Resting on laurels is for suckers.
It’s been four excruciatingly long years since The World’s End, the last film from Edgar Wright, which in Edgar-Wright-fan years is like a century. He was set up to direct Ant-Man, but we all know how that turned out. And while you might think Wright spent some of his time post-Marvel licking that particular wound, you’d be wrong, because Edgar Wright knows that living well is the best revenge, so in the last few years he’s been busy gearing up for not one but two films. Immediately after Ant-Man Wright started developing Baby Driver, which is at long last completed, set for a June 28 release, and so far is garnering the best reviews of the director’s career. At the same time he was starting Baby Driver back in 2014, though, there was another project the director was kicking around, an adaptation of the novel Grasshopper Jungle, and...
It’s been four excruciatingly long years since The World’s End, the last film from Edgar Wright, which in Edgar-Wright-fan years is like a century. He was set up to direct Ant-Man, but we all know how that turned out. And while you might think Wright spent some of his time post-Marvel licking that particular wound, you’d be wrong, because Edgar Wright knows that living well is the best revenge, so in the last few years he’s been busy gearing up for not one but two films. Immediately after Ant-Man Wright started developing Baby Driver, which is at long last completed, set for a June 28 release, and so far is garnering the best reviews of the director’s career. At the same time he was starting Baby Driver back in 2014, though, there was another project the director was kicking around, an adaptation of the novel Grasshopper Jungle, and...
- 4/13/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Serena
Written for the screen by Christopher Kyle
Directed by Susanne Bier
USA/France/Czech Republic, 2014
Based on a bestselling novel by Ron Rash, Serena, as brought to the screen by director Susanne Bier and screenwriter Christopher Kyle, feels like a husk of an adaptation even to one completely unfamiliar with the source material. It’s the sort of film that, at least in the form prepped for theatrical release, makes one inclined to believe its makers have completely lost the ability to tell a story. And it’s not like that ever seems like a deliberate stylistic choice, with Bier actually focusing on some thematic flourish off on the sidelines. Serena is always focused on its plot. Its perpetually rushed, choppily told, borderline confusing plot.
Part of the trouble in the telling is that the film’s a tonal mess. In her native Denmark, and with American cinema forays...
Written for the screen by Christopher Kyle
Directed by Susanne Bier
USA/France/Czech Republic, 2014
Based on a bestselling novel by Ron Rash, Serena, as brought to the screen by director Susanne Bier and screenwriter Christopher Kyle, feels like a husk of an adaptation even to one completely unfamiliar with the source material. It’s the sort of film that, at least in the form prepped for theatrical release, makes one inclined to believe its makers have completely lost the ability to tell a story. And it’s not like that ever seems like a deliberate stylistic choice, with Bier actually focusing on some thematic flourish off on the sidelines. Serena is always focused on its plot. Its perpetually rushed, choppily told, borderline confusing plot.
Part of the trouble in the telling is that the film’s a tonal mess. In her native Denmark, and with American cinema forays...
- 3/29/2015
- by Josh Slater-Williams
- SoundOnSight
Place Beyond the Pines: Bier’s Ungainly Period Piece Revels in Unintentional Gaffs
Danish director Susanna Bier’s second English language film, Serena, has gained a bit of notoriety after an unexpected delayed theatrical release in the Us. A melodramatically inclined period piece based on a novel by Ron Rash (author of The World Made Straight, of which an adaptation was released earlier this year), the lush production design and starry cast creates a misleading veneer, which slowly gives way to a rather kooky portrait of its eponymous lead character. Presented with soberingly grim determination, the film lapses into unintentionally laughable territory, though not to a degree worthy of camp aesthetic or cult following.
Filming shortly after their award winning collaboration on 2012’s The Silver Linings Playbook, the first onscreen reunion of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper finally saw a premiere at the 2014 London Film Festival and reactions have been...
Danish director Susanna Bier’s second English language film, Serena, has gained a bit of notoriety after an unexpected delayed theatrical release in the Us. A melodramatically inclined period piece based on a novel by Ron Rash (author of The World Made Straight, of which an adaptation was released earlier this year), the lush production design and starry cast creates a misleading veneer, which slowly gives way to a rather kooky portrait of its eponymous lead character. Presented with soberingly grim determination, the film lapses into unintentionally laughable territory, though not to a degree worthy of camp aesthetic or cult following.
