“THE REVENANT” ADVANCE SCREENINGS FEBRUARY 2 NATIONWIDE, SCHEDULED AS LAST FULL SHOW

Press release

Leonardo DiCaprio’s award-winning and acclaimed film, “The Revenant” from Academy Award winning director Alejandro Iῆarritu holds its public advance screenings in Philippine theatres (2D and IMAX screens) as last full show nationwide on February 2,Tuesday – hours ahead of its opening (following) day on February 3.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

                Based on true events from legendary Hugh Glass’ accounts on surviving the wild, uncertain times and even returning from the dead, “The Revenant” is this year’s most awaited cinema event. In THE REVENANT, the highly anticipated film  from 20th Century Fox, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, a fur trapper and frontiersman who is left for dead deep in the unchartered American  wilderness by a traitorous member of his team,  John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).   With sheer will as his only weapon, Glass must navigate a hostile environment, a brutal winter and warring tribes in a relentless quest to survive and exact vengeance on Fitzgerald.  Inspired by a true story, the film is directed and co-written by renowned filmmaker and Academy Award-winnerAlejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, Babel).  

                Glass’s mythology began in 1823, when he was among thousands joining the fur trade, a driving new force in the US economy. It was a time when many saw the wild as a spiritual void that demanded to be tamed and conquered by the steeliest of men. And so they poured into the unknown, plying unmapped rivers, disappearing into impossibly lush forests, seeking not only excitement and adventure but also profits -- often in fierce competition with the Native tribes for whom these lands had long been home. 

                Many such men died anonymously, but Glass entered the annals of American folklore by flat-out refusing to die. His legend sparked after he faced one of the West’s most feared dangers:  a startled grizzly bear.  For even the most tested frontiersmen that should have been the end.  But not for Glass. In Iñárritu’s telling of the tale, a mauled Glass clings to life – then suffers a human betrayal that fuels him to continue at any cost. In spite of tremendous loss, Glass pulls himself from an early grave – clawing his way through a gauntlet of unknown perils and unfamiliar cultures on a journey that becomes not just a search for reckoning but for redemption. As Glass moves through the frontier in turmoil, he comes to reject the urge for destruction that once drove him.   He has become a “revenant” -- one returned from the dead.

                                 

                “The Revenant is a story of harsh survival but also one of inspirational hope,” Iñárritu says.  “For me, the important part was to convey this adventure with a sense of wonder and discovery, as an exploration of both nature and human nature.” 

                “The Revenant” opens in cinemas across the nation starting February 3 (also in IMAX screens) from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.  Check your nearest theatres for schedule and advance ticket purchase.

The Revenant movie review

Reasons why you should watch The Revenant:

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

#Leonardo Dicaprio always choose a good movie project.

#Most of Dicaprio's movies are nominated.

#The scene with the bear was awesome. The bear should get nominated.

#The bloody gore is relevant for the movie.

#The cinematic effect is really good. It made you become part of the story when the camera rotates like you are looking for target.

#You also feel that you are being hit by an arrow even though it is not in 3D.

#The movie is from a historical period of America that most of us Filipinos or even fellow Asians are not familiar with.

#Better watched in IMAX cinema.

#The big question here is, will Leo win an Oscar this time.

For more movie reviews, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook. The Revenant opens in Philippine cinemas on February 3 by 20th Century Fox and distributed by Warner Bros. Viewed at IMAX Cinema of SM Megamall.

FASHION AND MUSIC THROWBACK IN WINNING MOVIE “BROOKLYN”

Press release

 Brought to life with the dreamlike shadings of a love poem, “Brooklyn” unfolds in two distinctly atmospheric worlds:  one amid the cloistered, muted beauty of Enniscorthy, Ireland and the other in the bustling chaos of New York’s Brooklyn, the frequent first stop of many immigrants to America, starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson who make up the film’s love triangle.

 

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox/RatPac Entertainment

                The entirety of “Brooklyn” builds to the life-altering decisions Eilis (Ronan) must make:  between Tony (Cohen) and Jim (Gleeson), between Brooklyn and Ireland, between her past and what she wants for her future.   Everyone involved knew from the start that the story hinged on the uncertainty of her ultimate choice. 

