MaryAnn’s quick take… This ultra-low-budget indie uses its own rough edges to great effect in its skewering of the happily-ever-after rom-com fantasy. Bleak, brutal, absurd, and painfully realistic. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
There are many things bad and wrong about the current template for romantic comedies, but a big one is that they end way too early in the story. Romantic triumph is not getting that special someone to agree to hang out with you exclusively, or even to marry you. Romantic triumph is managing to stay with that special someone for years or even decades without murdering each other. With her feature debut, actor turned writer-director Mercedes Grower takes on that rom-com failing, upending it and skewering it in Brakes.
It...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
There are many things bad and wrong about the current template for romantic comedies, but a big one is that they end way too early in the story. Romantic triumph is not getting that special someone to agree to hang out with you exclusively, or even to marry you. Romantic triumph is managing to stay with that special someone for years or even decades without murdering each other. With her feature debut, actor turned writer-director Mercedes Grower takes on that rom-com failing, upending it and skewering it in Brakes.
It...
- 2/20/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Author: Competitions
To mark the release of Brakes on 12th February, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Written and directed by actor/director Mercedes Grower, Brakes is a raw, dark and unconventional comedy. Split into two halves it follows the tumultuous stories of nine couples, plunging straight into the brutal and absurd endings of their relationships first, before travelling back to the moments when the spark of love between them first emerged. Using London as their match-maker, each of their stories is unique yet familiar to us all.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Small Print
Open to UK residents only The competition will close 19th February 2018 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available
The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!
The post Win Brakes...
To mark the release of Brakes on 12th February, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Written and directed by actor/director Mercedes Grower, Brakes is a raw, dark and unconventional comedy. Split into two halves it follows the tumultuous stories of nine couples, plunging straight into the brutal and absurd endings of their relationships first, before travelling back to the moments when the spark of love between them first emerged. Using London as their match-maker, each of their stories is unique yet familiar to us all.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Small Print
Open to UK residents only The competition will close 19th February 2018 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available
The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!
The post Win Brakes...
- 2/7/2018
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In his latest interview/podcast, host Stuart Wright talks with writer/director Mercedes Grower about her dark comedy feature Brakes, which stars Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt, Julia Davis, Kerry Fox, Roland Gift, Paul McGann and Steve Oram.
Brakes is a raw, dark and unconventional comedy from new writer/director Mercedes Grower. Split into two halves it follows the tumultuous stories of nine couples, plunging straight into the brutal and absurd endings of their relationships first, before travelling back to the moments when the spark of love between them first emerged. Using London as their match-maker, each of their stories is unique yet familiar to us all.
Cinema listings from Friday 24 November at www.brakesfilm.com/cinema-listings/
Watch at home from Friday 24 November. See www.brakesfilm.com/watch-at-home/...
Brakes is a raw, dark and unconventional comedy from new writer/director Mercedes Grower. Split into two halves it follows the tumultuous stories of nine couples, plunging straight into the brutal and absurd endings of their relationships first, before travelling back to the moments when the spark of love between them first emerged. Using London as their match-maker, each of their stories is unique yet familiar to us all.
Cinema listings from Friday 24 November at www.brakesfilm.com/cinema-listings/
Watch at home from Friday 24 November. See www.brakesfilm.com/watch-at-home/...
- 11/20/2017
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Joseba Usabiaga and Bárbara Goenaga as Ane and Gorka in Pikadero Ben Sharrock's debut Pikadero was announced as the winner of the Michael Powell Award for best British feature film at the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival today. The romantic comedy, written in the Basque language, tells the story of a couple's fledgling relationship that comes under pressure because they can't get time alone. You can read what he told us about the film here.
The jurors also gave a special mention to Brakes, directed by Mercedes Grower, which received its World Premiere at the Festival.
The Michael Powell Jury - which included Kim Cattral, Iciar Bollain and Clancy Brown - said: “We wanted to recognise the very personal and individual voice of director Ben Sharrock for his film Pikadero. In a year when the jury viewed a selection of very distinctive and different films his film really stood out.
The jurors also gave a special mention to Brakes, directed by Mercedes Grower, which received its World Premiere at the Festival.
The Michael Powell Jury - which included Kim Cattral, Iciar Bollain and Clancy Brown - said: “We wanted to recognise the very personal and individual voice of director Ben Sharrock for his film Pikadero. In a year when the jury viewed a selection of very distinctive and different films his film really stood out.
- 6/24/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The winners have been announced at the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The festival’s top prizes were awarded to Ben Sharrock’s Pikadero (UK-Spain), which took the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, Argyris Papadimitropoulos’s Suntan (Greece) which won Best International Feature Film, and Johan Grimonprez’s Shadow World (Us), which won Best Documentary Feature Film.
The Michael Powell jury, which included actress Kim Cattrall, Spanish filmmaker Iciar Bollain and actor Clancy Brown, also gave a special mention to Mercedes Grower’s Brakes.
