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(Release Info London schedule, October 1st, 2018, Picturehouse Central, 21:10) "Matangi/Maya/M.I.A" Drawn from a cache of personal video recordings from the past 22 years, director Steve Loveridge’s "Matangi/Maya/M.I.A" is a startlingly personal profile of the critically artist, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee immigrant to pop star. She began as 'Matangi'. Daughter of the founder of Sri Lanka’s armed 'Tamil Resistance', she hid from the government in the face of a vicious and bloody civil war. When her family fled to 'The UK', she became 'Maya', a precocious and creative immigrant teenager in London. Finally, the world meets her as 'M.I.A.' when she emerges on the global stage, having created a mashup, cut-and-paste identity that pulled from every corner of her journey along the way; a sonic sketchbook that blended 'Tamil' politics, art school punk, hip-hop beats and the unwavering, ultra-confident voice of a burgeoning multicultural youth. Never one to compromise on her vision, Maya keeps her camera rolling throughout. Mathangi Arulpragasam has been a huge force in music for decades, but despite her public presence and outspoken nature, she has been something of an enigma, guarded in her personal life. The film builds from a rich trove of never-before-seen video Maya shot over the course of her life, a raw and subjective record, as its primary source. It's an unprecedented window into the musician’s innermost reflections on art, politics, and identity, and how vital the confluence of those things has been for her. The fact that Maya gives control over the project, in addition to her archives, speaks to the artistic connection that binds the pair, who met at 'St. Martin’s College' in the mid 90s while attending school for fine art with a focus on film and video. They found each other as young students in part because they both felt like outsiders in the art world environment, though they had vastly different backgrounds. Maya had fled 'The Sri Lankan Civil War' with her family as a child, first to relocate to India, then to 'The UK', leaving behind a father with alleged ties to 'The Tamil Tigers', a controversial rebel group in a hugely complex and misunderstood conflict. She grew up an immigrant and a refugee on a housing estate in southwest London, an experience which would heavily influence her work as an artist. The film describes the friends as opposites in temperament as well. Maya has seen much of the world and finds quite mundane. It seems far more sophisticated than very shy. The film dazzles Maya’s kinetic energy, her ability to turn everything into an adventure. She's good at being poor and having fun on no money and making everything into this exciting experience, like going to the supermarket was really interesting all of a sudden because we were looking for certain colors or certain shapes on packets of food, or because we’d go to the cool kid at the checkout instead of the one with the shortest queue. In animation, graphics, and illustration, the film expresses her creative and political ideas. As her artistic voice develops, Maya gravitates to pop music because that's what had fed her. Fine art is too elitist, and writing novels is too elitist, it's all sort of out of reach for her, that side of culture. In parallel to her interest in music, Maya’s constant impulse to photograph, film, or otherwise document her experience and surroundings, resulted in a thorough chronicle of her daily life. To the many who know Maya only as the pop star, there are many intriguing moments to be found within her footage; her candid, direct-to-camera addresses; her time in her early 20s traveling back to Sri Lanka to reconnect with her extended family and political heritage and her seminal Britpop band 'Elastica' in the late 90s. The footage shows Maya thoughtful analysis of her experiences and identity; an identity that has been heavily dissected and scrutinized by the wider public. In one moment culled from Maya’s archival store, she and her siblings debate the effect their refugee status and father’s absence have had on their upbringing. Maya proclaims proudly that their experience has made them stronger and more interesting. This could be read as bravado, but if so, bravado with sincere emotional underpinnings. It's through scenes like this that "M.I.A." upends a common accusation that Maya’s identity is partly fabricated, or that she has exploited her past to give herself street cred and boost album sales. People were immediately skeptical, and everything's always framed in the context of, oh this gives you cool points that your dad’s a militant, or that you’re an immigrant, or that you’re a brown woman in the industry. People are cynical about how much that’s feeding a kind of hipster authenticity. While the film is neither defensive nor indicting of Maya as an opinionated public figure, the film’s coverage of her upbringing refutes any claim that her story has been misrepresented for her personal gain. To the contrary, as Maya's story unfolds, what becomes evident is her consistent, and seemingly fearless, commitment to putting her authentic self into her work, whether or not it's a voice the industry and audience would embrace. The film indicates that regardless of how wealthy or famous she became, finding that success by taking ownership over her multiple marginalized identities was neither easy nor safe. “M.I.A." can read sometimes as a project like this ball of chaos, but actually when you really step back from it, like the film does, there's a logic to it, and a sort of consistency in her vision, all the way through, from a long time before she became a musician, just a quest to represent and nail down her identity, and own the positives and negatives about who she's. The film is extraordinary not just because of the existing source footage, but how that footage is blended into a completed work that takes us up to the present day. It can feel as though the film of Maya’s life has been cut to the emotional rhythm of her work, unified in its artistic vision as the artist has been in her career. The film evades the conventions of the traditional music documentary, the flattering PR piece, or the tightly managed vision of artist-as-brand, because it tells a story that could not be made from collected outside sources alone. Maya the pop star, is the least present in this film. It’s out there in the world for people that wanna find it, and this is a film about you. Though the film does follow Maya in the years after she became a well-known personality, it shows us what we thought we knew with fresh eyes. In focusing on Maya as a person, helps illuminate 'M.I.A.' the artist. What all the intimate and unflinching archival and newer material cumulatively reveal is an outspoken activist whose work has always sprung from a deeply rooted desire to speak against oppression and injustice. Maya’s preoccupation with the immigrant experience isn’t some bit of celebrity narcissism; it's the story of her life informing a wider consciousness. Although many documentary portraits of musicians constructed out of archival exist, this is a portrait of a still living person, someone controversial and complex who's rarely depicted with compassion or nuance in the media, with whom he has a close relationship. The story is sometimes traumatic, sometimes fabulous right rests solely with the artist herself. She’s definitely an artist right down to her core. "Matangi/Maya/M.I.A" provides unparalleled, intimate access to the artist in her battles with the music industry and mainstream media as her success and fame explodes, becoming one of the most recognizable, outspoken and provocative voices in music today.

