November 2018
FLIX PREMIERE Close-Up
this month’s UPCOMING PREMIERES
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome Readers: The purpose of this magazine is to share with our movie-goers, the industry and our partners updates about what is happening at Flix Premiere each month. We aim to highlight and explore the upcoming month’s film premieres in each market, and occasionally announce new developments on our platform. Happy reading!
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Ar ch ie Co ok so n
November Premieres Snapshot Learn about our exclusive new premieres showing each week. US November Premieres Snapshot - pg. 3
B ik in i
Moon
UK November Premieres Snapshot - pg. 4
Close Up: Premieres Feature Reviews A chance to immerse yourself in the wonderful stories premiering each week. The Um bre lla
Sonata for Cello - Jan Cornet, Juanjo Puigcorbe, Mapi Galan, Marina Salas, Harris Gordon - pg. 5 Eliminate Archie Cookson - Georgia King, Paul Rhys, Claire Skinner, Paul Ritter - pg. 6 Senn - Taylor Lambert, Lauren Taylor, Wylie Herman, Zach Eulberg - pg. 7 The Umbrella - Josh Potthoff, Pattie Williams, Shaun Trainer, Belinda Raisin, Jesse Richardson, Darrell Plumridge - pg. 8 The Habit of Beauty - Vincenzo Amato, Francesca Neri, Noel Clarke, Nico Mirallegro, Nick Moran - pg. 9 Leaves of the Tree - Eric Roberts, Sean Young, Armand Assante, Federico Castelluccio, Kresh Novakovic - pg. 10 Bikini Moon - Condola Rashad, Sarah Goldberg, Will Janowitz, Sathya Sridharan, Mykal Michelle-Harris - pg. 11-12 Get Happy! - Chris Riggi, Adam LaVorgna, Rebecca Blumhagen, Jordan Lane Price, Lauren Sweetser - pg. 13
HOME OF AWARD-WINNING CINEMA AND MORE
“ With its winning script, poignant and heartfelt performances, resplendent score, and gorgeous cinematography, it’s an absolute must-see.”
UK PREMIERE November 10, 2018 - 7pm GMT What if an umbrella could do more than just protect its user from mere sun or rain? What if it could protect its user from pain?
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“ Comfy and Beautiful. ” Christopher Saenz, Review Fix
UK PREMIERE November 17, 2018 - 7pm GMT A dying man follows a country doctor to a remote part of Sicily to discover the secret of a mystical tree's healing leaves.
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US PREMIERES SNAPSHOT
Starring: Jan Cornet, Marina Salas, Harris Gordon, Juanjo Puigcorbe, Mapi Galan
NOVEMBER 2, 2018 - 7pm eST
Starring: Taylor Lambert, Lauren Taylor, Wylie Herman Zach Eulberg
NOVEMBER 9, 2018 - 7pm Est
Starring: Vincezo Amato, Francesca Neri, Noel Clarke, Nico Mirallegro, Nick Moran
NOVEMBER 16, 2018 - 7pm EST
Starring: Condola Rashad, Sarah Goldberg, Will Janowitz Sathya Sridharan, Mykal Michelle-Harris
NOVember 23, 2018 - 7pm EST
Starring: Chris Riggi, Adam LaVorgna, Rebecca Blumhagen, Lauren Sweetser
NOVEMBER 30, 2018 - 7pm EST
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UK PREMIERES SNAPSHOT
Starring: Georgia King, Claire Skinner, Paul Rhys,Paul Ritter
NOVEMBER 3, 2018 - 7pm gmt
Starring: Josh Potthof, Pattie Williams, Shaun Trainer, Belinda Raisin, Jesse Richardson, Darrell Plumridge
NIOVEMBER 10, 2018 - 7pm GMT
Starring: Eric Roberts, Sean Young, Armand Assante, Federico Castelluccio, Kresh Novakovic
NOVEMBER 17, 2018 - 7pm GMT
Starring: Condola Rashad, Sarah Goldberg, Will Janowitz Sathya Sridharan, Mykal Michelle-Harris
NOVEMBER 24, 2018 - 7pm GMT
Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
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Sonata for Cello
US Premiere NOVEMBER 2 - 7PM EST
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irector Anna Bofarull’s Sonata for Cello hedges its bets on the sensorial and ethereal, and absolutely shines. The film begins so as to disorient the spectator: So we are to be prepared for what is to come. Julia (Montse German) is a cellist, seasoned, prestigious, world-renowned. And yet here she is, in the bathroom before a performance, shaking from nervousness and deciding to down a pack of sleeping pills. She collapses, and her manager finds her unconscious. Interspersed, the viewer sees glimpses of a woman’s face that is not her own: an aging singer, caked with white makeup on her face and thick dark kohl lining her eyes. This appears to be the stuff that haunts Julia’s dreams.