On their selection of Scottish film-maker Sharrock’s Basque-language debut about a young Spanish couple’s attempt to navigate their country’s economic crisis, the Michael Powell jury said: “We wanted to recognise the very personal and individual voice on director Ben Sharrock for his film Pikadero. In a year when the jury viewed a selection of very distinctive and different films, his film really stood out.”
On handing...
The festival’s top prizes were awarded to Ben Sharrock’s Pikadero (UK-Spain), which took the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, Argyris Papadimitropoulos’s Suntan (Greece) which won Best International Feature Film, and Johan Grimonprez’s Shadow World (Us), which won Best Documentary Feature Film.
The Michael Powell jury, which included actress Kim Cattrall, Spanish filmmaker Iciar Bollain and actor Clancy Brown, also gave a special mention to Mercedes Grower’s Brakes.
On their selection of Scottish film-maker Sharrock’s Basque-language debut about a young Spanish couple’s attempt to navigate their country’s economic crisis, the Michael Powell jury said: “We wanted to recognise the very personal and individual voice on director Ben Sharrock for his film Pikadero. In a year when the jury viewed a selection of very distinctive and different films, his film really stood out.”
On handing...
- 6/24/2016
- ScreenDaily
Mercedes Grower creates an interestingly upside-down view of love via a series of episodes in which relationships end
Here is an episodic, enterprising subversion of the happy-ending romcom from actor-director Mercedes Grower that manages to overcome its microbudget origins thanks to some committed performances and snappy writing. It is by no means faultless, and some sections work better than others, but there’s some nice, affecting material here that allows some genuine empathy for its characters.
Related: The Fundamentals of Caring review – Paul Rudd brightens amiable illness tale
Continue reading...
Here is an episodic, enterprising subversion of the happy-ending romcom from actor-director Mercedes Grower that manages to overcome its microbudget origins thanks to some committed performances and snappy writing. It is by no means faultless, and some sections work better than others, but there’s some nice, affecting material here that allows some genuine empathy for its characters.
Related: The Fundamentals of Caring review – Paul Rudd brightens amiable illness tale
Continue reading...
- 6/17/2016
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Highlights include the UK premiere of Finding Dory and the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Highlander [pictured].Scroll down for competition titles
The line-up for the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 15-26) will comprise a total 161 features from 46 countries including: 22 world premieres, five international premieres, 17 European premieres and 85 UK premieres.
Highlights include the UK premiere of Disney-Pixar animation Finding Dory, in-person events that include Us indie filmmaker Kevin Smith and Sex & The City actress Kim Cattrall, and the opening and closing gala world premieres of the previously announced Tommy’s Honour and Whisky Galore!.
Old classics will be re-imagined with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing the score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial live at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and the world premiere of the newly-restored 4K version of Highlander, celebrating its 30th anniversary with star Clancy Brown in attendance.
The...
The line-up for the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 15-26) will comprise a total 161 features from 46 countries including: 22 world premieres, five international premieres, 17 European premieres and 85 UK premieres.
Highlights include the UK premiere of Disney-Pixar animation Finding Dory, in-person events that include Us indie filmmaker Kevin Smith and Sex & The City actress Kim Cattrall, and the opening and closing gala world premieres of the previously announced Tommy’s Honour and Whisky Galore!.
Old classics will be re-imagined with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing the score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial live at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and the world premiere of the newly-restored 4K version of Highlander, celebrating its 30th anniversary with star Clancy Brown in attendance.
The...
- 5/25/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Dead Long Enough
Stars: Michael Sheen, Jason Hughes, Angeline Ball, Mercedes Grower, Douglas Henshall | Written by James Hawes and Tom Collins | Directed by Tom Collins
Despite being made in 2005, Irish/Welsh comedy-drama Dead Long Enough has only just been brought to DVD, most likely due to its star Michael Sheen gaining a much larger fanbase since doing career building films like The Queen, Frost/Nixon and, er, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. That said, if a film gets a DVD release five years after it was made only because of belated star power, what does that say about it?
The film, based on James Hawes’s novel, revolves around two estranged Welsh brothers, Harry (Sheen) and Ben (Jason Hughes), who are polar opposites – Harry is a loud, womanising TV personality, Ben a grounded, dull lawyer – who are brought together by Harry’s ill-advised and paparazzi-haunted wedding. When Ben’s girlfriend proposes to him,...
Stars: Michael Sheen, Jason Hughes, Angeline Ball, Mercedes Grower, Douglas Henshall | Written by James Hawes and Tom Collins | Directed by Tom Collins
Despite being made in 2005, Irish/Welsh comedy-drama Dead Long Enough has only just been brought to DVD, most likely due to its star Michael Sheen gaining a much larger fanbase since doing career building films like The Queen, Frost/Nixon and, er, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. That said, if a film gets a DVD release five years after it was made only because of belated star power, what does that say about it?
The film, based on James Hawes’s novel, revolves around two estranged Welsh brothers, Harry (Sheen) and Ben (Jason Hughes), who are polar opposites – Harry is a loud, womanising TV personality, Ben a grounded, dull lawyer – who are brought together by Harry’s ill-advised and paparazzi-haunted wedding. When Ben’s girlfriend proposes to him,...
- 9/11/2010
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
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