(Release Info London schedule; October 23rd, 2018, Picturehouse Central, 18:30) "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn" Beverly Luff Linn (Craig Robinson) arrives at a hotel in a small American town for a performance. But the real hero in the strange world is Lulu Danger (Aubrey Plaza). Her marriage is already on the rocks. After being fired by her scheming husband Shane Danger (Emile Hirsch) from his cappuccino shop, it doesn’t exactly help. Nor does the arrival of Luff Linn, with whom Lulu shares a mysterious past. Dissatisfied Lulu is stunned when a TV commercial for 'An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn' reveals a mysterious man from her past. When Shane and his bumbling cohorts steal the cash box from Lulu’s adopted vegan brother, Adjay (Sam Dissanayake), specialist Colin Threadener (Jemaine Clement) enters the fray to retrieve the stolen funds. But Lulu seizes the opportunity to run off in search of her mystery man, and events only become stranger from there. This is a story of love, theft, athletic swimming and a magical event. Even though Linn is only in town for 'One Magical Night'. The crux of that ensemble is Lulu Danger. Lulu is a very complicated character. She's a woman who's profoundly unsatisfied with her life and willing to go to great lengths to capture a freedom she once had. A kind of depressed housewife, but also there's just something in Lulu, that you can see that she has this fun, silly love for people and life, but it seems repressed because of her depression and her terrible, abusive relationship. She has a really specific kind of style and energy. She dyes her hair orange, mixed with oversized coats, pastels and drab neutrals, stronger colors for later in the story, vintage boots. Lulu reminds us of older characters like Melanie Griffith’s in Jonathan Demme’s 1986 comedy "Something Wild". So it's something kind of old but also completely new. The three men circling Lulu’s orbit are Shane, Beverly and Colin. Lulu is surrounded by freaks but she loved it. Shane Danger is the first character conceived in "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn", the somewhat preposterous Shane, a business owner and would-be criminal mastermind whose misplaced self-confidence sets into motion a chain of mishaps and mischief for all of the characters. There's something very tragic and self-important about this guy. Shane is a somewhat buffoonish character. The object of Lulu’s fascination is Beverly Luff Linn, the title character with an enigmatic backstory and equally enigmatic career as a performer. Of the secrecy surrounding that 'One Magical Night', Beverly comes about in a number of ways. He's meant to be powerful and mysterious. He performs an event that's not the event that anyone expects. The script makes him laugh out loud, or ​feel something, or cry, whatever. He's a crazy and funny and weird character. Lulu’s unlikely partner in sometimes quite literally crime is Colin Threadener. Colin is a person that has a totally different way of inhabiting. He’s very inquisitive. Colin’s a tough guy, but he’s also very tender. There are some scenes where we see him with a kind of vulnerability and tenderness that he has in this. That's great, the way he really opened up. "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn" is set in Fortuna, Northern California. The location becomes the focal point of the film, and indeed it's own character. 'The Eureka Inn', a four-story 1922 'Tudor Revival' historic hotel looks as quite Tim Burton-like. It's a poor man’s 'Overlook Hotel'. The hotel has a lot of architecture and geography. Everybody in this film is living out of step with themselves; they're all slightly lost and wanting to feel at home. So they needed to be in a place that's equally lost and out of step with itself, and these location fit the bill. Fans will surely recognize Hosking’s offbeat sensibility in "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn", but they may be surprised at the earnestness and warmth of the director’s second outing. It's still a comedy, but also an ensemble film with heart and love and still some relatively odd humor. The film aesthetic shares a colorfulness and a curated timelessness though with it's own original sense of place. That somewhat familiar aesthetic is likely due to the fact that Hosking used "The Greasy Strangler's" production and costume design. Everything in this film is possible, everything in this film exists now, it’s just that we weed out the things we don’t find interesting, and then we see what we're left with. Nothing is built, everything is found. The visual world of the film is a very unique place. The characters are tragic and funny and a little lost, but not without romance. So the color palette is muted and drab and candy-like at the same time. You don’t really know what year it's. There are elements from different eras and each character is in their own world in a way. Stuck in various other times, or seemingly out of touch, but distinct at the same time. In different ways, it’s true of all the characters. ​There's no specific time or place. It's a time that exists for itself, and the one thing you can say about the place is that it's exhausting in it's self-importance. It's as insignificant as it's self-important.​ That color palette, muted, drab yet still candy-colored, marks most of the film’s cast, but Lulu stands out as the most saturated and visually interesting character of the film. The film goes into an almost dreamlike state and just let whatever comes to us come to us, so the ideas and consequently the films just sort of make their way into our brain and let them lead us up the road to wherever, trusting that if they come somehow from our brain then they must be something that we feel impelled to make, if that makes sense. That’s part of the the mystery and the risk. The end result, the singular look and feel of "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn" is thanks to the collaboration of many strong voices with one uncompromising vision. Collaborating and finding out what the story is in the moment, it’s all part of it. Rather than just being instructed, being allowed to figure these things out. That’s what makes a film interesting. It's an awkward, peculiar film that exists on it's own plane. "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn" shows a innate gift for outrageous absurdity, and pushing the boundaries of storytelling into the wild unknowns of glorious outsider art. Cultivating a fine cast of comedic favorites thrown into places of great daring, and with a spirited sense of timing and unexpected emotion, this is a kind of cinema like no other. The new film from madman Jim Hosking is sure to make you laugh and cringe in equal measures.