                Helping to recreate the era in the minds of actors were the beautiful clothes sourced and created by Odile Dicks-Mireaux to evoke the inimitable elegance and grace of 1950s New York.   She was thrilled to step back into that era.  “It was a complete pleasure to work with these characters,” says Dicks-Mireaux, “and there was so much craftsmanship and invention in the 1950s period.” 

                The early era of street photography, especially work by the mysterious Vivian Maier and iconic New York shooter Elliott Erwitt, inspired Dicks-Mireaux with their candid shots of transient city moments.  However, she avoided even glancing at the couture of the era. 

                “John’s specific edict was to not look at any fashion magazines because this is a story of real people – of working class girls trying to make their living in New York,” she explains. “In every aspect of the film, John wanted the look to be very natural and real.”

                Dicks-Mireaux especially enjoyed contrasting fashionable Brooklyn, of which Eilis is soon a part, with the more austere dress of Enniscorthy. “There was a huge difference between America and Ireland in those post-war years,” she explains.  “The styles could not have been more distinct which is perfect for the story we’re telling.  In America it was a time of rich color – reds, caramels and yellow ochres, pinks and pale colors – that just did not exist then in Ireland.”

                An equal contributor to the film’s transporting atmosphere is the music, led by an aching score from Michael Brook (Into The Wild, The Fighter).  There is also a transcendent musical moment -- when Eilis volunteers to serve Christmas lunch to downtrodden Irish immigrants, only to be enraptured by one homesick man’s stirring Irish lament.

Colm Tóibín told Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey that the unique voice of Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionáird had been a particular inspiration to him while writing that scene.  Inspired themselves, they approached Ó Lionáird and were delighted to be able to bring him to Montreal to perform “Casadh an Tsúgáin” live on the set. 

                Ó Lionáird fully understood why it would impact Eilis so deeply. “It’s a love song, in which the repeating chorus talks about a man asking the woman to define in what way she’s connected to him,” he explains.  “That resonates for Eilis, in that she’s connected to two worlds. In the song, the man is asking the woman ‘if you’re with me, you’re with me’ and he says ‘be with me in front of everybody, show everybody, be clear.’ She has to step into her own future and to decide what that is.” 

                Ronan was as moved as Eilis is during the scene.  “Through this incredible voice, Iarla was able to communicate every emotion that you go through when you’re away from home,” she says.

                “Brooklyn” opens today, January 27 exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Trinoma, Alabang Town Center, Greenbelt3, Market!Market!, Fairview Terraces) from 20^th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros.

“KING'S SPEECH” DIRECTOR BACK WITH OSCAR CONTENDER “THE DANISH GIRL”

Press release

Winner of Best Director Oscar for “The King’s Speech” and nominated for the same honor for “Les Miserables,” filmmaker Tom Hooper now brings to the screen Universal Pictures’ critically lauded drama “The Danish Girl.”

Starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander who both earned Oscar nominations for their performances, the film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, TriNoma, Market Market & Fairview Terraces) starting Feb. 03.

“To me, `The Danish Girl’ shares with `The King's Speech’ that theme of the blocks that lie between us and the best version of ourselves - and how we overcome those blocks,” says Hooper. “I fell in love with the script as soon as I read it, which was in 2008 when I was preparing `The King's Speech.’ It was the best script I've ever read. I wept three times when I read it - and I'm not sentimental. I've wanted to make the movie ever since.”

“The Danish Girl” is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe (Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Vikander) whose marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

“The Danish Girl” was based on David Ebershoff's debut novel. First published in 2000, the book won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction, among other honors. It has been translated into nearly 20 languages. Producers Gail Mutrux optioned the book in 2000 and began developing the film version, bringing on Linda Reisman in 2003. In 2005 Anne Harrison joined the project with the mandate of getting the screenplay adaptation written, for which screenwriter Lucinda Coxon was soon hired.

