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Editorial Into the Woods The successful stage musical by Stephen Sondheim comes to the big screen. In its unique way, it retells the fairy tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and an added one: The Baker and his Wife.
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Coming Soon Close up Stephen Sondheim Close up Anna Kendrick Close up Emily Blunt Close up Meryl Streep Close up James Corden Top 60 Musicals BAFTA Nominations Bradley Cooper American Sniper A Navy SEAL sniper's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives but when he returns home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, he finds it hard to leave the war behind.
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Clapham Picturehouse Film Fest Follower Extras - DVDs & Blu-Rays Into the Woods
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EDITORIAL Come, step inside and look around. See anyone you know? The girl with the golden shoes? The witch at the back door...she looks a little like...Meryl Streep? And the person just an elbow's length way...Emily Blunt. Welcome back to the greatest entertainment in the world and for film lovers, your second home. Movies by Mills is 22 months old and there is no entrance fee to turn its pages, no popcorn spillage from giant-sized cartons, no jabbering or over-the-seat gossip about things that are unrelated to cinema, no game playing on your IPod, texting whilst you should be concentrating on what you paid your money to see. Now if you come to this magazine and return again and again, then you will know that we promote art house cinemas and film festivals, but that we are still discerning in the films that you see at them because no matter how luxurious the ambiance of the cinema is, it is still down to what is being shown. The selection of films at cinemas and film festivals is decided by the Director of Programming. In future issues of MbM we hope to get a closer look at the work that these people do: Clare Binns at Picturehouse, Judy Pope at Everyman, and the soon-to-be named DP at Curzon replacing the outgoing Jason Wood. MbM's main feature this month is Into the Woods with Close -ups on Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden and Anna Kendrick, who adorns our cover as Cinderella in the film. There is also a review of Clint Eastwood's latest film direction, American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. In a retrospective mode we take a look at some of our favourite musicals and as the award season approaches, predict what we think will win the major BAFTA Awards on Sunday 8th February at the Royal Opera House. To whet your appetite, we look ahead at films due for theatrical release over the next three months, plus DVDs and Blu-Rays to be available to purchase soon. If you can't get to Berlin, at least you can hopefully feel the passion behind MbM's selection from Bernale's exciting programme at this year's Film Festival which runs from 5 15 February; including the coveted opening World Premiere of Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups. Magazine Editor Brian Mills
Magazine Designer Paul Ridler
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INTO THE WOODS Starring *Meryl Streep Emily Blunt Anna Kendrick James Corden Johnny Depp Directed by Rob Marshall You wish to have the curse reversed? Go to the Wood and bring me a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold. Go to the Wood! Stephen Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s musical combines the former’s emotional and brilliant score with the latter’s masterful story, a modern twist on several well known fairy tales: “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” plus a new one, “The Baker and his Wife.” The twist to these stories is that there is layer of darkness and all are not as sweet as light as we may remember them. Fairy Tales were originally told to scare children away from the dangers they would encounter in their lives and to encourage young women to marry rich men. But what makes this story so different is that it goes beyond “happily ever after” and explores what happens next. The story is about a Baker when he was a child and his father who was caught stealing magic beans from the vegetable garden of the Witch. As punishment for losing the precious beans, the Witch was placed under a curse which made her hideous in appearance. The Witch, in turn, cast an evil spell on the Baker’s household, insuring that the Baker and his Wife would forever be incapable of having a child. Years later, when the Baker and his wife learn of the curse, they venture into the Woods to seek out the ingredients which will both reverse the spell and restore the Witch’s beauty. By the time the blue moon www.moviesbymills.com
