The recently accepted fashion of populating period British romantic melodramas with actors of color, notably in Netflix’s ongoing hit series Bridgerton, continues with Mr. Malcolm’s List, a nicely decked-out, dramatically conventional tale of Regency-period matchmaking dizzily spinning out of the participants’ control. Admittedly “loosely inspired” by Pride and Prejudice, this modestly scaled venture deep into Jane Austen territory is bedraped with sumptuous estates and elaborately accoutered young men and women forever gossiping and arguing in the poshest possible accents. As familiar as the genre’s conventions may be, they never seem to get old with audiences, who can be counted upon to lap up this Bleecker Street release when it opens July 1, both in theaters and online.
‘Benediction’ Film Review: Terence Davies Confirms His Status as Poet Laureate of Biopics
03.06.2022 - 20:49 / thewrap.com
“Bright Young Things.”The name-dropping does get a bit fast and furious for those not up on their literary-society figures of Britain between the wars — there’s a somewhat awkward introduction of T.E. Lawrence at one point — but Sassoon led the kind of life that brought him into constant contact with the glitterati of the moment.
And while there’s an entire sub-genre of media about the rich and beautiful gay men of the era forced by society into the closet (“Maurice,” “Brideshead Revisited”), the inclusion of Ross as a fairly major character helps to underscore the cultural context; the Wilde trial, after all, had taken place in 1895, a recent memory for this entire generation.It’s a portrait of dreams dashed and emotional potential unfulfilled. Peter Capaldi takes the reins as an older Sassoon, bitterly dissatisfied with his conformist marriage to Hester Gatty (Kate Phillips, then Gemma Jones).
As with most biopics, “Benediction” doesn’t get to everything (notably his separation from Hester and later friendship with E.M. Forster), but everything that Davies includes creates a full emotional portrait.Anyone making a biographical film would be well advised to study “Benediction,” particularly the ways that Davies and editor Alex Mackie (“Mary Shelley”) and cinematographer Nicola Daley (“Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards”) hop back and forth in time, using documentary WWI footage and other visual and audio memory triggers to connect disparate points of Sassoon’s life.
These transitions are handled with a graceful elegance that gently underscores the melancholy tone.The performances are uniformly excellent, but Lowden is undoubtedly the standout. He takes the uniquely British conflict between passion and formality,
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Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis & Michelle Pfeiffer Lead The Stars at Paramount+'s UK Launch Event
Jessica Chastain steps out in a chic black dress next to Viola Davis, Gillian Anderson and Michelle Pfeiffer at the Paramount+ UK Launch held at Outernet London on Monday (June 20) in London, England.
Terence Blanchard, Mychael Danna and Other Top Composers Vie for TV Documentary Emmys
Jon Burlingame editorFor years, music for documentaries was an afterthought that came when scant money was left in the budget and little consideration given to how music might help tell a story.Times have changed. Today’s documentaries attract Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winners who are brought on early and given the resources to properly score these nonfiction gems.Tom Howe (“Ted Lasso”) spent eight months on “The Mating Game,” the five-part BBC nature documentary that aired on Discovery+.
Harry Lawtey, Jessica Barden, Sophia Brown Star in ITVX’s ‘You & Me,’ Executive Produced by Russell T. Davies (EXCLUSIVE)
Naman Ramachandran Harry Lawtey (“Industry”), Jessica Barden (“The End of the F***ing World”) and Sophia Brown (“The Witcher: Blood Origin”) star in writer Jamie Davis’ contemporary love story “You & Me.” Produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios, and executive produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins (“A Very English Scandal”), Alexander Lamb (“We Hunt Together”) and Russell T. Davies (“It’s A Sin”) the three-part series has begun filming on location in Southeast London, and first looks have been revealed.
James Middleton shares rare photo of his wife during summer heatwave
James Middleton often keeps his private life under wraps, but as the UK basks in a miniature heatwave, he gave an insight into life with wife Alizee Thevenet.PHOTOS: James Middleton's £1.45m country home with wife Alizée is what dreams are made ofThe businessman shared an intimate photo of his wife as she lounged in an outdoor bath alongside one of the family's many dogs, Mable. The photo didn't show much of his wife's outfit, but her gorgeous blonde hair glistened in the shade as she enjoyed the cooling dip, and Mable certainly looked happy to be out of the sun's rays.WATCH: James Middleton imparts wise adviceAhead of the pair stretched out the couple's large garden which had plenty of trees dotting the horizon.READ: 8 clever celebrity heatwave hacks from Alison Hammond, Kate Garraway, Stacey Solomon & moreMORE: James Middleton shares adorable peek into Middleton family Jubilee celebrations with special tributeJames is a massive animal lover, especially with dogs, and in his caption he shared with fans some advice on how to look after their beloved pets in the high temperatures."Mable & Alizée have found a way to keep cool in this heatwave," he wrote alongside a sunshine and pawprint emoji.He added: "Tomorrow is set to be a scorcher so here are a few tips on how to keep your dogs safe & cool: Keep activities in the shade (training, picnics, walks).