Filming shortly after their award winning collaboration on 2012’s The Silver Linings Playbook, the first onscreen reunion of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper finally saw a premiere at the 2014 London Film Festival and reactions have been...
- 3/25/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are reuniting for the long-delayed period piece "Serena" from director Susanne Bier ("After the Wedding," "Things We Lost in the Fire"). The film's newest trailer features the two stars all dolled up in sumptuous period duds for some romance, mystery and tragedy amid some breathtaking scenery captured by ace D.P. Morten Søborg (who's worked with Bier before, as well as Nicholas Winding Refn). Based on Ron Rash's novel, "Serena" takes place in Depression-racked North Carolina, where George Pemberton (Cooper) struggles to maintain his burgeoning timber empire, while his strong-willed young wife, Serena (Lawrence), may be taking their domestic -- and professional --partnership too far. Watch the new trailer here: Bier has reportedly been tinkering with the film since it wrapped principal photography in early 2012, and it had a tough time landing a distributor despite its A-list stars (it also stars Rhys Ifans, Sean Harris,...
- 10/29/2014
- by Dave Lewis
- Hitfix
Review by Barbie Snitzer
Love Is All You Need is the clichéd title of an adorable, light romantic comedy that’s perfect for summer and devoid of even a hint of smutty humor.
If you think you’re having a bad day, a bad month, or even a bad life, consider the circumstances in which we meet the main character in Love Is All You Need, Ida (excellent performance by Danish star Trine Dryholm).
Behind her forced smile, Ida is maltreated by her boss at the hair salon where she works; the place itself is a cruel constant taunt. That’s because Ida, while styling others’ hair, has none of her own. She wears a wig because she’s been undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Although her chemotherapy course is completed, her pain continues as she begins the waiting game to find out if the treatment has been successful. After...
Love Is All You Need is the clichéd title of an adorable, light romantic comedy that’s perfect for summer and devoid of even a hint of smutty humor.
If you think you’re having a bad day, a bad month, or even a bad life, consider the circumstances in which we meet the main character in Love Is All You Need, Ida (excellent performance by Danish star Trine Dryholm).
Behind her forced smile, Ida is maltreated by her boss at the hair salon where she works; the place itself is a cruel constant taunt. That’s because Ida, while styling others’ hair, has none of her own. She wears a wig because she’s been undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Although her chemotherapy course is completed, her pain continues as she begins the waiting game to find out if the treatment has been successful. After...
- 5/24/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The message behind most romantic comedies is the simple-minded sentiment that love is all you need. So when Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier takes that title for a departure from somber drama to romance, you might expect her to deliver it with some serious irony.
Yet in Bier's "Love Is All You Need," it turns out that love really is all you need. And like any old rom-com, it's the just-add-water, instant mush variety of love that springs up between the unlikeliest of partners because, hey, you're in the theater to see a love story.
This is several steps above the usual Hollywood romance, with nice low-key passion between Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm as prospective in-laws who connect during chaotic preparations for their children's wedding. Bier and regular screenwriting partner Anders Thomas Jensen dress things up with gorgeous postcard images of Sorrento, Italy, lovely music, elegant production design and deeper...
Yet in Bier's "Love Is All You Need," it turns out that love really is all you need. And like any old rom-com, it's the just-add-water, instant mush variety of love that springs up between the unlikeliest of partners because, hey, you're in the theater to see a love story.
This is several steps above the usual Hollywood romance, with nice low-key passion between Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm as prospective in-laws who connect during chaotic preparations for their children's wedding. Bier and regular screenwriting partner Anders Thomas Jensen dress things up with gorgeous postcard images of Sorrento, Italy, lovely music, elegant production design and deeper...