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rises in three days’ time, they must return with four items: a white cow, a red cape, yellow hair and a golden slipper. On their journey into the Woods, they meet: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, a Wolf, a fair maiden, and a young Jack; each one on a quest to fulfil a wish. One of the most memorable and moving songs in the musical is “No One is Alone.” It really sums up the theme of the story that we are not alone in this unstable world and gives us all a glimmer of hope. And the stars all have their own take on the story and their own characters. This is a musical with a brain. There is intelligence at work because it is Sondheim and Lapine. It is visually fun and emotionally satisfying, but it also has this other element that engages us as artists and makes us want to bring everything we can to it. – Meryl Streep. My character has a desperate yearning for a child. Because of the curse that has been placed on her family, she must venture into the Woods to secure a list of items given to them by the Witch, so she becomes this tenacious and determined character who is willing to go to any lengths to get what she wants. – Emily Blunt. What happens after she marries the Prince is where it gets interesting: Cinderella really starts to find her voice and rejects what she thought she wanted, which also means admitting she made a mistake. She is not a blameless victim though: she has to own the fact that she wanted something so badly without really thinking about what it was she really needed. – Anna Kendrick. The film is skilfully edited, crosscutting from one character to another as they sing, smoothly and joyfully. Just as you cannot see the joining seems of the editing, neither will you be able to distinguish how much of the film was shot in real Woods and how much was shot in the Woods which were created on a huge sound stage at Shepperton Studios. *Meryl Streep has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. 6
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Anna Kendrick as Cinderella and Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife
Emily Blunt and James Corden star as a baker and his wife
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Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood
Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince 8
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COMING SOON
MARCH–MAY HERE IS THE RUNDOWN OF THE FILMS THAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO GET EXCITED ABOUT OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
STILL ALICE Directed by Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland. Stars: Julianne Moore. Alec Baldwin. Kristen Stewart. Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a linguistics professor who starts to forget words and receives a devastating diagnosis. UK RELEASE: March 6
WHILE WE'RE YOUNG Directed by Noah Baumbach.
Stars: Ben Stiller. Naomi Watts. Amanda Seyfried.Adam Driver. A middle-aged couple's career and marriage are overturned when a disarming couple enter their lives. UK RELEASE April 3
JOHN WICK Directed by Chad Stahelski. Stars: Keanu Reeves. Michael Nyqvist. A ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
UK RELEASE April 10
THE SALVATION
Directed by Krstian Levring. Stars: Mads Mikkelsen. Eva Green. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. In 1870s America, a peaceful American settler kills his family's murderer which unleashes the fury of a notorious gang leader. His cowardly fellow townspeople then betray him, forcing him to hunt down the outlaws alone. UK RELEASE April 17
THE NEW GIRLFRIEND Directed by Francois Oxon. Stars: Romain Duris. Anais Damoustier. A young woman makes a surprising discovery about the husband of her late best friend. UK RELEASE May 22
THE CONNECTION Directed by Cedric Jimenez. Stars: Jean Dujardin. Gilles Lelouche. Celine Sallette. A French police magistrate spends years trying to take down one of the country's most powerful drug rings. UK RELEASE May 29
DANNY COLLINS Directed by Dan Fogelman. Stars: Al Pacino. Jennifer Garner. Christopher Plummer. Melissa Benoist. An aging Rock Star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40 year letter written to him by John Lennon. UK RELEASE May 29 9
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CLOSE UP STEPHEN SONDHEIM It's a lovely cast and we were very lucky to get the right people for the right roles. It is a large orchestra. It sounds great and when it's in a theatre it's going to be pretty lush and spectacular. He was taught by Broadway legend Oscar Hammerstein II. His ambition was to become a mathematician and that he became a composer largely by chance. Hammerstein was a neighbour of his when he was a boy. When he wrote a musical for a school production, he showed it to Hammerstein who told him it was the worst musical he had ever read. However, Hammerstein also told him that nonetheless it showed a lot of latent talent and proceeded to tell him everything that was wrong with it and how to fix it, for which Sondheim was always grateful. Oscar Hammerstein really believed that there was 'A bright golden haze on the meadow'. I never have. In 1975, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 1985, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical "Sunday in the Park with George" collaborating with James Lupine. How much effect does the theatre have on life? In the '20s, the theatre had an effect on public thinking. I think today, by the time a show gets onstage, the idea has already passed. Theatre is now a cottage industry and a cottage entertainment. It doesn't have much influence. One of his favourite own songs is "The Miller's Son" from "A Little Night Music". The instrumental music from this show is heard twice in Into the Woods: the festival music is "Night Waltz" and the harp plays "You Must Meet My Wife". In Into the Woods, the song "No One is Alone" was written as a community song. I believe Arthur Wing Pinero said that in writing a play, you tell the audience what you're going to do, you do it and then you tell them you've done it. "No One is Alone" tells them that we've done it. This is what the show has been about. No one is alone. We are all connected in some way and we are responsible for each other's actions. It's something I believe firmly and it's something that's worth writing about.