“When I read the book, I realized that Lili's remarkable story had been swept away by the tide of history,” narrates Coxon. “Hers was an incredibly important moment, and one I'd not heard about at all. After reading the novel, I researched the story a little further. What I was particularly struck by was that this was the story of a marriage, a love story between two artists of courage and imagination. And I suppose what appealed to me was telling a universal story through something highly particular.

“I thought of them not only as a couple who loved one another but also as a pair of artists who were always creating together,” continues Coxon. “These two were constantly seeking to liberate one another, and the question became just how much change a marriage could accommodate.”

The screenplay did go through several changes on the way to the big screen. “If you're writing an adaptation, you have to love the material to begin with but then you need to take ownership of it. I did make departures from David's book to go closer to the original history, but I think the essence of his book is absolutely present. The characters had been developed and brilliantly fleshed out by David in his book, which was a gift to me. One challenge was that this is such an intimate story between two people that opens out into something with enormous ramifications. Their lives together were insular until they weren't.

The screenwriter shared that the filmmakers were, in a sense, lucky that the film hadn't been made sooner. “Tom is an incredibly bold director, and he wanted to make a film that people would relate to,” says Coxon. “As a writer, you're always fighting for your script but with these gifted colleagues I found their instincts to be strong and true. This is the moment for our film to reach people.”

Hooper concludes, “I can't overemphasize how courageous Lili was to have the surgery at that time. This was before antibiotics, before penicillin, where the risks of infection were acute and the treatments were in their infancy and very dangerous. Lili was extraordinarily brave in facing these risks.”

“The Danish Girl” is distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

“BATMAN v SUPERMAN,” “SUICIDE SQUAD” LEAD WARNER BROS.’ MOVIES FOR 2016

Press release

The dark knight antagonizes the man of steel. Hard-core villains form a deadly squad. The king the jungle returns to the wild.

These are just a sample of what’s in store for movie audiences this year from Warner Bros. Pictures. Take a look at the studio’s line-up of potential blockbusters for 2016.

“Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.” From director Zack Snyder comes this action-adventure starring Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent in the characters’ first big-screen pairing. Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before. (Opens March 26)

“Suicide Squad.” It feels good to be bad… Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself? (Opens Aug. 04)

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

“How to Be Single.” New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, be it a love connection, a hook-up, or something in the middle. And somewhere between the teasing texts and one-night stands, what these unmarrieds (Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson) all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love. (Opens Feb. 11)

“Going in Style.” Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin team up as lifelong buddies who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.(Opens May 04)

“Me Before You.” “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke stars as Louisa, a quirky and creative 26-year-old whose normally cheery outlook is put to the test when she becomes caregiver and companion to Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), a wealthy young banker who became wheelchair bound in an accident two years prior, and whose whole world changed dramatically in the blink of an eye. Embarking together on a series of adventures, both Lou and Will get more than they bargained for, and find their lives—and hearts—changing in ways neither one could have imagined. (Opens June 3)

“Lights Out.” From producer James Wan (“The Conjuring”) comes a tale of an unknown terror that lurks in the dark. When Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn’t real when the lights went out…and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. (Opens July 21)

“Sully.” On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the Miracle on the Hudson when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career. (Opens Sept. 08)

“The Accountant.” Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department’s Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons), starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company where an accounting clerk (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise. (Opens Oct. 19)

“Bastards” focuses on two brothers (Ed Helms, Owen Wilson) whose eccentric mother (Glenn Close) raised them to believe their father died when they were young. When they discover this to be a lie, they set out to find their real father, learning more about their mother than they probably ever wanted to know. (Opens Nov. 09)

“Untitled Todd Phillips Film.” Based on a true story, the adventure comedy follows two friends in their early 20s (Jonah Hill and Miles Teller) living in Miami during the Iraq War who exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a $300 million deal to arm the Afghan Military—a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government. (Opens Aug. 24)

“Unforgettable.” Katherine Heigl stars as Tessa Connover, who is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter. Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare. (Opens Nov. 30)

IRISH ACTOR DOMHNALL GLEESON STARS IN “THE REVENANT’ AND “BROOKLYN”