(Release Info London schedule; October 24th, 2018, ODEON Luxe Haymarket, 11:30) "Bohemian Rhapsody" The iconic intro of “'We Will Rock You', the soaring chorus of 'We Are The Champions', the mesmerizing operatics of "Bohemian Rhapsody". Who isn’t moved to sing along when they hear these anthems? Who can’t fail to stamp their feet at such heart-stirring beats? Who can forget that moment 'The Live Aid Concert' of 1985 suddenly moved into fifth gear when Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) strutted onto the stage and sent the crowd into frenzies of communal singing? It’s been over 25 years since the death of lead singer and flamboyant front Freddie Mercury, yet the music lives on. Freddie redefined and transcended stereotypes, just as 'Queen’s' music refuses to be slotted into any traditional genre. Perhaps that’s why the band is such a cross generational, multicultural and global phenomenon. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a foot-stomping celebration of 'Queen’s' music and lead singer Freddie Mercury’s extraordinary life. The film opens in 1970 in the London suburb of Ealing where Freddie Mercury grows up and ends in 1985, traversing several continents along the way. The first scene is shot in a single take, with the camera winding it's way from the front driveway, through the front door and into a throng of fire eaters, giants, magicians, caged dancers and a gaggle of fabulously-attired party people until we join Freddie and follow him through the house and it's decadent interiors. Freddie is a guy who didn't stand for anything. When we first meet him, he's a fighter. It isn't easy being an immigrant in 'The UK' in these days. He didn’t become a star immediately, it isn't an overnight success. He becomes one by fighting, by not accepting ‘no', by not being negative and by always fighting back from the knocks with something bigger and better. That’s what 'Queen' managed to do so well in their music. Every time you thought you'd heard the best of 'Queen', a song would come along and blow your mind. Most people identify Freddie as this crop-haired, mustachioed, tank top wearing, muscular man who has a ton of bravado and machismo. It's astonishing to get to know the many versions and the very sweet side of him as well. One thing about Freddie Mercury that's absolutely undeniable is his magnetism. When he's on stage, holding that half mic, or sitting at the piano, he feels capable of anything. Brian May (Gwilym Lee) has some difficulties with his father. He's a really high-achieving academic who's doing a PhD in astrophysics and called it off to be in a band, and his dad really didn't approve. Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) has a few tricks that give his drumming a real showmanship. He likes to spin his stick; he just does one turn. And he always does a rim shot on the snare which is when you connect the rim of the snare and the skin to create a really big sound. He's very theatrical with his playing, even the rim shot has a whipping motion. And he also accents the back beat by splashing the high hat. He also pours beer on his floor tom so when he hits it, the beer shoots up really high. The fourth member of the band is bass guitarist John Deacon (Joe Mazzello). He's an accidental rock star. This just happened to him, whereas the other guys grew up wanting to be famous musicians. John is perfectly content just working in electronics and fixing televisions. He loves playing music and has a knack for it, but he did it for fun. He also has a knack for songwriting, but he never believed that it could be something that he could do for the rest of his life. But it just snowballed, and before he knows it they're touring America and Japan. He's also the youngest and the last to join the band, so it takes him a little while to find himself. He's more introverted, but he's also a little bit of a goofball. But ultimately as the band got more success, and he started writing many of their big hits, he becomes a pretty integral part of the band. Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) immediately sees something in Freddie that's slightly different from all the other guys she knows. She's the person closest to him. There’s a light that emanates from him, and there's a moment where she catches him looking at himself in the mirror. It’s a really beautiful moment, as we see a person trying to assess themselves, trying on all different selves. That’s what draws Mary in, and when they play with the makeup and the scarves, she recognizes what a chameleon he's. He referred to her as his common law wife. Mary allows him the confidence and the courage to be exactly who he knew he could be. And that's what true friends do. They allow you to feel confident in your own skin, to find that confidence and to share it with others. Mary is the person Freddie could trust wholeheartedly, the person who reassured him and gave him the advice and confidence he needed and allows him to discover his sense of self. And she said what she needed to say in the moment it's needed. She really is the heart of this movie, and she's what keeps everything together. There's a dynamic throughout their entire lives. Although it starts as a romantic relationship, it's something so much deeper and so important to both of them. She's his closest ally and he hers until the very end of his life. When Paul Prenter (Allen Leech), is hired as an assistant to the band‘s manager John Reid (Aidan Gillen) the band, Mercury’s de facto family, is torn apart. Prenter inveigles himself into Mercury’s confidence and encourages him to indulge his hedonism. Paul is quite a malevolent force in Freddie's life. Paul gives him an ability to see what the world is like, what the gay scene is like. He's a confidante and then he moves from being the band’s assistant to Freddie’s personal manager. Their relationship become toxic when Paul convinces Mercury to leave the band and strike out on his own in Germany. The band sees Paul as being cunning and connivin. He leads Freddie down a path that became very dark; the parties, the clubs, the drugs, the alcohol. Two scenes are pivotal to Freddie and Paul's relationship. The first at 'Rockfield Farm Studios' when the band is recording 'Fhe Bohemian Rhapsody' album and Paul kisses Freddie, and they realize there's an understanding between them. The second is in Munich, when Freddie sees the truth and, in the driving rain, banishes Paul from his life. It’s his realization that he’s lost a part of himself and that he’s lost the band that's ultimately his moment of reckoning. He realizes how much he depends on Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon; these other guys in this band and on Mary. Movement isn't just the performance. It's everything the character is and has ever been. 'Live Aid' is one of the most important cultural events of the 1980s, bringing together the world’s biggest superstars in a benefit concert on two stages, 'Wembley Stadium' in London and 'The John F Kennedy Stadium' in Philadelphia, on July 13th, 1985. Organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for those affected by the famine in Ethiopia, the concert is one of the largest satellite link-ups and TV broadcasts of all time, watched by an audience totaling 1.9 billion in 150 countries around the world. The concert comes at a pivotal moment as it brings the band back together after Mercury’s move to Germany, where he recorded two solo albums. It also comes at a time when Mercury is at his lowest ebb, surrounded by hangers-on who are exploiting Mercury’s generosity, and falling dangerously into a spiral of drug and alcohol abuse. 