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CLOSE UP ANNA KENDRICK (Cinderella) At just 12 years old, Anna Kendrick began her career by being nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress as Dinah Lord in the 1997 Broadway musical production of “High Society,” making her the second youngest Tony nominee in award history. Drama League and Theatre World awards followed. Among additional theatre credits was a featured role opposite Jeremy Irons in Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music.” Her film debut in “Camp” earned her nominations for an Independent Spirit Award as well as Best Supporting Actress at the Annual Chlotrudis Awards. She was nominated yet again for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance as Best Supporting Actress in “Rocket Science.” In 2010 Anna was cast opposite George Clooney and Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air,” a pivotal scene for her is when she incessantly pesters Clooney with questions about his relationship with Vera Farmiga’s character. What happened to Alex? Where does she live, you going to go to see her? Do you think there’s a future there? How can you not think that you might not want a future with someone? What sort of relationship do you have? It is a wonderfully played scene. The set pieces used for the woods in “Into the Woods” were so big and realistic that she and Chris Pine actually got lost while on the sound stage at Shepperton and had to be rescued by a production assistant. Before being cast as Cinderella, Anna believed she was going for the role of Red Riding Hood due to the part being played by a young woman in the original Broadway production. Anna said that Chris Pine was extremely shy about his singing voice and noted that he would hold back during rehearsals. She only heard his actual singing voice when she was eating lunch in the recording studio. She was in a room by herself and she heard a beautiful crooning voice coming from the hallway, but she assumed it was a singer from a different project since multiple recordings were being recorded in the studio. She then noticed that the singing wasn’t stopping, so she poked her head out to see who it was. To her surprise she discovered it was Chris Pine. He wasn’t aware of her presence. “The Last Five Years” has yet to be seen but is scheduled to be released this year. It is by Tony award winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown and tells a musical deconstruction of a love affair and a marriage taking place over a five year period. Jamie Wellerstein (Jeremy Jordan) is a young, talented up and coming novelist who falls in love with Cathy Hiatt (Anna Kendrick), a Shiksa Goddess struggling actress. Their story is told almost entirely through songs using an intercutting line device; all of Cathy’s songs begin at the end of their marriage and move backwards in time to the beginning of their love affair, while James’s songs start at the beginning of their affair and move forward to the end of their marriage. They meet in the centre when Jamie proposes to Cathy.
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Melanie Lynskey and Anna Kendrick and child in Happy Christmas
Anna Kendrick as Cinderella 12
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CLOSE UP EMILY BLUNT (The Baker’s Wife) My character has a desperate yearning for a child because of the curse that has been placed on her family. She must venture into the woods to secure a list of items given to them by the Witch, so she becomes this tenacious and determined character who is willing to go to any lengths to get what she wants. Eventually we see her unravelling. She is innately a good person, but gets swept up by the Woods and their potential. Emily Blunt is one of the most in demand actresses on the screen today, but her career was nearly still-born because from the age of eight she had a stammer and despite her mother’s efforts to cure it with various relaxing therapies, it still remained until she was twelve when a teacher cleverly asked her to play a character with a different voice. She ended up adopting a northern accent, and it did the trick, her stammer disappeared. She attended Hurtwood House, the top co-ed boarding school, where she excelled at sport, cello and singing and had two years on their theatre course. In August 2000, she was chosen to perform at the Edinburgh Festival, which led to her being signed up by an agent and getting parts in the West End and for the BBC; notably in the TV series “Foyles War.” In 2001, she played opposite Dame Judi Dench in “The Royal Family at Haymarket Theatre. For the role of Gwen Cavendish she won the Evening Standard Award for Best Newcomer. Blunt’s film debut was a starring role as Isolda in “Warrior Queen” opposite Alex Kingston. The following year Emily won critical acclaim for her performance as Tamsin, a well-educated, cynical and deceptive 16-year-old beauty in “My Summer of Love,” a story of two lonely girls from the opposite ends of the social network. She and her co-star, Natalie Press, shared an Evening Standard British Film award for Most Promising Newcomer. And what really cemented her film career was the character Emily, a caustic put-upon assistant to Meryl Streep’s lead in “The Devil Wears Prada.” She gave the role a new twist, neurotic and sarcastic, giving an added oomph to the comedy. Other diverse but memorable roles followed: Norah in “Sunshine Cleaning” opposite Amy Adams, as the young Victoria in the film of the same name, as Elise in the thriller “The Adjustment Bureau” costarring Matt Damon, “Your Sister’s Sister,” “Looper,” and “Edge of Tomorrow” with Tom Cruise. The film for me that stands out in her filmography is “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.” It was an experience which Emily obviously loved and has very fond memories of making it. I just love the whole story of having faith in ludicrous ideas. Each character from the film is on a real journey and at the end of the film, you see all the journeys collide and it’s just magical. In London everyone just went back to their house and did their own things. We were so tired, shooting six days a week most of the time. Then we went to Morocco and it was heaven. All the crew and the cast were in the same hotel. People would have drinks at night and then we’d wander across the street to this French restaurant. It was just great. It was like being at camp. Rob Marshall, the director of “Into the Woods,” when casting the film, wanted actors who could sing not singers who could act. Emily Blunt was nervous when asked by Rob Marshall to be in the film and that she would have to sing, and that she had never even sung in front of her husband. Well, she has now....and is perfect for the Sondheim lyrics.