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IRISH ACTOR DOMHNALL GLEESON STARS IN TWO STRONG OSCAR CONTENDERS –

“THE REVENANT’ AND “BROOKLYN”

Rapidly rising Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson stars in “The Revenant” and “Brooklyn” – two of this year’s strong Oscar contenders.   Gleeson , who has been coming to the fore as one of the most versatile actors of a new generation with roles in  “About Time,” “Calvary,” “Unbroken,” “Ex Machina” and in “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” goes from unshaven in his role as Captain Henry in “The Revenant” to all-dapper in “Brooklyn.”

Photo credit: 20th Century Fox

                In “The Revenant” by Oscar winner filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Leonardo DiCaprio takes on the title role,   plays the role of Captain Andrew Henry, a real-life historical figure who was one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain Trading Company and a leader of the expedition up the Missouri River.

                Inspired by true events, “The Revenant” is an epic story of survival and transformation on the American frontier.  While on an expedition into the uncharted wilderness, legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brutally mauled by a bear, then abandoned by members of his own hunting team. Alone and near death, Glass refuses to succumb.  Driven by sheer will and his love for his Native American wife and son, he undertakes a 200-mile odyssey along with Henry’s (Gleeson) soldiers through the vast and untamed West on the trail of the man who betrayed him: John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).  What begins as a relentless quest for revenge becomes a heroic saga against all odds towards home and redemption. 

                For Domhnall Gleeson, playing the role of Fitzgerald’s disappointed Captain, it was thrilling to go up against Hardy as Captain Henry realizes he has been duped.  “Tom has brought an edge to Fitzgerald where you never know which way he’s going to go,” Gleeson says.  “My character feels beaten down by Fitzgerald, but then he starts to hold his ground – and it was really exciting to go toe-to-toe with Tom.”

                Gleeson notes that the script gives Captain Henry a fictionalized arc beyond what history knows of him.  “The real Andrew Henry was respected, whereas in this story you see him as an uncertain man learning to be leader. He goes on a journey, growing into the man he was said to be,” he explains.  From the start, Gleeson understood the film was going to be a purposefully challenging experience.  “Before we even started shooting, Alejandro said he wanted it to be a tough experience for the actors – and he was true to his word.  We were put in unusual circumstances and challenging conditions but it was exciting because it was so different,” he comments.  “I certainly have never done anything like it before.  There’s an exhilaration to making a movie in a way that people just don’t make movies anymore.” 

                Gleeson says the roughness of the shoot enriched the performances.  “My character is meant to find his circumstances horribly difficult, he’s meant to feel out of place and so I poured everything I was experiencing into the performance,” he explains.  “You hope that ultimately the size of all that these men contended with --- the desperation, the madness and uncertainty -- will feel present in the movie theater.”

                From the cold and ruthless forest in “The Revenant,” Gleeson dons neatly pressed suits as Jim Farrell in “Brooklyn” where he plays opposite Saoirse Ronan who plays Eilis, an Irish immigrant in America who must choose between two countries, two men and two destinies.  

 

                Eilis’ Irish lover, Jim Farrell (Gleeson), had to be both an opposite attraction and a legitimate threat to Eilis’ New York lover, Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen).  Gleeson knew he, too, had to find a subtle but visceral chemistry with Saoirse Ronan, to put the question mark in the audience’s mind.  “Life in Brooklyn may offer Eilis more, but it was my job to make Jim seem worth staying in Ireland for,“ he says. “I really wanted to create a connection with Saoirse that you would feel is worth fighting for.”

                Like his castmates, Gleeson related to Eilis’ experience in his own way.  “I think everybody’s known a sense of displacement at one time or another, of not having a clear home,” he says.  “I’ve certainly been familiar with that at various times in my life -- and I thought it was captured brilliantly in this story. Then there’s a lot of romance and fun to the story, which is very appealing.” 