Inside James Martin’s romance with Louise Davies including ruling out marriage and children
We know that James Martin loves his food, but what is it the secret ingredient to his 11 year relationship? The Saturday Kitchen Live star has been welcoming us into his kitchen every weekend for the past five years, but remains notoriously private about his romance with girlfriend Louise Davies. James, 49, has been in a long-term relationship with his PA partner for seven years, and the pair live together in a seven-bedroomed detached country home in Hampshire. James, who previously hosted the BBC's Saturday Kitchen Live for a decade, managed to keep his dating life with Louise a secret for nearly five years.
Benediction: The Film On Queer British Poet Siegfried Sassoon Is A Must Watch
By Renee Lou Dallow“God was in his heaven, and there were sausages for breakfast.”Terence Davies’ new film, Benediction, is about the life, loves and the poetry of queer World War 1 British poet Siegfried Sassoon.In the film, he is asked by a military tribunal if he is pro-German, to which Siegfried played by Jack Lowden replies, “I’m pro-human.” Sassoon, a decorated war hero who became disillusioned with the endless conflict and casualties, was anti-war and spoke out against the powers of the day failing to state conditions for peace.The film then moves to another conflict – his life and struggles with his homosexuality. A long passionate affair with actor Ivor Novello (Jeremy Irvine) and a somewhat more sensitive and empathetic relationship with Stephen Tennant (Calm Lynch) follow before Sassoon marries Hester Gatty (Kate Phillips) and has a son, George (Richard Goulding).
Sundance Film Festival Director Tabitha Jackson Makes First Appearance at London Event After Revealing She’s Stepping Down
K.J. Yossman Sundance Film Festival director Tabitha Jackson appeared in person at the London outpost of the festival on Thursday, just two days after confirming she’s stepping down from her role.When asked by Variety what she plans to do next, Jackson, who has worked at Sundance since 2013 and took on the festival director role in 2020, replied: “A hammock, a cocktail and to think about how to support arts going forward.”During her appearance at Sundance London, where she was interviewed by “Best Girl Grip” podcast host Nicole Davis, the British executive didn’t touch on why she had chosen to resign from the role, to which she was appointed only two years ago.However, in reply to Davis’s question about what is the “biggest learning curve of your career so far,” she hinted at what may have driven the decision when she replied: “This two-year learning curve, being director of the festival during this pandemic and this time and all the messiness and complexity that comes with that.” She noted that the London edition of the festival was the first in-person Sundance she had attended in her role as director, the previous editions having moved online due to the pandemic.Jackson also revealed that when she had first been offered the role as director she had almost turned it down.
Anti-Trans Group Founder Stephanie Davies-Ara Awarded ‘British Empire Medal’ In Queen’s Birthday Honours
Stephanie Davies-Arai, founder of Transgender Trend, who claims she is being wrongly called “transphobic”, was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s birthday honours on June 1 – the first day of Pride month. UK-based LGBTQI advocacy group Stonewall has in the past accused Transgender Trend, founded by Davies-Arai of “deeply damaging” and “inaccurate” content about trans children. Trasgender Trend had in 2018 warned schools to be “aware of the risk of ‘social contagion’ from celebrity trans internet vloggers who glamorise medical transition”. It has disputed “gender identity” According to Stonewall, the ‘schools resource pack’ produced by Transgender Trend was “dangerous”.
'The Score' Trailer: Will Poulter, Naomi Ackie and Johnny Flynn Lead This Musical Heist (Exclusive)
Will Poulter is one busy guy. After turning heads this past year with performances in, and, the actor is back with his latest film, .
Bear's Den's Andrew Davie on writing the group's 'tricky' introspective album Blue Hours
Bear's Den are back with their 'favourite' album to date.
‘Benediction’ Exclusive Clip: Jack Lowden Stars In Terence Davies’ New Period Drama Arriving This Week
It is interesting to see what artists conjure up later in their lives. “Benediction” is the eighth film from seventy-six-year-old British writer and director Terence Davies.
‘The Stars At Noon’ Review: Margaret Qualley & Joe Alwyn Sweat It Out In Claire Denis’ Seductive Misfire [Cannes]
“The Stars at Noon” finds the French filmmaker Claire Denis shooting in Panama doubling for Nicaragua; directing a cast of Yanks, Brits, and assorted Central Americans; and working from a script switching between Spanish and English. Internationally coproduced Towers of Babel such as this aren’t at all uncommon at the Cannes Film Festival, but the errors in translation all over this disappointing foreign-relations drama run deeper than simple differences of ethnicity or language.
‘The Silent Twins’ Review: Agnieszka Smoczynska’s Take On A Tragic True Story Is Imaginative, But Frustrating [Cannes]
In the late 19th century, two French psychiatrists coined the term “folie à deux,” literally translated as madness for two, to describe what is now widely referred to as shared psychotic disorder, or when two — or more — people transmit delusional beliefs and occasional hallucinations to one another. The condition is most common in people closely related, who live in intimate proximity, and has been lengthily dissected by academics.