The director Anna Bofarull brings everything in harmony.
Julia has been suffering from pains that doctors have only recently been able to definitely diagnose: her joints hurt, her memory is foggy, and she is irritable. The condition has been affecting her relationships and her music - now she’ll explode with anger at one of her students and not really understand why. Even in her deteriorating health, she clings to her music. Part of the beauty of this film is its slow meditative qualities. Her life is punctuated by rhythms: performing, practicing, swimming in the pool and visiting her ailing mother. This cinematic rhythm echoes a musical one. As the climax of her story approaches, tensions build and wither away, only to be built again.
The score, the cinematography, the writing, and the performances: everything sings and shines.
Sonata for Cello is not a film about a prodigy suffering from an existential crisis. It is a film in which the body of this prodigy gives way, usurping the whole identity, the whole of the genius. Julia is a musical genius heard by all of the world when she plays, but is not listened to when she is not performing - doctors have all but ignored her, and lovers too seem to take without listening. It is tender to watch her with the cello.
The relationship between her and her beloved instrument is a tenuous one, as each note brings her pain and yet beauty to the world. The director Anna Bofarull brings everything in harmony. The score, the cinematography, the writing, and the performances: everything sings and shines.
At times, it even haunts. Sonata for Cello is a film that won’t be forgotten for its sensitivity, vibrant cinematic qualities and for its unsettling and deeply moving performances. The opening scene is forever lodged in the brain.
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Eliminate Archie Cookson
Close Up: Premiere Feature Review UK Premiere NOVEMBER 3 - 7PM GMT
T
here is no shortage of espionage thrillers. To make a truly great spy thriller requires exceptional skill, and director Robin Holder has cracked the code. Eliminate Archie Cookson follows the eponymous character (Paul Rhys) as he navigates a difficult point in his life and career. He was once a high-rolling worker in the Intelligence Department, and now he is relegated to the tedium of a lower chain of command. Divorced from ex-wife Camilla (Claire Skinner), he looks from afar as Camilla and their son continue to enjoy the privileges of high society, while from where he has lost his status, seemingly for good.
A wonderful hidden gem of a movie Patrick Gamble, Cinevue
He falls asleep in the office one day, holed up in an audio transcription booth, when assasins shoot his colleagues over compromising Cold War audiotapes that would be disastrous for the government and to the careers of two important spies. Archie has the tapes in his possession, but the assassins decide to give Archie two days to turn over the materials, taking kindly to him because of their history of friendship. He runs from them, while also hoping to make amends with his ex-wife and son.
Holder demonstrates a sure hand with his accomplished cast, a nice feel for deadpan scene pacing, and an ease with the bricks-and mortar aspects of making a modest enterprise look like a pricier one. Dennis Harvey, Variety
Archie Cookson is no James Bond. He is nerdy, a bit clumsy, and has a drinking problem. Eliminate Archie Cookson is a witty commentary on and, a productive play with, the genre of spy thrillers. Director Robin Holder creates a distinct and vibrant look. The film is a dark comedy at heart, but also avoids the cynicism of such a category, and offers the audience strong relationships between characters, and sharp and very human dialogue.