                “Brooklyn” director John Crowley says that Gleeson’s take on the character brought out the bittersweetness of the story.  “There’s a consummate intelligence to Domhnall,” says Crowley. “He thinks very deeply about all his roles and he brings an intensity and maturity to Jim that bounces beautifully off of Emory as Tony. It was so important that Jim and Tony occupy vastly different spaces, that they be totally opposite versions of men that Eilis could see herself with – and Emory and Domhnall brought completely different but equally compelling feelings that underline her choice.” 

TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVES, AN OCEAN-SPANNING TRIANGLE IN “BROOKLYN”

Press release

In search of a new life, the heart warming movie “Brooklyn” trails the life of Eilis, played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, a young luminous Irish woman who has lived her whole life in tiny Enniscorthy, Ireland – who  is swept away to America through the prodding of her thoughtful sister into becoming a confident woman in a foreign land.  

                As Eilis arrives into the diverse tumult of Brooklyn, New York a sudden burst of homesickness overwhelms her, feeling like an exile. But as Eilis dexterously learns to adapt to life as a New Yorker, she meets an Italian immigrant, Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen), a funny, sweet, charismatic suitor determined to win her devotion. Just as she seems on the verge of beginning a new life, a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland where she is pulled back into the life she left behind and meets an Irish gentleman, Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) whom she eventually falls in love with too. Caught between two countries, two men and a decision that could affect her future forever,  Eilis confronts one of the most breathtakingly difficult dilemmas of our fluid modern world: figuring out how to merge where you have come from with where you dream of going.  

                The entirety of “Brooklyn” builds to the life-altering decisions Eilis must make:  between Tony and Jim, between Brooklyn and Ireland, between her past and what she wants for her future.   Everyone involved knew from the start that the story hinged on the uncertainty of her ultimate choice. 

                While casting Eilis was vital, it was equally important that her two suitors – one American, the other unexpectedly found when she returns to Ireland – be as alluring and true-to-life.  To play the boyish plumber Tony Fiorello, who woos Eilis with bravado and tenacity despite her uncertainty, the filmmakers chose rising star Emory Cohen.  Known for his roles on NBC’s “Smash” and Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Beyond the Pines,” this is his first major romantic lead.

                Cohen, who is a New York native, was drawn to the character as both a timeless symbol of youthful passion but also as a very real Italian immigrant who believes in the 1950s ideal that the measure of man is doing the best by the woman he loves.  “Ultimately, I think this is a story that makes you think about a lot of things in life then and now,” he says.  “What does it mean to love whole heartedly?  What does it mean to be a good man? What does it mean to enjoy the simple things in life?” 

                If Tony Fiorello is sweetly seductive, his more provincial but gentlemanly Irish counterpart, Jim Farrell, had to be both an opposite attraction and a legitimate threat.  That led to the choice of Domhnall Gleeson, who has been coming to the fore as one of the most versatile actors of a new generation with roles in “About Time,” “Calvary,” “Unbroken,” “Ex Machina” and in “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.”

   

                Gleeson knew he, too, had to find a subtle but visceral chemistry with Saoirse Ronan, to put the question mark in the audience’s mind.  “Life in Brooklyn may offer Eilis more, but it was my job to make Jim seem worth staying in Ireland for,“ he says. “I really wanted to create a connection with Saoirse that you would feel is worth fighting for.”

                Like his castmates, Gleeson related to Eilis’ experience in his own way.  “I think everybody’s known a sense of displacement at one time or another, of not having a clear home,” he says.  “I’ve certainly been familiar with that at various times in my life -- and I thought it was captured brilliantly in this story. Then there’s a lot of romance and fun to the story, which is very appealing.” 

                “Brooklyn” opens January 27 exclusively at select Ayala Malls Cinemas – Glorietta 4, Trinoma, Market!Market! and Fairview Terraces from 20^th Century Fox thru Warner Bros.  Log on to www.sureseats.com for schedule.

OSCAR NOMINATED FILMS, UNCONVENTIONAL HEROES, HISTORIC FEATS LEAD 20TH CENTURY FOX’S 2016 SILVER SCREEN LINEUP

Press release

20^th Century Fox fills the silver screen this 2016 with Award-winning and , inspiring and adventure-packed films featuring larger-than-life stories and characters best seen on the big screen.