'Queen‘s' performance is a shot in the arm for the 'Live Aid' organizers. People are watching in 'The UK', but they weren't calling in to pledge money, which is what the whole concert is about. The film traces all the events that happened to him from the 1950s to 1985 when the film ends to see how they would impact on his physically. Freddie‘s being a boxer, golfer and long-distance runner during his childhood as affecting his movement later in life. You can see the punches in his performances, you can see how he lifts up his knees when he runs and how he sometimes uses the microphone as a golf club. These are all evidence of his physical muscle memory. In addition, he was brought up in Zanzibar with it's specific culture, and this shows in his use of embellishment and colors in his clothes. We notice the little tricks he did to cover his teeth, especially in the early years, and how he loses that as he gets older and more confident, singing with a much wider mouth and smiling on stage. Freddie is very flamboyant there. It’s fur coats, nail varnish, rings, adornments and long hair. He's quite thin and wily and has an elegance of poise and posing. The film is a celebration of the music as well as carrying on the legacy of 'Queen' and Freddie and showing a whole new generation who Freddie was, his background in Zanzibar, his coming to London as an immigrant, the prejudice he dealt with growing up, his shyness and insecurities about his looks, how he battled on so many different fronts, his brilliance as a songwriter and musician, how he found another family in the band, his reinvention as a larger-than-life performer, while always remaining someone everyone loved who could get away with some very outrageous behavior, all framed by the creation of a sound that was innovative and groundbreaking for the time. The period from 1970 to1985 feels like the most important part of Freddie's and the band’s life story, and it ends with the triumph of 'Live Aid'. Freddie Mercury didn't have a bad bone in his body. He did have quite a quick temper, though, and he would react, but underneath that he was very shy, and if there was a confrontation, he would deal with it, and then he didn't want to. He was always focused, he always knew what he wanted to get out of a situation. And that's a good lesson to learn rather than trying to please everybody else in a particular situation.   How does a band create their music? That’s a really difficult thing to show on screen. The audience is going to really enjoy seeing that. It's not just Freddie's story, it’s also the story of how they created the sound. How did they invent ‘Bohemian Rhapsody', which was completely panned when it came out. The band‘s first appearance on legendary BBC-TV program 'Top Of The Pops' in 1974 featuring 'Killer Queen', which propelled the band to international stardom, despite or perhaps because of Freddie’s outrageously suggestive performance and even more suggestive skintight out. The track got to number one and stayed there for six weeks, 'Top Of The Pops' played the video for six weeks. That video really turned the band into stars. Mercury’s multi-cultural background went some way to explaining why this happened. Freddie was somebody who brought people together, no matter your race, your sexuality, your nationality; people joined together when Freddie came on stage. It was a moment that gave you the chills. Feather boas, ermine and velvet capes, marble bathrooms, gold-plated lions; the film has it. As the ‘60s turns into the ‘70s, there's wonderful warm tones that are avocado and orange and brown-warm, earthy colors. From the mid to late ‘70s, it starts to get almost a disco palette-the primary colors start to pop a little bit more until we get to the early ‘80s, and there’s a neon and brighter colored palette. These different eras have really distinct looks. This journey is told through the clothes. For the early scenes, it's more of a ‘60s vibe, quite hippie, a sort of 'Woodstock' feel. The colors are more subdued for Britain at the time. After three gigs in Britain, the film goes to America where they toured as a support group for five concerts there. For those scenes, there’s a real American feel, quite a Western look with suede, fringing, checked shirts and cowboy hats. From there, the film moves to Japan where we've a much more colorful tone with pop art references. As we move forward in time, the costumes become more flamboyant. For the scenes in 1980s New York, the film scourers images from New York’s legendary disco 'Studio 54' and designs an array of outrageous costumes with references to the 1980s nightclub scene, punk, gay culture, drag and the underground fetish scene.   The film wants to continue the legacy of Freddie Mercury and 'Queen', to show a younger generation who Freddie Mercury was, how the band survived through times, how the music business has changed, what it was like to make a record in those days, what it was like for four guys to meet and create that special sound. If there’s anyone in the audience who's confused or being bullied or feeling like an outcast, they would take to heart what Mary says to Freddie in the film: ‘Don’t you see who you can be? Anything you want to be'. That's a very important message in today's world.  'Queen' is so popular, but they're never really fashionable. They're always a little bit out of time and out of fashion, which is why they‘ve remained so popular. That, and because the songs are fantastic and quite cutting-edge, using multiple overdubs on vocals and complex, unexpected chord progressions which were unusual for the time.

(Release Info London/UK schedule; November 2nd, 2018, Empire Cinemas) "Juliet, Naked" Annie (Rose Byrne) is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). When the acoustic demo of Tucker's hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, it's release leads to a life-changing encounter with the elusive rocker himself. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, "Juliet, Naked" is a comic account of life’s second chances. Annie, the curator of a small museum in the drab English seaside town where she was born, is beginning to realize that her life has been stuck in low gear. Her partner of 15 years, Duncan, aspires to be the world’s foremost expert on reclusive American singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe and spends all his free time maintaining a website dedicated to the mostly forgotten rocker. Crowe quit the business at the height of his fame and now, pushing 50, is living in his ex-girlfriend’s garage in New York and trying to make up for past parental failures by dedicating his life to raising his young son. But when Duncan receives the long-lost demo version of Crowe’s revered album, 'Juliet', it sets off a chain reaction that will change all of their lives. Duncan hails the album as a masterpiece on his Crowe-themed website, while Annie, frustrated by his obsession with the washed-up musician, posts her own scathing review, sparking a make-or-break fight between the couple. She's startled when Crowe unexpectedly reaches out to her to agree with her assessment and the two strike up a clandestine online correspondence. As their friendship begins to cross over into romance, Crowe comes to London for a visit