Every month I’ll introduce you to some little known British films and even some from across the Channel in Europe, along with any entertaining pieces of news or perhaps an actor or director profile of someone well-known or someone up and coming.
“A Field in England”
It's England during the Civil War, and a small group of deserters flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field.
Alchemist O’Neil (Michael Smiley, 2011's “Kill List”) draws the group into his search for hidden treasure that, after lunching on mushrooms, descends into chaos and paranoia.
The cast list is almost as quirky as the plot. Reece Shearsmith from British TV show "The League of Gentlemen" stars alongside other well-known (and different kind of weird) British TV show star Julian Barratt of “The Mighty Boosh."
It takes a person with special vision to make a psychedelic Civil War film, and that’s Ben Wheatley, who directs, with his partner, Amy Jump, writing the script. They're the team responsible for camping romp turned horror film "Sightseers" (2012), a must see.
"A Field in England" boasts mindbending scenes — maybe a bit Monty Python-esque mixed with some Lars von Trier and a bit of Terrence Malick. However, be advised that the film gets decidedly nasty in some bits despite its wacky storyline (if you can call it that).
Some have called the film completely unnecessary and without purpose. It’ll be an auditory and visual experience for sure and definitely a fresh idea to behold on screen.
Produced by Film4.0, its unique in that it is released in cinemas, on DVD, free TV and on-demand TV on one day.
“Populaire”
This very chic French romcom set in the 1950s was released in France last year and is currently getting a worldwide release.
Rose Pamphyle (Deborah Francois) sees a way out of her future as a housewife when she interviews for a secretary role for handsome Louis Echard (Romain Duris). Even though the interview is awful, she gets the job after he sees her demon typing speed.
Wanting to fulfill his unfulfilled dream of being a sporting champion, he coaches Rose to enter the world of competitive typing.
“Populaire” zips us back to those great '50s films like “Roman Holiday” (1953). Alfred Hitchcock’s work is cited as an influence for the overall feel of the film, along with “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), by director Regis Roinsard.
The success of “The Artist” which shares similarities, has paved the way for “Populaire,” and there will no doubt be some comparisons between the two. Bérénice Bejo has a small part in Roinsard’s film and is the sassier, more American '50s woman as opposed to Francois’ pretty country girl.
Francois’ preparation for the role went as far as up to three hours of lessons a day on the typewriter; those are her hands typing at speed in the film. To prepare for the audition, she practiced for a week beforehand and impressed with her typing speed even then.
Duris, somewhat of a heartthrob in France, sees to comes second to Francois in the film but provides excellent support. He’s a reserved guy, much like "Mad Men"'s Don Draper, but has a cheekier and outgoing persona than the king of stoicism.
Despite the fluffy storyline, viewers will be impressed with the attention to detail that has gone into the costumes and the high-quality cast, which adds to the overall atmosphere of the film; one that harks back to classic films from the era. They even went as far as sourcing the lingerie from corsetry house Cadolle in Paris so that the girls had the right silhouette and posture of 1950s style.
"Summer in February"
This romantic drama set just before the outbreak of The Great War is based on an acclaimed novel and a true story, so there’ll be lots of brownie points if you take your girlfriend to see it.
Set amongst the rugged Cornish coastline, the Newlyn School of artists receives a new addition, Florence Carter-Wood (Emily Browning, 2011's “Sleeping Beauty”), who is caught in a love triangle between Gilbert Evans (Dan Stevens of “Downton Abbey” fame) who owns the estate the School sits on, and equestrian artist Alfred Munnings (Dominic Cooper of 2008's "The Duchess").
Gilbert is the solid dependable friend who takes his time getting to know Florence and Alfred is the passionate artist pushing her artistic boundaries. These are predictable characters in a well-used storyline, but the stunning scenery and heavy pre-war atmosphere make up for it.
The School is not just for teaching but is a community of various sorts of people who live together in this experimental way — both exciting and dangerous, and the perfect cauldron in which to brew a passionate love triangle.
Alfred, or AJ, Munnings is a real-life 20th-century artist, and the novel, written by Jonathan Smith (who interestingly taught Stevens at school and also wrote the screenplay) was given good reviews at the time of publication.
“The Stone Roses: Made of Stone”
I'm young enough that at the beginning of the trailer I said, "Oh, cool! A film about Oasis." No, it's not, and I've probably blasphemed. This is a highly anticipated film for die-hard fans of the band who split in the mid-1990s.
After a series of rumours and whisperings, they returned in 2012 with a world tour beginning in Warrington, Manchester.
Shane Meadows (2006's “This is England”) directs this highly immersive documentary/concert film. He’s a true fan of the band, getting so caught up in the reunion that he puts himself in front of the camera to talk about his feelings about it.
Meadows’ film brings in a personal element by including fans talking about their memories of the band and their feelings about the reunion, adding a much needed human element.
Other News…
The newest Superman film has finally swooped onto big screens after a long wait and an extensive marketing campaign. Briton Henry Cavill joins the ranks of actors who have donned the famous red cape. From the trailer and posters, it seems his chiseled good looks fit the bill; he has a look of Christopher Reeve about him, the actor most well-known for the role.
Cavill went through an intensive fitness regimen to gain the lean but muscular figure of Superman as well as a lot of work to develop his Midwestern accent. He’s the third Brit to join the superhero hall of fame recently after Christian Bale (Batman) and Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man).
A trailer has finally arrived for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," probably way too early since it’s not due for release for another six months. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) continues his journey to the Misty Mountains and meets the cunning dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).