                This year’s Golden Globe winner for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor along with twelve (12) major nominations at the 88^th Academy Awards,  “The Revenant” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy by Oscar winning director Alejandro Inarritu,  is an epic story inspired by true events of the legendary fur trapper Hugh Glass played by DiCaprio.   Driven by sheer will and his love for his Native American wife and son, he undertakes a 200-mile odyssey through the vast and untamed West on the trail of the man who betrayed him: John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).  What begins as a relentless quest for revenge becomes a heroic saga against all odds towards home and redemption. 

                Also this year’s formidable contender at the Oscars is “Brooklyn,” starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson that tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and she must choose between two countries, two men and the lives that exist within.

                2016’s Golden Globe winner for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy) is Jennifer Lawrence in her role in “Joy,” a modern day telenovela based loosely on the life and rise of inventor and home shopping star Joy Mangano.  Directed by acclaimed David O. Russell, “Joy” also stars Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper and Edgar Ramirez that follows the wild path of a hard-working but half-broken family and the young girl who ultimately becomes its shining matriarch and leader in her own right. 

                A loveable underdog will emerge from the producers of the blockbuster action movie “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” the feel-good story of “Eddie The Eagle” is about Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton), a courageous yet unlikely British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself – even as his family and the entire nation initially counted him out.  Persistently trying to perfect his skill with the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, portrayed by Hugh Jackman, Eddie eventually wins the hearts of sports fans round the globe when he performed a historic feat at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics..

                Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza star in the hilarious buddy comedy “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” wherein brothers place an online ad to find dates for a wedding and the ad goes viral. 

Blink Movie Festival

Join us as we launch Blink, a VOD service that offers pay-per-view movies and TV series online and on multiple platforms. The grand festival highlights Blink’s advantage through the provision of unlimited movies, TV shows, and fun activities for everyone.

Blink Movie Festival on January 22 (Friday), 3:30 PM at The Atrium, Mall of Asia and is brought to you by SM Lifestyle Entertainment. For more movie updates, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO’S WINNING FILM “THE REVENANT” STAYS FIERCE - EDGES OUT “FORCE AWAKENS” AT THE (U.S.) BOX-OFFICE ON ITS OPENING (FRI)DAY

Press release

With multiple wins at the recent Golden Globes and major nominations in the upcoming 88^th Academy Awards,  film “The Revenant” (read my review here) starring Leonardo DiCaprio directed by Academy Award winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu is fiercely strong at the (U.S.) box-office  with an incredible opening (Friday, Jan. 8) of $14.4 million, edging out “Star Wars: The Force Awakens’” ($10.75 million) that day.

Photo credit: 20th Century Fox

               

                “The Revenant” best seen on the big screen, is on its way to $100 million with an estimated gross of $97 million to-date.  Inspired by true events, “The Revenant” is physically intense and emotionally gripping story of a man presumed to be dead but came back to life.  The legend of Hugh Glass, as he is regarded to be the revenant, someone who came back from the dead, is played by Leonardo DiCaprio.   Part thriller, part wilderness journey, The Revenant explores primal drives not only for life itself but for dignity, justice, faith, family and home. 

                Glass’s mythology began in 1823, when he was among thousands joining the fur trade, a driving new force in the US economy. It was a time when many saw the wild as a spiritual void that demanded to be tamed and conquered by the steeliest of men. And so they poured into the unknown, plying unmapped rivers, disappearing into impossibly lush forests, seeking not only excitement and adventure but also profits -- often in fierce competition with the Native tribes for whom these lands had long been home. 

                Many such men died anonymously, but Glass entered the annals of American folklore by flat-out refusing to die. His legend sparked after he faced one of the West’s most feared dangers:  a startled grizzly bear.  For even the most tested frontiersmen that should have been the end.  But not for Glass. In Iñárritu’s telling of the tale, a mauled Glass clings to life – then suffers a human betrayal that fuels him to continue at any cost. In spite of tremendous loss, Glass pulls himself from an early grave – clawing his way through a gauntlet of unknown perils and unfamiliar cultures on a journey that becomes not just a search for reckoning but for redemption. As Glass moves through the frontier in turmoil, he comes to reject the urge for destruction that once drove him.   He has become a “revenant” -- one returned from the dead.