and the stage is set for an epically messy love triangle that inspires Annie to take the chance of a lifetime. Annie was born in a seaside town that's once a popular summer resort buts now badly run down. After leaving to study art in London, she returned to help her father run a small museum in town and never left. In her early 40s, she's now wondering if she will ever fulfill her early ambitions or instead spend the rest of her days puttering around a few dusty exhibits. At this point in her life, Annie is realizing the many things she has missed out on. She badly wants a child, but she and longtime boyfriend Duncan agreed long ago not to have any. She's frustrated with their relationship, with having to be a parent to her irresponsible adult sister and with being stuck in an unfulfilling job. It’s an unusual sort of love story about two people, Annie and Duncan, who are in love with the same man for different reasons. It’s also the story of a couple falling apart. It’s got the bones of something tender and gentle. Annie is very insecure, constantly beating herself up and second-guessing herself. And suddenly she makes these bold decisions. Where she has been incredibly passive and her whole life seems like a lost opportunity, she suddenly decides to seize the day and break all the rules. For 15 years, Annie has played second fiddle to Tucker Crowe in her relationship with Duncan. He was there from day one, long before he was physically there. There’s a great line in the book where it says it’s like she’s got a partner with an illness and she’s just grown used to accommodating that. All of a sudden, overnight, that’s over. Annie is the most compelling character and the story centers on her. She’s blocked and wants to learn to turn the page, to reinvent her life if she can, but she's caught between these two quite different man-children. Her story is the most emotionally grounded and the film wants her buried behind male characters who are louder but have less urgent needs. It's about the way in which Annie looks at her life and her failed relationships, and her frustrations and her regrets about not having a child. The film gives her more of a backstory about why she felt obligated to stay in this small town and strengthened her sense of responsibility to it. That makes her decision to leave feel bigger. We meet Duncan about 15 years after he arrived in Annie’s hometown to teach film studies at the local college. To Annie, he seemed at first like a sophisticated, inspiring figure. He's artistic and passionate about books, music and culture. He sweeps her off her feet in a way, although they're clearly one of those couples that everybody but them knows should not be together. Duncan is childishly devoted to his memories of Tucker Crowe. Far more interested in his idol than his partner, he spends most of his free time maintaining a website devoted to the musician. The frustration with someone like Duncan is his stubbornness, his belief that this is the greatest album that’s ever been released and no other opinion is allowed. Duncan has this juvenile quality and utter obsession with the music, but it’s done with such gentle humor that it’s always fun to watch. On the other hand, Duncan is such a quintessential Hornby character that there's little room for improvement. Duncan’s passion for the music legitimizes him in a way. Duncan and Annie are on their way to quiet lives of desperation when the movie starts. Something is going to blow no matter what. Tucker is a self-loathing father. He's angry about his failures in parenting and trying to redeem himself by doing it right with his fifth child, 6-year-old Jackson (Azhy Robertson). It's important to show that Tucker is growing as a father and not just regretting the decisions he had made. But Tucker is such a disaster. He’s got this terrible history of having children he’s never met with a series of different women. You've to ask why he's's doing this. But that’s the point; we do fall for people who are completely inappropriate. Even though this guy has lived a life of indulgence and is a failure as a family man, he still has a devilish sort of charm and humanistic appeal. He has so much knowledge and emotional intelligence about music, which is such a big character in the film. A reclusive cult Idol Tucker Crowe is an almost forgotten figure in alternative rock music of the late ’80s and early ’90s. His album 'Juliet' became an obsession for his loyal fans when he went into seclusion shortly after it's release. The story of Tucker Crowe reminded of Jeff Buckley, the singer-songwriter who died at 30 after releasing just a single studio album. Obviously that’s a story with a different ending. But it’s about unfulfilled potential. When an artist has a moment and then disappears, they take on another life, a history with a great deal of weight. So much music is disposable, but when you've such a talent it rises up. The biggest challenge in adapting any novel is how to dramatize the narrator’s interior thoughts. Novelist and former New Yorker music critic Nick Hornby is known for weaving his passion for popular music and it's fans into his stories. 'Juliet, Naked', his 2009 exploration of romantic attachment and disillusionment, features a retired rock musician now living in seclusion, hiding from his own unbearable success. When you think somebody’s lost and they suddenly appear, that’s such a great dramatic moment. The internet allows devotees of the most arcane topics to congregate online. It's about how groups of people can form very easily, in a way they hadn’t been able to in the past. Even the most obscure cult figure can be discusses by a fan base all over the world. "Juliet, Naked" combines rock ’n’ roll music with recognizable characters and issues most of us can relate to in some way. People who admire the novel will find that it6s very much in the spirit of the book, both thematically and narratively. You always have to invent a few things to make a book work on screen, but as adaptations go, this is pretty close to the original. The film shows how things work in that world, what parts of the fantasy are true and what is just wishful thinking. In fact, one of the central themes of "Juliet, Naked" is whom art belongs to after it’s been made public, the artist or the audience? Who knows the music best? Art means what people want it to mean and those opinions are perfectly legitimate. Just because you created it doesn’t give you any more right to it's interpretation than anybody else. If you want it to stay yours, then don’t put it out there. The music, the comedy and the drama creates a wonderful story about a woman coming into her own, holding out for the possibility of love without defining herself in terms of the men around her. For all it's humor and romance, the film poses some serious questions, such as how much people can transform and redeem themselves midway through life. The film connects with a wide swath of moviegoers who recognize aspects of their own lives in what the characters are going through. It resonates with people who are nostalgic for a period of their lives when they're obsessed with their favorite musician, as many people are in their youth. "Juliet, Naked" has all the attributes of a great date movie, an increasingly rare breed. It’s adult-friendly, not predictable and plays out in an enjoyable way on screen. When people get tired of the summer superhero films, they’ll find a great escape in this.

