Martin Phipps (Woman In Gold, The Keeping Room) and Ruth Barrett (City Of Tiny Lights, Whitechapel) with vocals from the Mediaeval Baebes. Victoria was first aired on ITV in the UK on August 28, 2016.
Phipps says: “The idea was to give Victoria a dynamic voice, an explosive theme through which we could rejoice in her strength & courage. The Mediaeval Baebes were the perfect sound for this. With one foot in the classical world & one in the commercial, they gave Victoria the mixture of refinement & attitude I was after.”
Barrett says: “I started composing from episode 2, weaving in some of Martin...
Phipps says: “The idea was to give Victoria a dynamic voice, an explosive theme through which we could rejoice in her strength & courage. The Mediaeval Baebes were the perfect sound for this. With one foot in the classical world & one in the commercial, they gave Victoria the mixture of refinement & attitude I was after.”
Barrett says: “I started composing from episode 2, weaving in some of Martin...
- 1/13/2017
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
HollywoodNews.com: This year’s winner of the Hollywood Fashion Awards – Best Dressed at Gala Ceremony was actress Michelle Williams.
Michelle dressed in a blue chiffon Nina Ricci gown. See video below:
Michelle Williams – See Photo Gallery Below
My Week With Marilyn Monroe ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 15
Michelle Williams in "My Week With Marilyn Monroe"
Last month, Academy Award-nominated Michelle Williams was also honored with the “Hollywood Actress Award,” for her performance in “My Week with Marilyn,”at the Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony, which took place October 24, 2011, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Michelle Williams’ performances have established her as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and respected actors earning her two Academy Award® nominations.
Williams was last seen in Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine opposite Ryan Gosling. Williams’ captivating performance earned her an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress as well as Golden Globe and Broadcast...
Michelle dressed in a blue chiffon Nina Ricci gown. See video below:
Michelle Williams – See Photo Gallery Below
My Week With Marilyn Monroe ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 15
Michelle Williams in "My Week With Marilyn Monroe"
Last month, Academy Award-nominated Michelle Williams was also honored with the “Hollywood Actress Award,” for her performance in “My Week with Marilyn,”at the Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony, which took place October 24, 2011, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Michelle Williams’ performances have established her as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and respected actors earning her two Academy Award® nominations.
Williams was last seen in Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine opposite Ryan Gosling. Williams’ captivating performance earned her an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress as well as Golden Globe and Broadcast...
- 11/19/2011
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
There are lots of hilarious British films about teenage boys. But unlike the Us, we don't do girl-centred comedy. Why?
The box-office success of The Inbetweeners Movie may have taken the film industry by surprise, but for many of its audience it was a no-brainer. A funny, frank film about adolescence that got everything right – the phoney, peer-pleasing, "street" jargon; the perpetually nagging fear of inadequacy, perked up by flashes of hope and well-oiled fantasy; the humiliations ladled out by bodies commanded by the whiff of sex. Why wouldn't film-lovers flock to see such a formative part of their lives recreated so authentically, to spend a couple of happy hours revelling in "thank God it's not just me" camaraderie (for youngsters) or "thank God it's over" nostalgia (for older ones)?
Well, one reason might be that they are female. Many saw our male counterparts weep with laughter and recognition at The Inbetweeners,...
The box-office success of The Inbetweeners Movie may have taken the film industry by surprise, but for many of its audience it was a no-brainer. A funny, frank film about adolescence that got everything right – the phoney, peer-pleasing, "street" jargon; the perpetually nagging fear of inadequacy, perked up by flashes of hope and well-oiled fantasy; the humiliations ladled out by bodies commanded by the whiff of sex. Why wouldn't film-lovers flock to see such a formative part of their lives recreated so authentically, to spend a couple of happy hours revelling in "thank God it's not just me" camaraderie (for youngsters) or "thank God it's over" nostalgia (for older ones)?
Well, one reason might be that they are female. Many saw our male counterparts weep with laughter and recognition at The Inbetweeners,...