It celebrates and revels in the conventions of the genre, just as it critiques them. The film is fast-paced, marked by quick cuts and extremely high production value. There are countless gorgeous shots, with a set design that pays homage to the genre.
Paul Rhys delivers an incredible performance as Archie, successfully breathing life into the character’s idiosyncrasies and the general absurdity of the world that Archie inhabits. A lovable, crowd-pleasing indie, Eliminate Archie Cookson will appeal to many different demographics - as it has a cornucopia of action, romance, espionage and dry humor and will make the audience question what it means to be a spy movie, and what it means to be an indie film, too. Merging art with commercial appeal, Archie is a true, innovative winner.
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
Senn
US Premiere NOVEMBER 9 - 7PM EST
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irector Josh Feldman’s sci-fi thriller Senn skillfully plays with dystopia, harnessing exemplary camerawork and editing, and - as might a magician - brings out unforgettable performances from the cast. The eponymous Senn (Zach Eulberg) is forced to toil away on a production line constructing these pink forceps-like devices that no one seems to know the use for. He wants to know why he and many others on this futuristic, dystopian planet are being made to construct these mysterious devices, and more pressingly, why he has been having sudden debilitating “visions” that have begun to make him a liability in the factory. If the production line is forced to stop because of him, he will be tossed out and made to sift through trash like the other castaways.
One of the hallmarks of this film is the delightfully innovative style.
Senn is a gem that will hopefully accrue the cult following it deserves. Alex Fitch, Electric Sheep Magazine
His girlfriend Kana (Lauren Taylor) and best friend Resh (Taylor Lambert) are unable to offer any help. Yet Senn confides in them. He opens up his locker to show them a small, swirling vortex that has recently appeared there. Resh goes to touch it; it burns his hand. Soon thereafter, a vast, seemingly endless spaceship comes for Senn, covered in what looks like scales. Kana and Senn are hovered up into the aircraft, where they find themselves lost in a rainforest. There, they are not unlike Adam and Eve-type figures, exploring a natural world for
One of the hallmarks of this film is the delightfully innovative style. Gorgeous, meditative shots mingle with bright, fast-paced shots. The colors are rich and evocative: making the characters enticing and embodied. The viewer feels lost in the wonderment of the cinematic spectacle, as just as the characters are consumed by the sweeping landscapes of the forest within the spaceship. The writing is poignant. Every interaction between Senn and Kana is tender and meaningful; made even more meaningful by the expressive qualities of the two main actors, who are able to communicate with grace sometimes without even saying a word. Senn and Kana are struck by the enormity of the universe, wide-eyed and open, and the director succeeds in making the viewer share that delight - and anxiety.
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
The Umbrella
UK Premiere NOVEMBER 10 - 7PM GMT
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t is a harrowing moment. Jared Evans (Josh Potthoff), while crossing the street with his mother, has just been told that his father is dying from cancer. Floored by the news, he feels extraordinarily alone, and seems to lose his grip on reality. He stands in the street, holding an umbrella. Although, indeed, the umbrella does not actually exist, rather he just thinks that it does. His mother and others become increasingly concerned by his actions, and he begins meeting with a counselor.
The counselor (Shaun Trainer) asks him to face his uncertainties and fears, and, most importantly, to stop hiding behind the crutch that is his umbrella if he hopes to embrace the world and a blossoming romance. As the narrative progresses, the audience sees that the counselor himself needs to address some of his own uncertainties, particularly his tendency to speak rather than listen to his loved ones. His marriage begins to fall apart, and he masks his troubles behind his work. Director Jason Solari’s film is a sensitive, moving and compelling portrait of two men as they learn to lean in on each other and help each other heal.
Director Jason Solari’s film is a sensitive, moving and compelling portrait of two men as they learn to lean in on each other and help each other heal.
With its winning script, poignant and heartfelt performances, resplendent score and gorgeous cinematography, it’s an absolute must-see.
