The Hollywood Reporter reported Friday that Mike Leigh, the director of Mr. Turner, will be making his next film about the Peterloo Massacre, a historical event that took place in 1819 in Britain. Leigh stated in a press release that, “There has never been a feature film about the Peterloo Massacre. Apart from the universal political significance …
There’s an expansiveness to the emotionality of Spall’s performance, similar again to his paintings. His gruff, guttural line readings, his carefully naturalistic mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, and the tears he sheds are a work of art in and of themselves, allowing Leigh and Spall to create a portrait of a man that does seem to elevate the art in some way. Leigh isn’t bent on building up Turner, tearing him down, and building him up again as so many biopics are prone to do; J.M.W Turner just is. Flawed, powerful, generous, and one hell of an artist.
Suffused with the landscapes that the famed British painter J.M.W Turner admired and translated into legend, director Mike Leigh’s newest film hints at the inner life of the man behind the accomplishments but stops well short of explicating his eccentric actions. Unable to articulate his feelings and more often than not treating the people around him with callous indifference, it’s obvious that Leigh’s Turner has cultivated an environment of emptiness that has allowed him ample space to do exactly what he wants with his life. The silence is frequently richer than the dialogue, with the luscious scenery speaking more to the turmoil of his mind than he can adequately express to those who want to be close to him. Mr. Turner tests one’s patience as we crawl through the waning years of the man’s life, but Spall’s offbeat performance and the gorgeous backdrops immerse the viewer just enough to offset the sparsity of the artist’s stunted emotional intelligence.
Are you already sick of Oscar coverage? Tough luck, ’cause Justine and Simon have some thoughts on the major categories at this year’s festivities, so if you’re planning an Oscar pool – well, maybe look elsewhere, ’cause frankly Simon’s batting average isn’t all that great. (Just ask his wallet.) Anyway, in this first installment, they’ll …
“Another Year is another triumph for the persistently engaging Leigh, whose inquisitive, methodical approach is peerless in its emotional veracity.” Another Year Directed by Mike Leigh Written by Mike Leigh 2010, UK Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are happy together. Yes, their views may occasionally diverge somewhat, but at well past middle age …
————– Another Year Directed by Mike Leigh Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are happy together. Yes, their views may occasionally diverge somewhat, but at well past middle age they stay active, are engaged by their respective professions, and are genuinely comforted by each other’s continued company, as well as that of their son …
————– Montreal’s greatest arthouse and foreign-film fest, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, is back, and this year’s selection is particularly dense, with a rich selection of international prestige pictures as well as freakish low-budget wonders for fringe-dwellers. For anyone who’s overwhelmed, here are a few picks to help make your scheduling a little easier. Enter …
Another Year Directed by Mike Leigh Another Year is Mike Leigh’s follow-up to 2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky. Though the film has a completely different cast of characters and for the most part different casts altogether (save for Oliver Maltman, who appears in both), there are a lot of themes that are explored in both of Leigh’s movies. …
Fall is now upon us. With Labor Day upon us, that means it’s time to get the rake out and pass on those trick or treats. Football has replaced Baseball, although with the pennant race in full gear, important baseball is still to be played. I am glad I mentioned the word important because that …