- 9/29/2011
- by Jane Graham
- The Guardian - Film News
HollywoodNews.com: The 15th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards, presented by Starz Entertainment, are pleased to announce that Academy Award-nominated actress Michelle Williams will be honored with the “Hollywood Actress Award,” at the festival’s Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony, which will take place October 24, 2011, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival. “It is a privilege to honor Michelle Williams for her excellent talent and remarkable career,” said Mr. de Abreu.
The Hollywood Film Awards Gala launches the awards season. In the past eight years a total of 73 Oscar nominations and 27 Oscars were given to the honorees of the Hollywood Awards.
The 2011 Hollywood Film Festival has also announced that they will honor Academy Award-nominated actor Christopher Plummer with the “Hollywood Supporting Actor Award” for “Beginners,” actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt...
The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival. “It is a privilege to honor Michelle Williams for her excellent talent and remarkable career,” said Mr. de Abreu.
The Hollywood Film Awards Gala launches the awards season. In the past eight years a total of 73 Oscar nominations and 27 Oscars were given to the honorees of the Hollywood Awards.
The 2011 Hollywood Film Festival has also announced that they will honor Academy Award-nominated actor Christopher Plummer with the “Hollywood Supporting Actor Award” for “Beginners,” actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt...
- 9/28/2011
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Adrian Holmes, with director Catherine Hardwicke were in London to promote their new film Red Riding Hood, a twist on the well known fairytale, and we were invited along to a special round table with the cast and crew.
First up were director Catherine Hardwicke, and Adrian Holmes who plays the Captain.
What did you think was special about this story?
Catherine Hardwicke: Leonardo DiCaprio’s company had written this script, and I guess they thought it would fun and interesting to go back to the original roots, even before the Brothers Grimm, when there was a werewolf in the story. It is an intricate tale, with different levels of symbolism… so I said ‘Yeah, sign me up!’
Why do you think forbidden love works so well?
Ch: I guess if you have a happy love story then it’s kind of boring!
First up were director Catherine Hardwicke, and Adrian Holmes who plays the Captain.
What did you think was special about this story?
Catherine Hardwicke: Leonardo DiCaprio’s company had written this script, and I guess they thought it would fun and interesting to go back to the original roots, even before the Brothers Grimm, when there was a werewolf in the story. It is an intricate tale, with different levels of symbolism… so I said ‘Yeah, sign me up!’
Why do you think forbidden love works so well?
Ch: I guess if you have a happy love story then it’s kind of boring!
- 4/10/2011
- by Maahin
- Nerdly
"The Governess" will rule on the art house circuit. Starring Minnie Driver as a Sephardic Jew who masquerades as a gentile in order to secure employment, the 19th century period piece is a perceptive, jaunty entertainment that should win fine reviews for Sony Pictures Classics among critics and filmgoers.
Winner of the best first film and Kodak Vision Audience awards at the recent Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the narrative centers on Rosina (Driver), an adventurous young woman whose father is murdered and whose family plunged into debt. Headstrong and self-reliant, Rosina decides to make it on her own but does not see opportunity in her cloistered Sephardic Jewish family life. She has a playful spirit and wicked sense of humor and adopts the identity of Mary Blackchurch, journeying to a remote Scottish island to seek employment as a nanny.
In essence, "Mary" has landed in the far reaches of WASP culture, finding work with the Cavendish family. In movie lexicon, the clan might be described as grim and screwball: Mrs. Cavendish (Harriet Walter) is spacey and depressed; Mr. Cavendish (Tom Wilkinson) is detached and self-absorbed with his photography inventions; young daughter Clementina (Florence Hoath) is nasty and spoiled; and teenage son Henry Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a smarmy, decadence-inclined poseur. In short, they're quite a challenge for Mary's good humor and talent.
At once an insightful character study and a shrewd, anthropological depiction of the friction and challenges encountered when people of different religious cultures come together, the challenging, intelligent work from screenwriter-director Sandra Goldbacher illuminates as much as it entertains. Down to generics, "The Governess" is a fish-out-of-water story, but its intelligence and ornately woven themes distinguish it from the form's usual superficial nature.
