Justin Bieber Believe Trailer

Director Jon M. Chu has delivered the trailer for his second effort to chronicle the life of increasingly troubled pop superstar Justin Bieber.

Following the box office success of 3D concert documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never it seemed inevitable that his efforts to transition into manhood would find their way to your local cinema screen, conveniently just in time for the Christmas holidays.

It remains to be seen whether or not Justin Bieber: Believe will prove to be a sincere examination of the crippling pressures and embarrassing absurdities of teen pop stardom; or instead just an exercise in well timed PR damage limitation.

Full Trailer below for you to make your own initial judgment on:

Maleficent Official Angelina Jolie Trailer

Disney have shared their first full length trailer for Maleficent the dark fantasy adventure that re-tells the timeless tale of Sleeping Beauty from the  perspective of titular evil sorceress Maleficent. Angelina Jolie stars as the horned villainess, whilst young Elle Fanning plays blonde heroine Princess Aurora. The new film certainly looks like it does a pretty spectacular job of capturing th visual magic o one of Disney’s finest classic animations.

As a bonus check out our interview with Elle Fanning from last year’s British Independent Film Awards:

 

Hunger Games Catching Fire Review

The Plot:

Katniss Everdeen survived the deadly Hunger Games, but in doing so both she and Peeta Mellark defied the all-powerful Capitol. Now on her victory tour and under the menacing scrutiny of ruthless President Snow, Katniss finds herself the reluctant figurehead for a growing spirit of rebellion in the oppressed districts of dystopian Panem. When the ‘girl on fire’ once again finds herself fighting for her own life and to protect those she loves, it may be just the spark needed to start a real revolution.

The Good:

The second big screen instalment of Suzanne Collins’ blockbuster book series dramatically expands the scale of storytelling. Following Katniss and Peeta on their victory tour quickly establishes a wider world beyond the narrow confines of the first film’s brutal Games arena and Capitol training rooms.

Fans of the book should be delighted to see the introduction of an array of new characters handled so well. Newcomer Sam Claflin is a perfectly toned and cheeky embodiment of trident wielding tribute Finnick Odair. He wields weapons and flirtatious sugar cubes with equal charm and purpose. Likewise Jena Malone is a satisfyingly snarling fit for the axe wielding and permanently furious Johanna Mason.

The wider world explored by Catching Fire is populated by accomplished character actors with credible and worthwhile screen presence. New talents like Jeffery Wright and Phillip Seymour Hoffman take their place alongside a welcome increase in screen time for Rachel McAdams, Woody Harrelson and Donald Sutherland. McAdam’s flamboyant Effie Trinket proved a comedic fan favourite in the first film and this time she adds surprising heart to an already likeable character.

Since the release of the first Hunger Games film Jennifer Lawrence has become a household name, won a deserved best actress Oscar, and established her place as an undisputed superstar of her generation. In Catching Fire she easily reaffirms her abundant self-evident talents and delivers a performance equally physically and emotionally convincing. She portrays Katniss as a heroine that is both believably traumatised and battle hardened.

Katniss is neither an invincible superhero nor a hysterical damsel in distress. It’s a refreshing change from the two polarised extremes which female leads are so often shoehorned into by summer blockbusters. Her stoic determination in the face of fear makes her admirably courageous. She’s an inspirational bow wielding heroine who isn’t ever defined or limited by any of her relationships with men.

The Bad:

It’s difficult to find much fault with Catching Fire. It may take quite a long time to find its way back into the familiar life and death peril of The Games, but it’s time well spent. The film may be lengthy but it deliberately builds tension and momentum during the hour plus it takes to reach the 75th annual Hunger Games. It’s reassuring that the film never simply repeats what already impressed audiences in the first film. It has a structure, pace and grandeur which is entirely distinctive.

Fans unfamiliar with the book may perhaps be disappointed that the Twilight style love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Liam Hemsworth’s Gale remains a comparatively minor part of the story. Anyone hoping for a fresh fix of melodramatic angst ridden romance will need to look elsewhere. However, that is almost certainly to the ultimate credit of the franchise.

Like the first film, Catching Fire does not shy away from necessary moments of anguish and despair. Whilst those painful losses and bleak moments are a vital part of the story, no doubt more sensitive audiences may find them uncomfortably heart wrenching. Catching Fire is far less reassuringly feel good than other more safely sanitised teen franchises.

The Ugly Truth:

The Hunger Games Catching Fire is a dramatic statement of intent from a franchise that had already made such a promising transfer to the big screen. New director Francis Lawrence steers an impeccable cast towards compelling performances and flawless visual spectacle. Make sure to hurry to the cinemas to catch Catching Fire and the odds will most certainly be in your favour.