TAG is one of those films that went under the radar during the summer, probably due to its big-budget competitors, such as Incredibles 2, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Ocean’s 8, all released within a month. Based on a true story, an all-star cast (which includes Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Isla Fisher, and many more) shows that star power alone cannot be relied upon to lift a film to successful heights (although the budget for TAG was an estimated $28m and grossed $72m worldwide). Nevertheless, putting box-office stats aside, was this film any good? THE GOOD: Feel Good - The basic concept of childhood friends playing tag well into their adulthood is the perfect setup for situational comedy that is highly hilarious and laugh-out-loud funny. It is clear that the film wants audiences to have fun and be solely entertained by watching a film that steers away from anything convoluted or preachy. Within the plethora of comedy, it would be easy and typical to stray towards the dramatic in order to create some form of build and dynamic mood change (Jerry’s wife could have easily been used as the antagonist, but even she embraces the ludicrousness of the game), and it almost does when an old flame comes between two of the TAG players. Thankfully, and refreshingly, the spat lasts only for a minute, and the main goal of trying to tag Jerry (who has never been tagged in the entire history of their game) ensues briskly. The ending makes another unexpected abrupt swerve towards the melodramatic, but again, quickly avoids the drama leaving audiences in a blissful state of nostalgia, reminding us the importance of youth and the continuation of the young-at-heart state of mind throughout adulthood. A Mix Of Styles - Tagging Jerry becomes the drive and prize for the other players, and what makes TAG so much fun is that whenever these attempts ensues, the film borrows different characteristics of other film genres, such as The Action Flick (in which the attempt in the shopping mall shows off Jeremy Renner’s stunt skills), The Thriller/Horror Flick, and The Heist Flick. By doing so, the film enhances the fantasy and escapism it wants to capture and keeps audiences entertained in a surprising and unexpected manner. THE BAD: Not So Funny - Whilst the situation of the game brought hilarity, what was quite disappointing was the lack of charisma and comicalities brought forward by the actors. It is fair to assume that being a comedy, improvisation would be abundant, and it was quite clear when improvisation occurred in the film, mostly because when it did occur it was really unfunny (the biggest culprit was Hannibal Buress, who, unfortunately, plays the token black guy). This shortage of funny didn’t ruin the film overall, but it was still a disconcerting surprise considering the pool of talented actors appearing in the film. The Message - As said before, one of the good points of the film is that it avoids being too preachy about anything serious. Nevertheless, the film did have a message; the perseverance of the game was not about running away from each other, but about staying close to one another, a sentiment that can be understood and relatable by many. But the film never quite brings this sentiment to the forefront, only keying it in right at the end. By hammering in this message earlier on, the film could have brought another layer without tearing out the heartstrings or being too melodramatic, and could have made audiences more sympathetic towards the players. THE VERDICT I definitely enjoyed it. It seems that too many extreme negative events occur day-in and day-out, evidently highlighted by the news coverage we see on a daily basis, so escapism is one way to cope with all the hardships. TAG is one of those films that is perfect for anyone trying to forget problems, even if it is for only 90 minutes. There is nothing grand to think about here, just a fun, playful and entertaining flick for most adults on all sides of the political spectrum to enjoy and possibly relate to. Not perfect, but so is the world around us. Rating: ⅘

(Release Info London schedule; November 21st, 2018, Peckham Multiplex, 95 a Rye Lane, 21:00) "Robin Hood" 'Robin of Loxley' (Taron Egerton) a war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander John (Jamie Foxx) mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance. You may think you know the timeless legend, but you’ve never seen "Robin Hood" like this. 'Robin Hood' is a war veteran who returns home seeking peace and solace only to realize his fight is not over; it’s just beginning. This isn’t men in tights romping through 'Sherwood Forest'. Robin comes back from the battlefield in Syria in emotional distress and detached from his previous life, which no longer holds meaning for him. He finds a Nottingham he no longer recognizes, one full of appalling inequality and injustice. He tries to remain dispassionate in his solitude, but ultimately his conscience won’t allow him to ignore what he sees going on around him. He's a guy who seemingly has the perfect and comfortable life and goes off to war, full of ideals, beliefs and passion, but then his eyes are opened to the corruption and evil of the people who are running the world, and it breaks him. It dissolves his faith in his nation and his religion and leaves him disillusioned. We see Robin as a hero, but how he becomes this legend, what it's that burns inside of him and what inspires him to set out to fight with such commitment to the truth. He's a man wrestling with the future of his soul and discovering an inner fire and skill beyond what he ever expected, rather than a static storybook figure. Robin is a young man and it’s pretty impressive to be able to rally this amazing revolution at that age. He feels very pertinent to the world. Robin is a lord, but he’s not a pampered lord. He doesn’t surround himself with servants. He’s very hands-on. He really subscribes in the beginning to the idea of fighting a noble war. It’s only later that he realizes the whole thing was something of a racket so that the people at the top could keep lining their pockets. When Robin realizes what's happening in Nottingham, he's compelled into action. That’s when Robin takes on the persona of 'The Hood', the audacious avenger who thumbs his nose at the elites by stealing the thing they will do any despicable thing for; their money. At first, 'The Hood' is a just a disguise through which Robin can hide from who he's. As he merges into this avenging, dark, enigmatic force within Nottingham, he realizes 'The Hood' is part of his own being. The moment when Robin reveals his identity to the people is a pivotal scene because the people must decide if they’re going to continue to rely on the self-serving but smooth-talking Will (Jamie Dornan), to bargain for their betterment, or if they’re going to take up the mantle of revolution and challenge the pillars of society that maintain the corruption. You don’t become a legend from simply stealing a few bags of money from rich people and giving them to poor people. That's a cool thing to do, but it’s not iconic. The real reason 'Robin Hood' becomes a hero is that he's a major thorn in the side of society, of government, of the establishment. That’s why people still love him, because he’s a symbol of that voice out there kicking against the status quo that we are all responsible for allowing. He’s a reflection for all of us in that he isn’t given special powers or born a Superhero, he's simply an everyman who's prepared to do what's needed to bring change and to sacrifice his own comfort for the bigger picture. We've all witnessed oppression, corruption and abuse in some or many forms, but few of us can truly say that we have done something about it and so a story of a man who's prepared to put his head above the parapet, prepared to fight for truth, is a story that needs to be told now more than ever and resonates powerfully with us all. Robin could not have become 'The Hood' at all if not for the unlikely guidance of John, 'The Moorish' warrior whose son Robin tries to save during his time at war in 'The Crusades'. Impressed by Robin’s courage, John takes a cynical and begrudging Robin under his wing so that both might get payback, but their partnership yields more than either saw coming. The bantering, witty friendship that develops between Robin and John is a favorite element of many in the film. But John’s tutelage also Robin into a virtual one-man-army. Robin treats John as an enemy Moor with great disdain. Yet, through their bond, Robin begins to see the error of his viewpoint. Robin starts off cocky, self-loathing and misguided and John channels all those feelings into something constructive. Robin’s training with John cements their relationship. They’re mistrustful of each other because they’ve been raised to hate each other's kind, but in the course of John mentoring Robin to be the fastest archer in Notthingham, they realize they've lots more in common than they think. It's a great relationship, because it has real heart. In one sense, there's a kind of father-son thing that develops but it’s also two soldiers, brothers-in-arms, realizing that they've a bigger idea to fight for. John is Robin Hood’s loyal lieutenant, but in this new version, he's an enemy soldier who unexpectedly becomes Robin’s mentor and comrade-in-arms, completing