GALAS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS
W. – The Times Gala
Oliver Stone is no stranger to political biopics, or indeed controversy, and coming just prior to the US elections, the anticipation surrounding his ‘fair, true portrait’ of outgoing President George ‘Dubya’ Bush couldn’t be higher. With an impressive supporting cast that includes Thandie Newton, Scott Glenn and Richard Dreyfuss, this almost Capraesque story traces the rise of Bush Jr (Josh Brolin) from family black sheep to the Leader of the Free World.
GENOVA – The Mayor of London Gala
Beautifully shot on location in Italy, British director Michael Winterbottom’s latest offering is by turns both immediately gripping and wonderfully restrained. Following the death of their mother, father Colin Firth relocates to Italy with his two young daughters (Willa Holland and Perla Haney-Jardine) in this deeply moving and resolutely unsentimental portrait of a family trying to rebuild itself in the wake of a tragic accident.
WALTZ WITH BASHIR – Centrepiece Gala
In this tremendously powerful anti-war documentary, director Ari Folman uses animation to delve deeply into his own experiences in the Israeli Army during the first Lebanon War. Realising that he cannot remember anything about his part in the conflict, Ari tracks down and interviews old friends and comrades in this highly personal and politically charged study of innocence lost and memory regained.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE – Film on the Square Gala
Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond adventure in the longest running franchise in film history, was produced for EON Productions by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, directed by Marc Forster and stars Daniel Craig as the legendary secret agent, James Bond. With a screenplay written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis, the film picks up the storyline just one hour after the end of Casino Royale, marking the first direct sequel produced by EON. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judi Dench) interrogate Mr White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined …
THE OTHER MAN – Hewlett-Packard Gala
The latest film from award-winning theatre and film director Richard Eyre once again demonstrates his skill in capturing the subtle nuances of love, betrayal and forgiveness. When Peter (Liam Neeson) discovers that his loving wife of 20 years (Laura Linney) may have been cheating, he decides to track down and uncover the truth about the mysterious other man (Antonio Banderas). Romola Garai gives excellent support in this sophisticated drama that explores how well we can ever know the people we love.
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA – Sky Gala
Whilst on holiday in beautiful Barcelona, American students Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) both fall for the charms of Latin seducer Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), and things are further complicated when his tempestuous ex-wife (Penelope Cruz) re-enters the scene. Featuring a host of outstanding performances, this entertaining summer romance is a real return to form for director Woody Allen.
THE BROTHERS BLOOM – American Airlines Gala
In his eagerly anticipated follow up to Brick writer-director Rian Johnson and his all-star cast put a highly original spin on the much-loved heist genre. Brothers Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody) are expert swindlers still searching for the perfect con, who lure eccentric heiress Rachel Weisz into their elaborate scheme. Johnson never misses a beat in this clever and pleasingly unpredictable comedy.
EASY VIRTUE – MasterCard Gala
Australian director Stephan Elliott rediscovers Noel Coward’s witty social comedy, retaining the 1920s setting, whilst giving it a distinctly modern feel. When a young Englishman (Ben Barnes) from the landed aristocracy impulsively marries a glamorous and sexy American (Jessica Biel), the stage is set for a titanic culture clash. The fine ensemble cast also includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth and Kris Marshall.
CHE (Part 1 & Part 2) – Tiscali Gala
Stephen Soderbergh’s new double feature is an audacious and meticulous anatomy of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, dominated by an outstanding central performance from Benicio del Toro. Manifestly different in tone and approach, Part 1 chronicles Che’s rise from doctor to successful revolutionary, while Part 2 deals with his attempt to orchestrate the great Latin American revolution. Taken together they represent cinema at its most intelligent and exciting.
THE CLASS Sight & Sound Special Screening
In this adaptation of François Bégaudeau’s novel Entre les murs, based on his experiences working in a school in Paris, Bégaudeau himself plays a committed teacher attempting to reach out to his pupils through language and literature. With a supporting cast of non-professional teenagers, Laurent Cantet’s film is exhilarating and fiercely funny, and rightful winner of this year’s Palme d’Or.
HUNGER – Time Out Special Screening
Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen’s first feature film is a work of outstanding boldness and beauty, following the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike led by Bobby Sands. Visceral and deeply disturbing, yet full of compassion, it features a bravura performance by Michael Fassbender as Sands, with excellent support from Stuart Graham and Liam Cunningham, and is a vivid and uncompromising reminder of a period in our recent history that is too often shamefully forgotten.
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON – Documentary Gala
‘Gonzo’ journalist Hunter S. Thompson is the latest subject for documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, who uses a wealth of archive footage and high-profile interviewees such as Tom Wolfe and Jimmy Carter, to paint a fascinating portrait of the counterculture icon. Johnny Depp’s narration, intercut with extracts from Thompson’s work, leaves us in no doubt as to his talent as a writer and cultural commentator.
THE SECRET OF MOONACRE – Family Gala
Based on the popular children’s novel The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, acclaimed director Gabor Csupo’s latest offering follows Maria Merryweather (Dakota Blue-Richards), an orphan who inherits a book that provides a key to a past world and may answer the riddles of Moonacre Manor. With support from Ioan Gruffudd and Juliet Stevenson, this is a hugely enjoyable fairytale adventure for all the family.
Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire to close London Film Festival