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Emily Blunt in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. 14
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CLOSE UP MERYL STREEP (WITCH) Three times Academy Award winner: “Kramer vs Kramer,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “The Iron Lady” and st an unsurpassed eighteen nominations, Meryl Streep is the 21 century’s greatest actress, and can be mentioned in the same revered breath as Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn. Her versatility and her ability to master almost any accent is renowned and her filmography sparkles with diverse roles such as Linda in “The Deer Hunter,” Sophie in “Sophie’s Choice,” Karen in “Out of Africa,” Lindy in “A Cry in the Dark,” Francesca in “The Bridges of Madison County,” Clarissa in “The Hours,” Yolanda in “A Prairie Home Companion,” or Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” One of the most important keys to acting is curiosity. I am curious to the point of being nosy. What that means is you want to devour lives. You’re eager to put on their shoes and wear their clothes and have them become a part of you. All people contain mystery, and when you act, you want to plumb that mystery until everything is known to you. Educated in the New Jersey public school system through high school, she graduated cum laude from Vassar College and received her MFA with honours from Yale University in 1975. She began her professional career on the New York stage. Within three years of graduation, she made her Broadway debut, won an Emmy for “Holocaust” and received her first Oscar nomination. As a young actress, she busked to afford accommodation. One night she had not earned enough and actually slept in the open in Green Park in London. The view was of the Ritz Hotel and she vowed that one day she would stay there. And she did. “The Iron Lady” was for her one of those rare films where she said that she was grateful for being an actress and to look at life with empathy. It took a lot out of me, but it was a privilege to play Margaret Thatcher. I still don’t agree with a lot of her policies. But I feel she believed in them and that they came from an honest conviction, and that she wasn’t a cosmetic politician just changing make-up to suit the time. She’s still an incredibly divisive figure, but you miss her clarity today. It was all very clear and up front, and I loved that eagerness to mix it up and to make it about ideas. Today it’s all about feelings. You know, “How do I come off?” and, “Does this seem OK?” You want people who are willing to find a solution. I admire the fact that she was a “love-me-or-hate-me” kind of leader who said “This is what I stand for.” It is a hard thing to do and no one is doing that now. I consider all the roles I play a privilege but this one was special because there are such vehement opinions about her. People seemed to look at her as an icon or a monster and I just wanted to locate the human being inside those caricatures that we’ve seen over so many years. And to investigate myself what it must have been like for her.