his transformation into 'The Hood'. This John is a Saracen fighter, an 'Arabic Moor' fighting on the opposite side of 'The Crusades' from Robin. When Robin tries to save John’s son, John spies Robin’s innate humanity. Touched by the bravery and compassion exhibited by his Crusader foe, John risks his own life by stowing away to England in order to convince Robin there remains a just cause; one Robin turns out to be uniquely suited to fight for, going beyond John’s wildest expectations. John has to be both a savvy, sharp-witted rival and an inspiration to Robin. It's John, reeling with grief and anger after war, who seeks out Robin, and through him, gets his defiant spirit back. John is a king several years before we meet him, but now he just wants to fight for the memory of his son and fight for what's right. John is a fierce competitor and he sees that same quality in Robin. When John and Robin arrive in Nottingham, Robin is believed to be dead, and John is a stranger in a strange land. Both are desperate and have lost everything. Each needs something from the other; and that evolves into a loyal friendship. First John has to convince Robin he’s not just a conspiracy theorist, and that he knows what he’s doing in taking on Nottingham’s elite. Robin comes from wealth, so he can’t see the lay of the land the way John can. It's John who opens Robin’s eyes to the idea that things are truly not as they seem; that the real enemies they both want to go after are the fat cats and politicians who profit while soldiers die. John get’s Robin to look behind the curtain, if you will, of what's going on in this dangerous world that they live in. John shows him how drunk with money the men in power are it sparks something inside Robin. It's John who gifts Robin with a stealth fighting style the likes of which Nottingham has never encountered. Robin then surprises John with how quickly and seamlessly he transforms himself into 'The Hood'. It allows him to become a kind of undetectable ghost in Nottingham. Almost as iconic as 'Robin Of Loxley' is Marian (Eve Hewson), his legendary love, and long lauded for her independence and strength. In this "Robin Hood", Marian may be a mere commoner, but it turns out there's little common about her attitude and bravery, something Robin responds to from the first moments of their meeting. She’s a powerful and deeply committed woman, an arrow of truth. Indeed, she's the catalyst for Robin’s whole journey and there's no question that without Marian there would be no 'Robin Hood', in that it's she who pulls him out of his selfish anger and shows him the true path. She's the kind of girl who brings a real sense of logic and to everything that she does and she both challenges and changes Robin. She's a natural leader who sees what needs to be done so clearly. Marian isn’t a superhero. She doesn’t have any special skills or weapons, she’s just fighting for her life and willing to kick, punch and take any risk for what she believes in. It's Marian who reignites Rob's passion and is the one who inspires him to keep evolving until he becomes this heroic person he was meant to be. Things get more complicated when Marian becomes a supporter of 'The Hood'. Will fights for Marian’s love while trying to become the community’s leader. Will is a good, decent man but he’s threated by Robin. He sees that spark is still in Marian, and he also recognizes that 'The Hood' could take hold of the movement Will’s worked so hard to organize, and make it his own. By the end of the story we see the damage that jealousy and rage does to the character. Rounding out the core of Robin’s companions is Friar Tuck (Tim Minchin). Tuck is so important to the story because he’s the one character who's set connected to everyone on both sides, both to 'The Sheriff' and to Robin, and hes constantly put in very compromising positions in terms of where his loyalties lie. Tuck is a man who thinks for himself, who has spent his life exploring ideas in books, but then he finds his own morality undermined by his job as the Friar, where he has to placate both 'The Sheriff Of Nottingham' and the church leaders. He's not completely loyal to this war-mongering, power-hungry group. He becomes a genuine member of Robin’s rebellion, and a bit of a hero, not just a comical buffoon. High above Nottingham sits the autocrat who rules the city with a ruthless hand, becoming 'The Hood’s' target and nemesis; 'The Sheriff Of Nottingham' (Ben Mendelsohn). 'The Sheriff' is a complex and daunting villain, an angry, cynical man dripping with inner darkness, hungry for limitless power and wealth, but also seeking to make others suffer as he once did as an orphan. He's an astute political animal, a master manipulator who grew up under the cruel hand of the church and the nobility, leaving him with a venomous hatred of both. He’s a great and vivid character. He believes solely in power, so he’s been busy building his war machine and living his depraved life without any concern for the citizens of Nottingham. His past has led him to develop an incredibly strong survival instinct. Like Robin, he sees that the people in power are full of lies and rubbish, but he decides to go all in as a scumbag to take advantage of it, whereas Robin decides to fight for the people and become a hero. A big part of re-imagining "Robin Hood" is building a world for the characters that would be visually original yet feel as alive as our own. The Nottingham in the film is a teeming industrial capital full of global influences, a political epicenter and a very powerful stronghold of the church. It's a city full of posh grandeur but also pocked by soot-choked mines and sprawling slums, reflecting the gap between haves and have-nots. Old school static bow-and-arrow combat morphed into wildly, athletic clashes that bring a new energy and pop. It feels like a modern gunfight, kinetic and visceral. The human imagination has latched so tightly onto the myth of 'Robin Hood' that his story has been told, retold and told all over again for some 800 years of massive changes in human society. Since the 15th Century, when Robin and his ostensibly merry band of companions first starred in a series of ballads as rebels fighting for Nottingham’s oppressed, Robin has inspired a slew of writers, artists and storytellers, each reconfiguring the character to resonate with their times. At the movies, 'Robin Hoods' have been myriad; Douglas Fairbanks was a silent 'Robin Hood'; Errol Flynn was a swashbuckling Robin; Margaret Rutherford was the first female Robin; Frank Sinatra was a gangster Robin; Sean Connery was a romantically-fueled Robin; Kevin Costner was a quick-witted Robin and John Cleese and Cary Elwes were outright comic Robins. Taking off at a breathless pace that does not let up, " Robin Hood" reintroduces the iconic outlaw as the dark, compelling hero of a turbulent city in desperate need of one. In this action-adventure, Robin’s first-ever revolt against a corrupt Kingdom erupts into gritty battles, kickass fight choreography, an irreverent friendship and timeless romance. This all-new take on "Robin Hood" is delivered on a grand scale befitting the rebirth of a 2018 cinematic superhero. This Robin is a thoroughly modern shadow warrior. He may have been born into privilege as 'Lord Of Loxley', but now he returns from war a haunted veteran who has lost everything. With the help of an equally war-scarred Moor, Robin adopts a new alter-ego; as the hooded avenger who strikes at the powerful seeking justice for the people. Robin starts off using a traditional English longbow, which all 'The Crusaders' carry, but once he starts training with John, switches to a recurve bow, a bow that curves away from the archer when unstrung, providing more power and speed to the arrow. The bow he uses as 'The Hood' is anything but traditional. Robin's bow has nun-chucks across the wrist and knuckles and it also has sharpened tips on the bow so he can slash and stab with it in the middle of a close battle. The film captures all the thrills, adrenaline and near-misses of a modern car chase, but with horses and wagons. There's nothing period or traditional about this movie, because it’s not the 'Robin Hood' we’ve all seen before. All the archetypal 'Robin Hood' characters you know from the legend are there, but we get to see them through the lens of our lives today and that’s what makes it special. There's a cool buddy relationship, an element of romance and lots of death-defying action sequences. The action, the characters and even the costumes all have just a dope twist to them. This 'Robin Hood' is it's own animal that takes you somewhere unexpected. This movie is a bromance. It's a love story. It's a heist movie. There’s something for everybody in this film. This is a complex 'Robin Hood'. The same way that Bruce Wayne didn’t seek to be a hero, but became one because Gotham City needed a 'Batman', Robin doesn’t set out to be 'Robin Hood', but Nottingham needs him to be. 'Robin Hood' is the very incarnation of archery. When people think about archery they usually think about what they've seen in a 'Robin Hood' movie. The film brings that archery closer to reality and people will see that archery can be extremely exciting. People are used to seeing a more static archery in films but archery can be incredibly dynamic. This movie feels really current and vibrant.