Check out full world premiere video interviews below with the cast, including Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin and Josh Hutcherson below:

Jennifer Lawrence Interview Hunger Games Catching Fire Premiere

Oscar winning star Jennifer Lawrence faced press ahead of the world premiere of Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire in London. The beautiful actress spoke about what she admires most about her character Katniss Everdeen and how the character has developed since the traumatic events of the first Hunger Games.

Jennifer also talks about how she trained for the new film and how she feels about the more extravagant costumes Katniss gets to wear this time. Talking about her own real life red carpet experiences Jennifer shares both her excitement and embarrassment, opening up in particular about how she coped after her infamous Oscar tumble and wardrobe malfunctions. Jennifer also takes time to thank her amazing family for supporting her and making her astonishing career possible.

Full video Interview below. Watch, share, enjoy and may the odds be ever in your favour:

British Independent Film Awards Nominations 2013

The Moët British Independent Film Awards  nominations have been announced this morning by Ewan McGregor. The ceremony itself will take place on 8th December at Old Billingsgate in central London.

Now in its 16th year, the Awards were created in 1998 by Raindance and set out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British film-making, to honor new talent, and to promote British films and film-making to a wider public. The consistently star studded awards bash will by hosted again by actor James Nesbitt, soon to be seen as Bofur the Dwarf in The Hobbit sequel. 

Full list of nominees below:

Best British Independent Film

Metro Manila
Philomena
The Selfish Giant
Starred Up
Le Week-end

Best Director

Jon S Baird – Filth
Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
Sean Ellis – Metro Manila
Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
David Mackenzie – Starred Up

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)

Charlie Cattrall – Titus
Tina Gharavi – I Am Nasrine
Jeremy Lovering – In Fear
Omid Nooshin – Last PassengerPaul Wright – For Those In Peril

Best Screenplay

Jonathan Asser – Starred Up
Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
Steven Knight – Locke
Hanif Kureishi – Le Week-end
Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan – Philomena

Best Actress

Judi Dench – Philomena
Lindsay Duncan – Le Week-end
Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
Felicity Jones – The Invisible Woman
Saoirse Ronan – How I Live Now

Best Actor

Jim Broadbent – Le Week-end
Steve Coogan – Philomena
Tom Hardy – Locke
Jack O’Connell – Starred Up
James McAvoy – Filth

Best Supporting Actress

Siobhan Finneran – The Selfish Giant
Shirley Henderson – Filth
Imogen Poots – The Look Of Love
Kristin Scott Thomas – The Invisible Woman
Mia Wasikowska – The Double

Best Supporting Actor

John Arcilla – Metro Manila
Rupert Friend – Starred Up
Jeff Goldblum – Le Week-end
Eddie Marsan – Filth
Ben Mendelsohn – Starred Up

Most Promising Newcomer

Harley Bird – How I Live Now
Conner Chapman / Shaun Thomas – The Selfish Giant
Caity Lotz – The Machine
Jake Macapagal – Metro Manila
Chloe Pirrie – Shell

Best Achievement In Production

A Field in England
Filth
Metro Manila
The Selfish Giant
Starred Up

Best Technical Achievement

Shaheen Baig – Casting – Starred Up
Johnnie Burn – Sound Design – Under the Skin
Amy Hubbard – Casting – The Selfish Giant
Mica Levi – Music – Under the Skin
Justine Wright – Editing – Locke

Best Documentary

Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer
The Great Hip Hop Hoax
The Moo Man
The Spirit of ’45
The Stone Roses: Made of Stone

Best British Short

L’Assenza
Dr Easy
Dylan’s Room
Jonah
Z1

Best International Independent Film

Blue is the Warmest Colour
Blue Jasmine
Frances Ha
The Great Beauty
Wadjda

The Raindance Award

Everyone’s Going to Die
The Machine
The Patrol
Sleeping Dogs
Titus

Awards TBA:

The Richard Harris Award (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)The Variety Award
The Special Jury Prize

The Jury:

Jury Chair – Penny Woolcock (Director), Antonia Campbell-Hughes (Actress), Art Malik (Actor), Ate de Jong (Director), Bart Layton (Director), James Floyd (Actor),  Jill McCullough (Dialect Coach), Julien Temple (Director), Liza Marshall (Producer), MyAnna Buring (Actress), Natascha McElhone (Actress), Pippa Harris (Producer), Roland Gift (Musician), Sally El Hosaini (Director), Sandy Powell (Costume Designer), Steve Hamilton Shaw (Producer).

The Awards will take place on the 8th December at Old Billingsgate, hosted by James Nesbitt.