- 5/1/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
What’s up with those crazy Danish filmmakers and their compulsion to pile it on? The latest from Oscar-winning filmmaker Susanne Bier (“In A Better World”) is like watching a long game of Jenga. As every sub plot, reveal and character… err, caricature that is, gets stacked on top of each other, the more inevitable it is that the whole thing will come tumbling down. And while “Love is All You Need” is by no means a disaster, it simply can’t support all that weight. The foundation is built upon a familiar romantic comedy fixture: a wedding. Early in the film, we see soon-to-be newlyweds Astrid (Molly Blixt Egelind) and Patrick (Sebastian Jessen) roaming around a beautifully rustic Italian villa that is to be the setting for their special day. And before this plot rundown goes any further, it has to be noted that the film’s location is its highlight.
- 4/25/2013
- by Erik McClanahan
- The Playlist
Wamg has some last minutes passes to see Chernobyl Diaries - an original story from Oren Peli (@Oren_Peli), who first terrified audiences with his groundbreaking thriller, .Paranormal Activity..
Click on the link to see the screening of the film in St. Louis Thursday: http://www.quarantineyourcity.com/#Mo/St.+Louis or enter your name below and email address to receive a gofobo code!
The film follows a group of six young vacationers who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an .extreme. tour guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago.
After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.
Brad Parker makes his feature film directorial debut with Chernobyl Diaries.
Click on the link to see the screening of the film in St. Louis Thursday: http://www.quarantineyourcity.com/#Mo/St.+Louis or enter your name below and email address to receive a gofobo code!
The film follows a group of six young vacationers who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an .extreme. tour guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago.
After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.
Brad Parker makes his feature film directorial debut with Chernobyl Diaries.
- 5/23/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Wamg is giving away Run-Of-Engagement passes for Chernobyl Diaries - an original story from Oren Peli (@Oren_Peli), who first terrified audiences with his groundbreaking thriller, “Paranormal Activity.” The passes are good at Wehrenberg Theatres.valid through June 28th.
Click on the link to bring an exclusive screening of the film to St. Louis: http://www.quarantineyourcity.com/#
The film follows a group of six young vacationers who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an “extreme” tour guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago.
After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone…
Brad Parker makes his feature film directorial debut with Chernobyl Diaries.
Alcon Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment...
Click on the link to bring an exclusive screening of the film to St. Louis: http://www.quarantineyourcity.com/#
The film follows a group of six young vacationers who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an “extreme” tour guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago.
After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone…
Brad Parker makes his feature film directorial debut with Chernobyl Diaries.
Alcon Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment...
- 5/16/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Oren Peli has brought us plenty of frights and scares in both Paranormal Activity and Insidious. Now the director is writing a new original project for FilmDistrict and Brad Parker is directing and Brian Witten (Dark City, Final Destination, Friday the 13th) is producing alongside Peli. Morten Søborg (In a Better World) has joined the production as cinematographer.
According to the press release, the film stars Jonathan Sadowski, Devin Kelly, Jesse McCartney, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Nathan Phillips, Ingrid Bolso Berdal and Dimitri Diatchenko as group of friends who become stranded in an eerie and desolate city. Abandoned years before in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, nature has begun to reclaim everything. As the sun sets on this radioactive ghost town, inhuman cries cut through the night air. It seems they are not alone.
Oren Peli said, “I love my job. I get to work with a talented director like...
According to the press release, the film stars Jonathan Sadowski, Devin Kelly, Jesse McCartney, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Nathan Phillips, Ingrid Bolso Berdal and Dimitri Diatchenko as group of friends who become stranded in an eerie and desolate city. Abandoned years before in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, nature has begun to reclaim everything. As the sun sets on this radioactive ghost town, inhuman cries cut through the night air. It seems they are not alone.
Oren Peli said, “I love my job. I get to work with a talented director like...
- 11/1/2011
- by Mike Lee
- FusedFilm
FilmNation Entertainment announced today that principal photography for the Untitled Oren Peli Project started in Eastern Europe yesterday. The film is based on an original story by Oren Peli ( Paranormal Activity , Insidious ) who is also producing. Brad Parker is directing and Brian Witten ( Dark City , Final Destination , Friday the 13th ) is producing alongside Peli. Morten Søborg ( In a Better World ) has joined the production as cinematographer. The film centers on a group of friends who become stranded in an eerie and desolate city. Abandoned years before in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, nature has begun to reclaim everything. As the sun sets on this radioactive ghost town, inhuman cries cut through the night air. It seems they are not alone. The ensemble cast...