The cinematography is wholly immersive and compelling, and the leads give us exemplary, unforgettable performances. Solari is committed to realism, and very expertly captures the intimacies, trials and tribulations of their lives. Although the subject of the film involves something deeply personal, the film itself feels epic in scope, as it will captivate and consume audiences. The world that Solari creates is a hopeful, compassionate one, that relays an important message about kindness and interpersonal understanding.
The Umbrella is powerful, resonant and urgent. Jason Solari imbues so much depth into his characters that it is incredibly beautiful to watch their multifaceted, lovingly crafted and personal stories unfold. The film is a visceral and important message about the significance of not only helping each other heal, but also in having the courage to pursue our dreams. Watching The Umbrella is an absolute treat, where you will certainly feel a range of emotions: from melancholy, sadness, joy and the wonders of new love, to even some heartfelt laughs. With its winning script, poignant and movingheartfelt performances, resplendent score and gorgeous cinematography, it’s an absolute must-see.
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
The Habit of Beauty
US Premiere NOVEMBER 16 - 7PM EST
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hrough life’s darkest hours an artist sees faint traces of the sublime. Even in a desolate landscape, a photographer finds the exact resplendent angle or contour. Discovering poetry in unlikely settings is not just a profession but a practice, a way of living, or even a survival mechanism in an antagonistic world. The Habit of Beauty is a drama about a photographer, Ernesto’s, attempt to carry on in the wake of the tragic death of his son. A fatal car accident left him with a broken heart, pushed him to divorce, and plummeted his successful career in fashion and portraiture. Now he helps to rehabilitate convicts with photography lessons and his health is taking a major turn for the worse. But among his pupils, a troubled and unfortunate Ian betrays a glimmer of talent and an eye for photography beneath a gruff exterior and prohibitive stutter. What hope for the future, what final curtain lies in wait for the beleaguered artist? Can there be redemption for him and his former wife, Elena? Or, if not redemption, at least a gesture of reconciliation with their past?
The Habit of Beauty is, indeed, a thing of beauty, and one to watch out for in the coming months. Sophie Trenear, The Edge
Shot between London and Trento, Italy, The Habit of Beauty moves between the urban and the alpine with stunning cinematography worthy of the film’s lofty name.
Shot between London and Trento, Italy, The Habit of Beauty moves between the urban and the alpine with stunning cinematography worthy of the film’s lofty name. An encroaching lake submerges hundreds of living trees beneath a mountain’s cliff. In much the same way, Ernesto’s life has been inundated by tragedy and transcendent beauty. He and Elena find in Ian, if not a surrogate son, then a desperate vehicle for their shared love and artistic vision. The film is gifted with a first-rate cast. Vincenzo Amato plays the ailing visionary Ernesto. Francesca Neri graces the frame as the still-grieving and aloof Elena.
Her current partner is played by British favorite Noel Clarke. Nico Mirallegro gives a mature performance of depth as the young Ian. Director Mirko Pincelli’s vision for the film benefits from his being, himself, a migrant Italian who spent the better part of a decade living and working in the UK. Together they tell the story of transient lovers living separate lives abroad and far away from a traumatic past that they cannot escape. Dancing from impoverished settings to opulence, from tenement housing to pastoral cottages, The Habit of Beauty frames each impeccably while telling a story of loss and overcoming absence through art and vocation. Do not miss out on its premiere this month.
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
Leaves of the Tree
UK Premiere NOVEMBER 17 - 7PM GMT
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secret source of healing powers, dating back centuries, is suddenly rediscovered both by industry and an ancient religious order. All who become aware of its abilities want to exploit it for their own advantage. Will the forces of good prevail, or will the incredible medicine be used for the pure and unrestrained pursuit of power? Leaves of the Tree is both a drama and spiritual film that shifts from a nineteenth century period backdrop to developing its plot in the present day. Retiring lawyer Patrick, played by the formidable Eric Roberts, forms part of a team that learns of a new discovery touted as a miracle salve. He decides to take on one final patent case for his firm, with hopes that the remedy might aid his congenital heart disease. As good fortune would have it, the cure is only available in a small olive grove in Sicily. So, he travels to Italy with boss and family in tow to investigate the incredible claims surrounding the treatment. What he finds there, first, is a vibrant village full of gracious culture, and then a bewildering mystery that only his journey will help to unravel.