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Jim Broadbent and Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady 16
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CLOSE UP JAMES CORDEN (BAKER) James Corden is the Tony Award-winning star of “One Man, Two Guvnors” at the National Theatre in London and on Broadway. He has also starred in productions of “The History Boys” in London and on Broadway, “A Respectable Wedding” at the Young Vic and “Martin Guerre” on the West End. He reprised his role in “The History Boys” in the screen adaptation and his film career continues to grow and grow. He played opposite Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in the wonderfully feel-good movie “Begin Again” and was the star of Weinstein’s production “One Chance”. In “Into the Woods” he co-stars with Emily Blunt, who are good friends off-screen and the chemistry between them is obvious to see as they work so well together. He studied drama at the Jackie Palmer Stage School before going on to Holmer Green Senior School. He admits he had very little academic ambition and turned to acting, making his screen debut in Shane Meadows “Twenty Four Seven.” His first notable role came on television in the comedy-drama “Fat Friends.” After “The History Boys” James teamed with Ruth Jones in the very successful sitcom “Gavin and Stacey.” It won British Academy Awards for them both. He has also won numerous comedy awards: Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Comedy Writer of the Year, South Bank Show Award for Comedy, Tric Award for Best Comedy and National Television Award in 2010 Best Comedy. He was awarded the OBE in the 2015 Queen’s New Years Honours List for his services to drama. There’s nothing nicer than getting a round of applause for turning up for work. It’s amazing! You start work and people clap. Do you know what I mean? And then they stand up and clap at the end. And like nearly all signposts leading to our future – it happened for James when he was a child as he recalls: I was three and it was during my younger sister’s christening and I was lifted up to stand on a chair so I could see. I looked out at the congregation of about thirty or forty people, but to me it seemed like thousands. And I started to do little dances on the chair and pull faces and turn around under my legs - and everyone burst out laughing. Even the vicar was laughing. And I can vividly remember something clicked and thinking, this feels amazing! The one film that epitomizes his talent is “One Chance”. He plays a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night who entered Britain’s Got Talent and not only won but became a phenomenon. It is the incredible true story of Paul Potts culminating in a film that entertains on all levels without insulting its audience. It is definitely a film to be proud of for all involved and particularly a milestone for James Corden. It is also a great inspiration for anyone who has had to face being bullied, as his character reminds us. As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to sing, but it turned out that not everybody loved the sound of my voice as much as my mum did. I got teased and bullied. It seems an endless drama full of singing and violence, kind of like an opera. The opera of my life.
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James Corden in One Chance
Alexandra Roach & James Corden in One Chance
Julie Walters, James Corden and Colm Meaney in Once Chance
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TOP 60 MUSICALS With the release of Into the Woods it would seem appropriate to re-examine the genre of musicals and their popularity. Here is what MbM considers to be the top 60 musicals of all-time. See if you agree and if your favourite is not listed here, then email me at brian@movies-by-mills.com and it will get a mention in the next issue. 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27:
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN ACROSS THE UNIVERSE MAMMA MIA! GREASE SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT ALMOST FAMOUS ONCE ABBA THE MOVIE CAROUSEL INTO THE WOODS SWEENEY TODD – DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET GOD HELP THE GIRL MY FAIR LADY HIGH SOCIETY THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA THE WIZARD OF OZ SCROOGE OLIVER! SWEET CHARITY THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG WEST SIDE STORY SOUTH PACIFIC THE KING & I WHITE CHRISTMAS MEET ME IN ST LOUIS TOP HAT www.moviesbymills.com
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TOP 60 MUSICALS 28: 29: 30: 31: 32: 33: 34: 35: 36: 36: 37: 38: 39: 40: 41: 42: 43: 44: 45: 46: 47: 48: 49: 50: 51: 52: 53: 54: 55: 56: 57: 58: 59: 60: 20
Con’t
YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER ON THE TOWN AN AMERICAN IN PARIS RED GARTERS CHICAGO CABARET HIT THE DECK NINE GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES GENTLEMEN PREFER BRUNETTES A STAR IS BORN GIGLI SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS TEA FOR TWO THE GLENN MILLER STORY THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY NEW YORK, NEW YORK WALK THE LINE ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK JAILHOUSE ROCK LA VIEN ROSE RAY RICH YOUNG & PRETTY GUYS AND DOLLS THE SOUND OF MUSIC LOVING YOU GYPSY OKLAHOMA MARY POPPINS THE JOLSON STORY SILK STOCKINGS ALL THAT JAZZ THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! ON MOONLIGHT BAY www.moviesbymills.com
BAFTA NOMINATIONS 2015 MAJOR CATEGORIES MbM’s vote for each category is highlighted in red.