- 11/1/2011
- Comingsoon.net
Ulrich Thomsen and William Johnk Nielsen in In a Better World
Photo: Sony Pictures Classics Susanne Bier's In a Better World is a fascinating look at the difference between revenge, pacifism and forgiveness. The lines become blurred in a beautiful exploration of human instincts and our interpretation of knowing what's right and what's wrong.
The story follows two Danish families brought together as a result of the newly formed friendship between Christian (William Johnk Nielsen) and Elias (Markus Rygaard), two ten-year-old boys coping with their own set of problems. Elias is dealing with the recent separation of his parents as well as a school bully that's dubbed him Rat Face. Christian's mother recently lost her battle with cancer and he's returned to Denmark with his father (Ulrich Thomsen) whom he blames for "giving up" on his mother.
These circumstances lead to Christian standing up for Elias, using a bike...
Photo: Sony Pictures Classics Susanne Bier's In a Better World is a fascinating look at the difference between revenge, pacifism and forgiveness. The lines become blurred in a beautiful exploration of human instincts and our interpretation of knowing what's right and what's wrong.
The story follows two Danish families brought together as a result of the newly formed friendship between Christian (William Johnk Nielsen) and Elias (Markus Rygaard), two ten-year-old boys coping with their own set of problems. Elias is dealing with the recent separation of his parents as well as a school bully that's dubbed him Rat Face. Christian's mother recently lost her battle with cancer and he's returned to Denmark with his father (Ulrich Thomsen) whom he blames for "giving up" on his mother.
These circumstances lead to Christian standing up for Elias, using a bike...
- 9/14/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – With the last days of August remaining, the dreaded days of post-summer dreck are upon us, with studios dumping some of their least promising products into theaters, while making way for the approaching Oscar season. During a decidedly dull weekend such as this, cinephiles are on the lookout for films that offer an exotic escape from humdrum mainstream fare.
Luckily, Chicagoans have a great deal of art house venues to choose from, including the Siskel Film Center, which is currently screening the latest work from several of the world’s most fascinating and innovative filmmakers. Here are three highlights fresh off the film center’s calendar that are well worth marking in yours. The first is from one of the great yet under-appreciated founders of the French New Wave, the second is from a filmmaker who emerged during the Hong Kong New Wave, and the third is by a...
Luckily, Chicagoans have a great deal of art house venues to choose from, including the Siskel Film Center, which is currently screening the latest work from several of the world’s most fascinating and innovative filmmakers. Here are three highlights fresh off the film center’s calendar that are well worth marking in yours. The first is from one of the great yet under-appreciated founders of the French New Wave, the second is from a filmmaker who emerged during the Hong Kong New Wave, and the third is by a...
- 8/27/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Tuesday, October 6
Ok, so the events of two nights before are finally coming into focus (see previous entry here). I’m referring to the infamous Karoke party initiated by the Film Festival Mafia and spearheaded by Austin Fantastic Fest’s Tim League and NY Asian fest programmer Mark Walkow, neither of whom had any reservations about getting on stage and belting out a few tunes, even sober. For me, it takes a few of those fishbowl-size drinks before I muster the courage to give the B-52’s “Love Shack” a try. I was going to keep these drunken revelries to myself, but once an incriminating photo of me turned up in the daily Sitges festival newspaper a day later, and various celebrants had secretly videotaped the sordid affair, I had no choice but to come clean. Now I know how David Letterman felt last week.
I do learn a few things that night,...
Ok, so the events of two nights before are finally coming into focus (see previous entry here). I’m referring to the infamous Karoke party initiated by the Film Festival Mafia and spearheaded by Austin Fantastic Fest’s Tim League and NY Asian fest programmer Mark Walkow, neither of whom had any reservations about getting on stage and belting out a few tunes, even sober. For me, it takes a few of those fishbowl-size drinks before I muster the courage to give the B-52’s “Love Shack” a try. I was going to keep these drunken revelries to myself, but once an incriminating photo of me turned up in the daily Sitges festival newspaper a day later, and various celebrants had secretly videotaped the sordid affair, I had no choice but to come clean. Now I know how David Letterman felt last week.
I do learn a few things that night,...
- 10/9/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Tony Timpone)
- Fangoria
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