...this is largely a drama about faith and healing, with the Sicilian landscape as the star, followed by an underrated Eric Roberts, who throws himself into his part with joy and charisma - he positively bubbles when on-screen, and as a viewer I couldn’t wait for him to return. Noah Charney, Film International
The Sicilian countryside is gorgeously showcased in Leaves of the Tree. Director Ante Novakovic and cinematographer John Schmidt frame the story amidst towering ruins set against a pastoral backdrop. An olive grove indeed gives the impression of timelessness, and imbues the atmosphere with ancient wisdom. The historical costumes are meticulously crafted to compliment the terrain, transporting us centuries in time. Modern characters in the film are instantly recognizable, relatable figures. Skeptics, the visitors are seduced by the magic of the olive grove and the Sicilian vistas along with the audience.
Leaves of the Tree features both a stellar Anglo and Italian cast, giving the film a truly international feel. Accompanying Roberts, Federico Castelluccio offers a strong performance as the Doctor Ferramonti, who serves as a guardian of the coveted estate. Sean Young and Marisa Brown make memorable impressions as additional tourists accompanying Patrick on his investigative voyage. Together, they form a harmonized ensemble that maintains the audience’s interest in all of the action. What magic does the earth hide from us, what miracles might exist right under our noses if only we are willing to open our eyes to them? Watch Leaves of the Tree and become a believer yourself.
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FLIX PREMIERE ORIGINAL US Premiere: NOVEMBER 23 - 7pm EST UK Premiere: NOVEMBER 24 - 7PM GMT
T
he creative process is renowned for its engrossing qualities, like the cultivation of an artist’s fixation on their work. Life and artistic endeavor mix and merge in its course. Milcho Manchevski’s Bikini Moon explores this premise in its staging of the absorbing task of making a documentary film, explosively paired with the equally enthralling and addictive personality of its subject – a homeless veteran named Bikini (Condola Rashad).
A team of documentary filmmakers led by director Trevor (Will Janowitz), and his girlfriend, Kate (Sarah Goldberg), happen upon a woman looking for shelter in a Harlem social service agency who immediately steals the camera’s gaze. Bikini holds the attention of the lens and crew, recounting stories of her time in Iraq, life on the street, and her quest to regain custody of her young daughter. Her vibrancy and spontaneity are underlined by bouts of mental instability – a remnant, perhaps, of wartime trauma that she only occasionally controls with prescribed medication. The combination of her charisma and unpredictability are captivating. At first, Trevor and Kate try to maintain something of an objective distance from Bikini, all while helping her pull herself up onto her feet.
Astonishingly Brilliant. The Movie Gourmet
But when attempt after attempt to house her inevitably fails, they finally invite her into their own home in an act of charity that pushes along their filmmaking plans. Imagine the results of mixing the personal and the professional so closely! The result is a story of the tumultuous making of a film according to the whims of a woman whose lot in life has been abuse, rejection, and transience. The sparking motor of celebrated director Manchevski’s story lies in its provocative blend of documentary conventions with narrative storytelling. The film itself, we are told in the opening titles, is a “documentary about a fairy tale,” thus setting into play a teasing relationship between truth and fiction that enriches the characters from the outset, even as the actors inhabit them fully and vividly. Most uniquely, Manchevski is unafraid to switch digital film recording formats in a fluid exchange throughout the film that is almost as provocative and changing as Bikini herself. Incorporating a series of digital device point of view shots, effectively switching at random times to what a cell-phone or computer camera might see and record “live” within a scene, he lends layers of reality effects to his fiction film and packages it in an undeniably contemporary aesthetic.