                Adds Leonardo DiCaprio:  “The Revenant is an incredible journey through the harshest elements of an uncharted America.  It’s about the power of a man’s spirit. Hugh Glass’s story is the stuff of campfire legends, but Alejandro uses that folklore to explore what it really means to have all the chips stacked against you, what the human spirit can endure and what happens to you when you do endure.” 

                “There are powerful themes for me in the film:  the will to live and our relationship with wilderness,” explains DiCaprio of his immediate attraction to the story.  “I’ve also previously played a lot of characters who were incredibly articulate in different ways and had a lot to say, so this was a unique challenge for me.  It was about conveying things without words or in a different language.  A lot of it was about adapting in the moment, about reacting to what nature was giving us and to what Glass was going through as we filmed.  It was about exploring the most internal elements of the survival instinct.”

               

                Based in part on Michael Punke’s novel  “The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge,” 20th Century Fox and New Regency present “The Revenant,” also starring Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, Kristoffer Joner, Joshua Burge and Duane Howard.

STARS OF “HOW TO BE SINGLE” IN THEIR SOLO BANNERS

Press release

The four main female stars of Warner Bros. Pictures' new romantic comedy “How to Be Single” get their own singular banners which have just been revealed by the studio. Getting the special treatment are Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey”), Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect”), Alison Brie (“Get Hard”) and Leslie Mann (“Knocked Up”).

Christian Ditter (“Love, Rosie”) directed the comedy from a screenplay by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein (“The Vow,” “He’s Just Not That Into You”) and Dana Fox (“Couples Retreat,” “What Happens in Vegas”), screen story by Kohn & Silverstein, based on the book by Liz Tucillo (TV’s “Sex & the City,” He’s Just Not That Into You).

In the film, there’s a right way to be single, a wrong way to be single, and then…there’s Alice. And Robin. Lucy. Meg. Tom. David. New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, be it a love connection, a hook-up, or something in the middle. And somewhere between the teasing texts and one-night stands, what these unmarrieds all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love. Sleeping around in the city that never sleeps was never so much fun.

“How to Be Single” also stars Damon Wayans, Jr. (“Let’s Be Cops”), Anders Holm (“The Intern”), Nicholas Braun (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), Jake Lacy (HBO’s “Girls”), with Jason Mantzoukas (“Neighbors”).

How to Be Single” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER MARION COTILLARD IN “MACBETH”

Press release

 Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard stars as Lady Macbeth opposite Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender in this year’s thrilling interpretation of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”  The movie wherein Fassbender plays the title role is the story of a fearless warrior and inspiring leader brought low by ambition and desire.

                Set in war torn Scottish landscape, following a fierce battle in which Macbeth (Fassbender), Thane of Glamis and loyal general of King Duncan’s (David Thewlis) forces, has finally killed Macdonwald, a traitor and leader of rebel forces, he and fellow soldier Banquo (Paddy Considine) encounter three women scavenging among the fallen soldiers, who foretell that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, while Banquo will be the father of future kings. Both men are unnerved by the prophecies but for the moment appear not to believe them.

                At Inverness, a letter from Macbeth arrives, informing Lady Macbeth of the prophecy. Lady Macbeth (Cotillard), who has not seen her husband over the long years of war and is grieving the loss of their only child, feels the seed of an idea grow in her mind. She plans for her husband to kill King Duncan so that they can assume the throne.  Macbeth is at first reluctant to do harm to Duncan, but Lady Macbeth’s persuasion and Duncan’s announcement that his callow son Malcolm will succeed him spur him to act. After feasting and drinking liberally, Duncan retires to bed, unaware that Lady Macbeth has drugged his guards.