BEST FILM BIRDMAN*BOYHOOD*THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL *THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING*THE IMITATION GAME OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM ’71*THE IMITATION GAME*PADDINGTON*PRIDE *THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING*UNDER THE SKIN LEADING ACTOR JAKE GILLENHAAL (Nightcrawler) MICHAEL KEATON (Birdman) RALPH FIENNES (The Grand Budapest Hotel) BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH (The Imitation Game) EDDIE REDMAYNE (The Theory of Everything) LEADING ACTRESS AMY ADAMS (Big Eyes) FELICITY JONES (The Theory of Everything) JULIANNE MOORE (Still Alice) REESE WITHERSPOON (Wild) ROSAMUND PIKE (Gone Girl) BEST DIRECTOR ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRATU (Birdman) RICHARD LINKLATER (Boyhood) WES ANDERSON (The Grand Budapest Hotel) JAMES MARSH (The Theory of Everything) DAMIEN CHAZELLE (WHIPLASH) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR EDWARD NORTON (Birdman) ETHAN HAWKE (Boyhood) J.K. SIMMONS (WHIPLASH) MARK RUFFALO (Foxcatcher) STEVE CARELL (Foxcatcher) www.moviesbymills.com
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS EMMA STONE (BIRDMAN) IMELDA STAUNTON (Pride) KEIRA KNIGHLEY (The Imitation Game) PATRICIA ARQUETTE (Boyhood) RENE RUSSO (Nightcrawler) BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Birdman*The Grand Budapest Hotel *Boyhood*Nightcrawler*WHIPLASH BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY GONE GIRL*American Sniper *The Imitation Game*Paddington *The Theory of Everything BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY BIRDMAN*The Grand Budapest Hotel*Ida *Interstellar*Mr Turner BEST EDITING BIRDMAN*The Grand Budapest Hotel* The Imitation Game Nightcrawler* The Theory of Everything*Whiplash BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC Birdman*The Grand Budapest Hotel*INTERSTELLAR* The Theory of Everything*Under the Skin BEST DOCUMENTARY 20.000 Days on Earth*VIRUNGA*Citizenfour* Finding Vivian Maier*20 Feet from Stardom FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE Ida*Leviathan*The Lunchbox*Trash *TWO DAYS. ONE NIGHT 22
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BRADLEY COOPER 40 year-old Philadelphian who graduated from the Honours English programme at Georgetown University in 1997, then moved to New York City to enrol in the Masters of Fine Arts programme at the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University. There, he developed his stage work, culminating with his graduate thesis performance as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, performed in New York's Circle in the Square. He claims that watching David Lynch's production of The Elephant Man on television is what inspired him to be an actor. Bradley began his professional career while still in school, appearing opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the TV series Sex and the City. In Lonely Planet's Treks in a Wild World, for the Discovery Channel, his summers took him, as the programme's host, all across the globe, from kayaking in British Columbia with Orca Whales to ice-climbing in the Peruvian Andes. He was forced to miss his graduation ceremony from the Actor's Studio in order to make his film debut in Wet Hot American Summer. He was the first alumnus of The Actor's Studio to be interviewed as a guest on Inside the Actor's Studio. He appeared in 6 episodes of the 65 minute talk show, which interviewed today's most talented actors, directors and writers in front of an audience of students and famous alumni of the Actor's Studio. His first major success came in 2009 in The Hangover as Phil, one of three friends who wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night or the bachelor who is missing. The film spawned another two in the successful franchise. Though he was then considered to be a successful actor, he still puts himself on tape for movies to try to get roles. On the danger of being type cast he recalls the advice of the great director Elia Kazan: If you're going to play a cowboy you better show up with a horse because no one sees anything but what you bring. It was in the romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook that firmly fixed Bradley not only in the hearts of cinema audiences but also with directors too. The role of Pat Solotano gave him the chance to portray a complex and 23
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confused but loveable character. Pat has lost everything: house, job, wife. He finds himself living back with his parents after spending eight months in a state institution. He is determined to rebuild his life and be reunited with his wife, despite challenging circumstances of their separation. Then he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and things get a little complicated. These people have every reason to decline themselves downwards, but they're trying to rebuild the economy of their lives. He was teamed with Jennifer Lawrence again in American Hustle, as Richie DiMaso, a wild FBI agent, and after that they starred in Serena, with Lawrence in the title role and Cooper playing the part of George Pemberton, owner of a timber empire which threatens to come crashing down when he marries a strong powerful woman, Serena, who intends to make changes in the business. I've sort of hit the jackpot working with Jennifer Lawrence. Bradley Cooper's future films offer enviable and exciting projects. Following American Sniper, he will be seen in the Untitled Cameron Crowe Project, starring as Brian Gilcrest, a military contractor returning to the site of his greatest triumphs and re-connecting with long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging air force watchdog assigned to him. Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams co-star. While an Untitled John Wells Project will see him as a chef who assembles a crew together in an attempt to create the best restaurant ever. Food is a subject which Bradley is very passionate about: When I was eight years old, I wanted to be a chef or an actor. I used to cook all the time. I worked in restaurants the first half of my life. Sienna Miller co-stars in the film. Both these films are in post production, while he is currently preparing for filming Joy, directed by David O Russell and yet again playing opposite Jennifer Lawrence. The film is based on the life of a struggling Long Island single mom who became one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs. Beyond that, is has been speculated that Bradley will star and direct Honeymoon with Harry with Robert De Niro co-starring. 24