The performances are particularly astute, especially Driver as the spirited Rosina. It's a splendid, regal performance, conveying both decency and vulnerability. Similarly, Wilkinson is superb as the preoccupied inventor, a cold-appearing man who is frightened and isolated beneath his serious veneer. Walter wins our sympathies as the daffy lady of the house who in a very real sense is a prisoner. Rhys Meyers is well-cast as the churlish son, while Hoath is aptly cantankerous as the spoiled daughter.
Under Goldbacher's solid, measured guidance, technical contributions are first-rate, with special praise to DP Ashley Rowe's grand cinematic scopings and production designer Sarah Greenwood's mood-drenched interiors.
THE GOVERNESS
Sony Pictures Classics
Producer: Sarah Curtis
Screenwriter-director: Sandra Goldbacher
Executive producer: Sally Hibbin
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Sarah Greenwood
Editor: Isabel Lorente
Costume designer: Caroline Harris
Casting director: Michelle Guish
Music: Edward Shearmur
Sound: Danny Hambrook
Color/stereo
Cast:
Rosina: Minnie Driver
Mr. Cavendish: Tom Wilkinson
Clementina: Florence Hoath
Henry: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Mrs. Cavendish: Harriet Walter
Lily Milk: Arlene Cockburn
Rebecca: Emma Bird
Benjamin: Adam Levy
Aunt Sofka: The Countess Koulinskyi
Running time -- 114 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Winner of the best first film and Kodak Vision Audience awards at the recent Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the narrative centers on Rosina (Driver), an adventurous young woman whose father is murdered and whose family plunged into debt. Headstrong and self-reliant, Rosina decides to make it on her own but does not see opportunity in her cloistered Sephardic Jewish family life. She has a playful spirit and wicked sense of humor and adopts the identity of Mary Blackchurch, journeying to a remote Scottish island to seek employment as a nanny.
In essence, "Mary" has landed in the far reaches of WASP culture, finding work with the Cavendish family. In movie lexicon, the clan might be described as grim and screwball: Mrs. Cavendish (Harriet Walter) is spacey and depressed; Mr. Cavendish (Tom Wilkinson) is detached and self-absorbed with his photography inventions; young daughter Clementina (Florence Hoath) is nasty and spoiled; and teenage son Henry Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a smarmy, decadence-inclined poseur. In short, they're quite a challenge for Mary's good humor and talent.
At once an insightful character study and a shrewd, anthropological depiction of the friction and challenges encountered when people of different religious cultures come together, the challenging, intelligent work from screenwriter-director Sandra Goldbacher illuminates as much as it entertains. Down to generics, "The Governess" is a fish-out-of-water story, but its intelligence and ornately woven themes distinguish it from the form's usual superficial nature.
The performances are particularly astute, especially Driver as the spirited Rosina. It's a splendid, regal performance, conveying both decency and vulnerability. Similarly, Wilkinson is superb as the preoccupied inventor, a cold-appearing man who is frightened and isolated beneath his serious veneer. Walter wins our sympathies as the daffy lady of the house who in a very real sense is a prisoner. Rhys Meyers is well-cast as the churlish son, while Hoath is aptly cantankerous as the spoiled daughter.
Under Goldbacher's solid, measured guidance, technical contributions are first-rate, with special praise to DP Ashley Rowe's grand cinematic scopings and production designer Sarah Greenwood's mood-drenched interiors.
THE GOVERNESS
Sony Pictures Classics
Producer: Sarah Curtis
Screenwriter-director: Sandra Goldbacher
Executive producer: Sally Hibbin
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Sarah Greenwood
Editor: Isabel Lorente
Costume designer: Caroline Harris
Casting director: Michelle Guish
Music: Edward Shearmur
Sound: Danny Hambrook
Color/stereo
Cast:
Rosina: Minnie Driver
Mr. Cavendish: Tom Wilkinson
Clementina: Florence Hoath
Henry: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Mrs. Cavendish: Harriet Walter
Lily Milk: Arlene Cockburn
Rebecca: Emma Bird
Benjamin: Adam Levy
Aunt Sofka: The Countess Koulinskyi
Running time -- 114 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/29/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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