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Rashad… gives an impressive tornado of a performance, and she deserves to become a huge star. Vladan Petkovic, Cineuropa
Arresting meditation on the documentary filmmaking process... lively, thought-provoking. Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter
Condola Rashad’s Bikini is larger than life. Brash, seductive, vulgar, sensitive and severe – she embodies a fascinating set of contradictions that mark a stark departure from her role in Showtime’s series, Billions. Her striking persona is a well-suited anecdote to the complementing bookends of Janowitz and Goldberg’s suburban hipster personalities. Sathya Sridharan steps in as the more conscientious director Krishna at the required time, lending the film a distinctive ensemble quality even as its star shines bright.
This exciting hybrid drama continues Flix Premiere’s tradition of delivering Original Productions that push the envelope beyond tired genre cinema at both the levels of story and filmmaking; with a tale of a seldom-seen or heard from individual – an underrepresented veteran who can no longer function in civil society. It is also an example of daring technical cinematic innovation.
That is why it is all the more appropriate that this film break ground in the realm of exhibition as well. Flix Premiere is proud to announce that Bikini Moon will premiere online at flixpremiere.com.
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
Get Happy!
US Premiere NOVEMBER 30 - 7PM EST
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ull of energy, light-hearted cynicism, and a love of poking fun at romantic comedy and self-help genre tropes, director Manoj Annadurai’s Get Happy! is a feel-good comedy for the ages. In a time when the rom-com is gaining in popularity and critical acclaim alike, Get Happy! meets and excels the bar for what rom-coms should be: It has terrific acting, a wry and playful sense of humor, charming characters, and a unique style, sweet at times in the best of ways. Protagonist Charlie (Chris Riggi) is having a really, really bad day. But it’s routine for him. He’s been in a perpetually grouchy mood since emerging from the womb. On his way to work, he barely has enough change on him to buy a donut. On the subway, even, he has the misfortune of sitting on a seat that has a piece of gum stuck on it. The pretty blonde next to him laughs. Later, his friends set him up with a barista at his favorite coffee shop - but the date does not go well.
Get Happy! meets and excels the bar for what rom-coms should be: it has terrific acting, a wry and playful sense of humor, charming characters, and a unique style, sweet at times in the best of ways.
Throughout the course of the night, he runs into the pretty blonde from the subway again, who reveals her name to be Holly (Lauren Sweetser), and she encourages him to rob a vintage clothing store with her. They do; he looks hipster cool as he is being arrested. They fall in love and Charlie has never been happier. His publisher friend Bobby (Adam LaVorgna) implies that Charlie should be wary of Holly, because she fits the stereotype of the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” trope - she seems to do nothing other than work towards Charlie’s self-improvement, she’s energetic, and she has lots of ex-boyfriends.
Charlie begins to let his friend’s words get inside his head and then suddenly tragedy strikes, derailing his relationship with Holly and his worldview. Get Happy! is an uplifting film, joyous, and gorgeously crafted. It’s instantly likeable for style, direction, cinematic verve and the acting. The wild and wonderful characters grow with the viewer and are used as vessels for exploring interesting questions on the nature of romantic relationships, the rom-com genre, and the self-help book phenomenon. The film is a cultural critique just as much as it seems to work lovingly within the genres that it is critiquing. Absorbing, hilarious, and intelligent, Get Happy! will transport the viewer to a happier place, full of hope, laughter and self-confidence.
HOME OF AWARD-WINNING CINEMA AND MORE
“ Senn is a gem that will hopefully accrue the cult following it deserves.” Alex Fitch, Electric Sheep Magazine
US PREMIERE November 9, 2018 - 7pm EST
Senn's lowly existence is uprooted when he is chosen to reweave the fabric of civilisation across time and space.
WATCH ON
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Amazon Fire
iOS, Android, Web
ChromeCast
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Smart TVs
“ The Habit of Beauty is, indeed, a thing of beauty, and one to watch out for in the coming months.” Sophie Trenear, The Edge
US PREMIERE
November 16, 2018 - 7pm EST The Habit of Beauty is a heartfelt drama centred around the deeply personal themes of dreams, love and loss.
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