Jamie Dornan Joins Gal Gadot Spy Thriller
Belfast and 50 Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan has officially joined the cast of Netflix upcoming spy thriller Heart of Stone. He will be joining Gal Gadot who has already been attached as the film’s lead.
The Aeronauts director Tom Harper will be tackling directing duties with plot details yet to be confirmed. However the apparent intention is for the film to serve as a female led take on the hugely successful Mission Impossible style template for blockbuster action and espionage.
Given the generally poor reception for Gadot’s other costly Netflix collaboration Red Notice and the recent calamitous box office failure of similarly themed The 355, it remains to be seen whether or not Netflix can deliver something less disappointing and generic this time.
BAFTA Rising Star Nominees Announced
Ahead of the full nominations list for next month’s BAFTA Film Awards, this year’s contenders for the rising star award have now been confirmed.
Those contending for the only BAFTA award whose winner is determine by public vote include Lashana Lynch, Harris Dickinson, Ariana DeBose, Millicent Simmonds and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Lashana Lynch is best known for her roles in Captain Marvel and as Bond’s temporary 007 replacement in No Time To Die. She also has an upcoming Matilda Musical adaptation and The Woman King on her increasingly high profile resume.
Harris Dickinson graduated from supporting roles in the Maleficent sequel and The Souvenir Part II to most recently tackling action packed duties in The King’s Man. He also has a few more films on the way this year.
Arian DeBose secured her breakthrough from Broadway ensemble duties to big screen acclaim in Spielberg’s West Side Story remake. She also moving swiftly on to Guy Ritche’s spy thriller Argylle.
Millicent Simmonds proved a memorable scene stealer in the Quiet place and its sequel with plans in place to play Hellen Keller in an upcoming biopic.
Finally Kodi Smit-Mcphee moved past his steady work in Slow West and Planet of the Apes and X-Men to deliver his most acclaimed performance to date with the recent Power of The Dog. His supporting turn alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst will likely see him nominated across the awards season, with supporting actor trophies well within his reach.
The results of the public vote for the Rising Star Award will be confirmed at the BAFTA ceremony on March 13th.
Tilda Swinton Memoria Permanently In Cinemas
Indie film distributor Neon has confirmed an unusual strategy for the release of Tilda Swinton starring film Memoria. The film is set to debut in American cinemas from 26th December and according to Neon will permanently and exclusively be available there on the big screen.
The ambitious plan is to have the film only play on one screen each week, endlessly touring from city to city across America.
Speaking of the plans star Swinton said
“Memoria is the perfect film for this moment, Big cinema or bust… Throughout the universe in perpetuity”
Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul added
“For Memoria the cinema experience is crucial or maybe the only way. Let’s embrace the darkness and dream, one at a time”.
Despite the unique plans for a permanent USA release the film has been acquired in other international territories by streaming service MUBI and it will also premiere at the BFI London Film festival in London.
Colin Firth Operation Mincemeat Trailer
World War II drama Operation Mincemeat depicts the real life efforts of British Intelligence to sensationally trick the German military command by planting false information in papers on a dead body of a British soldier left to wash ashore in enemy controlled waters.
Shakespeare In Love and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Director John Madden helms the project with Colin Firth and Matthew McFadyen playing the real life duo who initially concocted the elaborate scheme to deceive the Nazi War machine at a crucial moment in World War II.
The film also stars Johnny Flynn as Bond author and real life intelligence officer Ian Fleming, alongside Penelope Wilton, Jason Issacs, Kelly MacDonald and Simon Russell Beale.
Check out the official trailer below with the film due to wash ashore into in UK cinemas in January 2022…
Belfast TIFF Review
The Plot
An Ulster Protestant families’ life in Belfast during the height of the infamous ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland in 1969 is retold form the perspective of their nine year old son Buddy.
The Good
Award winning director Kenneth Branagh has described Belfast and his most deeply personal film to date. That earnest and intimate act of uninhibited personal storytelling is laid bare in both a finely worded script and well-crafted direction. The result is a shamelessly crowd pleasing tale that is drenched in affectionate nostalgia and teary eyed poignancy. The deep connection between one boy’s transformative childhood experiences and the tumultuous upheaval in a vibrant and uniquely complex community is a powerful piece of narrative framework that enables the film to speak to a wide and deeply affected audience.
Branagh is assisted in his storytelling ambition by a truly all star cast with Catriona Balfa, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Morgan and Dame Judi Dench all on excellent form in a memorably brilliant ensemble. In a true star making performance the film’s young leading actor Jude Hill also provides the film with the heart and humour of an authentically childlike perspective.
The film might be accused of being overly sentimentalised, but it does feel like a truly authentic tribute to an ultimately uplifting childhood set against the backdrop of an admittedly painful collective history and complex social struggles. The film is alluringly imbued with an affectionate array of earnest energy
The Bad
Those who have their own personal recollections of this period of Irish history or ardent views about the admittedly sensitive and enduringly complex social situation in Northern Ireland, may of course find that their own emotions and opinions aren’t entirely matched with those captured in this film. In particular perhaps more cynical critics will suggest the film presents an overly simplified or saccharine view of a difficult world, filtered explicitly through childish eyes.
Likewise those who find themselves irrationally off put by the mere sight of a prepubescent protagonist may be a tougher audience for Jude Hill’s star making turn as Buddy.
But that shouldn’t really been seen to diminish the films broad appeal and undeniably fine qualities.
The Ugly Truth
As a crowd pleasing piece of well-crafted childhood reminiscences, Belfast serves up a delightful cinematic treat that is almost certain to be richly acknowledged come awards season. The deeply personal project represents an undisputed high point in Kenneth Branagh’s career behind the camera.