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AMERICAN SNIPER Directed by Clint Eastwood Starring: Bradley Cooper. Sienna Miller. May I ask you a question, Chris? Would you be surprised if I told you that the navy has credited you with over 160 kills? Do you ever think that you might have seen things or done things that you wish you hadn't? No, that's not me. What's not you? I'm willing to meet my creator and answer every shot that I took. A screen adaptation of a war hero's memoirs of being a Navy SEAL sniper who becomes legendary, has obvious appeal to a director who is a legend himself - the patriotic Clint Eastwood. Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is a Texan who is seen competing in the rodeo arena. He is a tough cowboy, born in the saddle as one would say, but also he is a heart thumping patriot, and when 911 happens his immediate response is to sign up to do his duty for his country. After rigorous training, he is ready for whatever Uncle Sam wants him to do. After he gets married, he is sent to Iraq for the first tour to fight terrorism and becomes an accurate and invaluable sniper. Each moment in the war zone, supinely perched on a rooftop, Kyle begins to see the type of enemy the US is dealing with, and consequently the split-second decisions he has to make to pull the trigger on a woman or a child as he views them in the crosshairs as they prepare to detonate a bomb and blow his fellow soldiers to smithereens....a woman...a child...sacrificing their lives to kill. When Kyle reports what he sees and what they are preparing to do, the command comes back to him - it's your call. The war escalates and becomes bloodier and tension mounts back home when his wife with their two young children, fails to see why it is so important for him to fight rather than be with her and their family. On tour two and three in Iraq the Us Army seeks to find the source of al-Qaeda's command: their leader: a tribesman, who like Kyle is an accurate sniper. Kyle witnesses his comrades being picked-off beside him. His mission becomes his obsession to kill their fanatical leader and with each visit home he finds it increasingly difficult to mix the two emotions with family life - his mind cannot leave the battle zone. Bradley Cooper perfectly conveys the angst of a soldier during battle and the psychological turmoil he is experiencing domestically. Sienna Miller, who plays Kyle's wife, gives a performance that rightfully puts her name above future credits. As a war film, American Sniper is up there with Platoon and Pork Chop Hill for nail-chewing tension.
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Bradley Cooper & Jake McDorman in American Sniper
Sienna Miller in American Sniper
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Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper 27
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An occasional look at an arthouse cinema
CLAPHAM PICTUREHOUSE Tucked away and just a minutes' walk from Clapham Common Underground Station is a cinema occupying a site which was originally planned in 1919 to be the Coliseum Cinema. It would have been a magnificent picture palace with a seating capacity of almost 3,000. It never happened because the company ran into financial difficulties. Prior to the proposed planning, another cinema: the Electric Picture Palace, was housed here in Venn Street, replacing what were stables. Once the Coliseum failed to realize its dream palace, a snooker hall took up residence and remained until 1992, when Clapham Picturehouse, a triple screened cinema, welcomed its first cinemagoers through its doors. A fourth screen was added six years later and the existing cafe-bar was extended. Further development and improvements were made in 2008 when the entrance foyer and cafe-bar were restyled. It celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2012, reprising films from its opening year 1992 at 1992 prices! It also included a free preview of Life of Pi. Clapham Picturehouse shows a variety of films from summer blockbusters and Oscar favourites to world cinema and indie gems. It has also started to screen more and more live transmissions of opera, theatre, ballet, concerts and art exhibitions. The cinema regularly plays host to Q & A sessions with directors and actors: Danny Boyle, Colin Firth, Sir David Attenborough, Louis Theroux, Brian Cox, Sally Potter and Helena Bonham Carter are among some of the names which have graced the cinema. There are also specially reduced screenings for senior citizens called 'Silver Screen', where patrons get free tea and biscuits. There's a twice weekly club called the 'Big Scream' which allows parents with under 1s to come along to watch one of the latest releases along with their baby. The cinema has a fully licensed cafe bar, which is the perfect place to relax with a coffee or glass of wine before or after the film. The bar runs a popular fortnightly film quiz and also doubles up as an art space with a new gallery from a local artist every month. Quite recently a small but delicious food menu has been introduced to the bar. To find out more go to http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/clapham_Picturehouse www.moviesbymills.com
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FILM FEST FOLLOWER BERLIN 2015 MbM Recommends KNIGHT OF CUPS
Directed by Terrence Malick Starring: Christian Bale. Cate Blanchett. Natalie Portman. The long awaited return of one the greatest filmmakers in the business today with a film which takes a look at a screenwriter who wonders what has happened to his life and the dreams he once had of happiness.
DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL Directed by Marielle Helier Starring: Bel Powley. Alexander Skarsgard The coming-of-age adventures of Minnie Goetze, a San Francisco teenager growing up in the counter culture haze of the 1970s.
EVERY THING WILL BE FINE
Directed by Wim Wenders Starring: Rachel McAdams. James Franco. Charlotte Gainsbourg.
One day, driving aimlessly around the outskirts of town after a trivial domestic quarrel, a writer accidently hits and kills a child. Will he be able to move on?
45 YEARS Directed by Andrew Haigh Starring: Charlotte Rampling. Tom Courtenay. Geraldine James.
One week to Kate's 45th wedding anniversary and with the party planning going extremely well, when her husband receives a letter that threatens to change their lives and destroy their marriage. The body of his first love has been discovered frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps.
MR HOLMES
Directed by Bill Condon Starring: Ian McKellen. Milo Parker. Laura Linney.
An aged, retired Sherlock Holmes looks back on his life, and grapples with an unsolved case involving a beautiful woman. www.moviesbymills.com
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QUEEN OF THE DESERT
Directed by Werner Herzog Starring: Nicole Kidman. James Franco. Robert Pattinson.
A biopic of Gertrude Bell, traveller, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer and political attachĂŠ for the British Empire.
ANGELICA Directed by Mitchell Lightenstein Starring: Jena Malone. Janet McTeer. Ed Stoppard.
A couple living in Victorian London endure an unusual series of psychological and supernatural effects following the birth of their child.
CLORO Directed by Lamberto Sanfelice Starring: Sara Serraiocco. Andrea Vergoni.
Jenny is seventeen and dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer, but her carefree adolescent life is shaken by the sudden death of her mother.
ONE & TWO Directed by Andrew Droz Palermo Starring: Kiernan Shipka. Timothee Chalamet. Two siblings discover a supernatural escape from a troubled home, but find their bond tested when reality threatens to tear their family apart.
THE BEAT BENEATH MY FEET
Directed by John Williams Starring: Luke Perry. Nicholas Galitzine.
A teenage boy discovers his unruly neighbour is really a disgraced Rock God who 'died' 8 years ago owing a fortune in unpaid tax.
PAPER PLANES Directed by Robert Connolly. Starring: Sam Worthington. Ed Oxenbould. A young Australian boy's passion for flight and his challenge to compete in the World Paper Plane Championships in Japan.
RAINBOW
Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. Starring: Vipin Sharma. Fllora.
An uplifting story that reinforces the belief that life is beautiful. About a ten year old girl and her blind brother and her belief that he will see again and that she will find his healer. 30 www.moviesbymills.com
EXTRAS DVDS/BLU-RAYS
COMING SOON MbM's Recommendations.
GONE GIRL Ben Affleck. Rosamund Pike 2 February
NIGHTCRAWLER Jake Gyllenhaal.
PHOTO CREDITS Walt Disney Pictures 1.5.7.8.12.32. Magnolia Pictures 12. 20th Century Fox 16. Warner Bros. 2.25.26.27. Lionsgate. 14.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Movies by Mills would like to thank the following for their help and support. PremierComms.com. Image.Net. www.moviesbymills.com
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Movies by Mills is an independent production for the promotion of Art House Movies around the world.
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