A STAR IS BORN MOVIE REVIEW SPOILER WARNING!! For me, this movie did not work, because I did not believe in Ally and Jackson's relationship from the start. Their first interactions, even acknowledging both of their "quirky" personalities, did not indicate a mutual spark between the two characters. As Jackson blatantly pursues her, Ally initially seems weirded out by his behavior even up until she goes to his first show. But the movie does not show how or why she changes her mind about him, nor does he try to woo her again. After getting "fed up" at work, she decides to drop everything and go to his concert, despite her annoyance with being followed by Jackson's employee. The start of their relationship was very much one sided and the transition to mutual care and respect was glossed over by the film despite their seemingly natural spark and love at first sight. The relationship was rushed and unreal so the beauty of their love was non-existent. And since these characters' relationship (whether successful or not) is the main aspect of the film, its infallibility left me uninvested. Also, I found Ally's character to be very unlikeable. One, no fault of her own, but her character was somewhat shallow. She has a back story of always being perceived as ugly (information she tells Jackson very quickly after meeting him while still weirded out by his behavior. He too also discloses a lot of personal information to her when first meeting her without her opening a space for him to do so emotionally.) This back story is the corner stone of her character that propels her actions and career, but besides this, she doesn't really have any other identifiable qualities. Second, she berates Jackson's drinking in a way that is unkind and unsympathetic. Jackson's problems were known to her before they began their relationship, and the movie makes no attempts to show how Ally deals with the drinking except in random scenes when she screams at him. There are no scenes of her trying to get him to quit. No scenes of meaningful conversations between the two take place. So, when half way through the movie, the two get engaged and married, I was left confused as to how this relationship even got this far. And even if the movie wanted to convey the relationship was problematic, it did not. The plot seemed to just pass over these major points in order to cover the whole story and reach the climax of the film. As a result, I did not care at all about their relationship or really about Ally's character either. I did not care if their relationship succeeded. I did not care if Ally's career succeeded. Another problem with the film is how the film portrays Jackson's drinking and drug abuse. Jackson clearly has a lot of trauma from his upbringing and current problems with his career. Coupled with his drinking and drug abuse, Jackson is supposed to be a very unstable character. However, his addiction is never thoroughly examined, how it started or what triggers him. In the movie, he swings back and forth between extremes. He either hasn't been drinking in a while (for no apparent reason) and then all of sudden is completely wasted or high to the detriment of himself and/or Ally. The inconsistencies of his alcohol and drug abuse are distracting throughout the film. Another problem to consider is the film's sexist approach towards Ally's character, where all of her actions and decisions are controlled or orchestrated by the men around her. And while this is quite often the reality for young singers, the film doesn't try to make any commentary about this. For example, when Ally's manager forces her to change her hair and style, while she initially resists these changes, she ultimately goes along with whatever he says. And her character makes huge changes throughout the movie, not shown to the audience; and all are attributed to Ally's manager (who would be a generic bad guy if in an action or superhero film). After her initial reaction, the audience never sees how Ally feels about this and how these changes are affecting her self-esteem or character in any real way. The film shows Jackson's aversion to the "new" Ally but this seems more like a device for conflict between the main characters rather than a true examination of how Ally feels. Finally, one of my biggest problems with the film was the ending. Jackson decides to take his own life after talking with Ally's manager, realizing that his actions negatively affect her. This last action left me feeling even more distant from the film, because his suicide did not coincide with the character they set up. Throughout the film, Jackson’s substance abuse and depression are evident, but he does not have a clear problem with suicidal thoughts that the movie talks about. This is not a present or underlining theme in the movie, so his suicide for me, while technically “understandable” seemed out of character. Jackson seems to only kill himself because of the words of Ally’ manager and “for her,” which I find problematic. In real life, there are many complicated reasons why someone may commit suicide, but the movie never attempts to really engage with those feelings (if they existed) of Jackson. If Jackson overdosed after having this troubling conversation with the manager, that would have made more sense. But the cognitive dissonance between the sadness of his death and yet the inconsistency to his character, disallowed me to feel the true weight of the film’s ending. In the end, with Ally’s last performance of a song written by Jackson for her, it was difficult to truly, emotionally empathize with her. Feeling a somewhat ambivalence for Ally and their relationship, the movie’s ending left me feeling indifferent. Or rather, the ending left me feeling heated because of its untapped potential. As I have discussed my opinions of the film with fans, I realize that from the onset, because I did not believe in their relationship, this movie would not work for me. But even despite that, there are many areas the movie could have improved on. Some highlights of the film for me were the music, Bradley Cooper’s performance as Jackson Maine, and funny side characters.