               

                Macbeth, taking advantage of the confusion and grief caused by Duncan’s death, and marshalling his popularity amongst the people, is crowned King of Scotland. Banquo, however, has suspicions of his own based on their encounter with the prophetic women. Unable to trust anyone, and increasingly drawn down the path of tyranny, Macbeth begins to kill any who he fears might oppose him.

                Lady Macbeth, meanwhile, has been slowly driven mad by her guilt in the wake of killing Duncan and the realisation that she has lost her husband forever to darkness, just like she once lost a child. Unable to escape her grief, and unable to make any connection with the husband she loves so much, she returns to Inverness and dies consumed by visions of her dead child.

                Marion Cotillard signed up to play the crucial role of Lady Macbeth, despite English being a second language. “I knew that one day I would play Lady Macbeth,” says Cotillard, noting the special connection she’s always felt to Scotland and this particular play. Acclaimed director Justin Kurzel says Cotillard worked hard to learn the Shakespearian language despite the language barrier. “It was huge for her in terms of how foreign the verse was,” he notes.

                “I couldn’t miss this opportunity to play this character in English,” she concurs. “We all worked with Neil Swain on the language, who is much more than a dialogue coach, he’s a Shakespeare expert. Our work with him was about going deep into Shakespeare’s world, and it was about more than just finding the right accent, rhythm and energy.”

                “I think in the end you’ll have great empathy for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth,” notes producer Laura Hastings-Smith. “Obviously they do terrible things, which can happen even to good people, but I think you come to understand the tragedy of that in a very human sense with this film.”

Award Winning Horror Film “Jeruzalem” To Open in Local Cinemas January 20

Press release

 From emerging Israeli directors, brothers Yoav and Doron Paz comes an acclaimed award-winning film “Jeruzalem,” winner of the Audience Award and Best Editing at the recent 32nd Jerusalem International Film Festival. 

                 “Jeruzalem” follows two American girls on vacation who meet an attractive student studying anthropology during their trip to Jerusalem.  A trip planned to be their best vacation ever, the girls, Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn) and Rachel (Jane TheVirgin's Yael Grobglas) do the rounds of the tour with newfound friend Kevin in tow and partying hard in Jerusalem’s ancient sites. The trio unexpectedly find themselves in the midst of a religious conflict followed by a series of horrifying biblical apocalypse. 

                Inspired by a line from the Talmud that states “There are three gates to hell: one in the desert, one in the ocean and one in Jerusalem,” the movie unleashes a chain of demonic events that brought about terror as the three try to escape between ancient walls of the holy city.   

                “We wanted to give the audience a chance to feel and experience this dark, mystical and religious city through the eyes of our characters. To see up close what the resurrection may actually look like, in the most reasonable place on earth to start the apocalypse,” says Yoav and Doron on introducing the film. 

                The Paz Bros. are the sons of Israeli filmmaker Jonathan Paz (“Waiting for Surkin”) and grew up in Netanya. Their filmmaking careers began when they were around 10 or 11 years old. Filmed in found footage style through a smart digital glass, “Jeruzalem” gives the audience a rich detail of the city’s culture and history as read from the Bible.  

                “We see it more of a POV (point of view) instead of found footage, we wanted it so all the other actors are talking to the camera, and when she crawls in the dark people the audience see how it feels to crawl in the dark. Like a sort of virtual reality. But we didn’t know what to do about it. Then a few years ago everyone started talking about Google glass with verbal technologly and this gave us our window. This also gave us another layer, a technological layer, where we could present more information. You don’t see it in the trailer, but the entire film is through a smart glass – not Google. So there’s verbal technology and augmented reality. This means we could use social media in it too as another form of storytelling. It’s the oldest story with new technology. We don’t like to call it found footage because, while it’s obviously a found footage technique, we think this takes it to the next level,” shares Yoav and Doron of their filmmaking style.

               

                Yoav and Doron Paz first gained acclaim with their arthouse film “Phobidilia,” an official selection at TIFF and the Berlin International Film Festival. Their latest film, “Jeruzalem” marks a radical new turn as they submerge themselves full-on into hyper-visceral horror storytelling.

                “For years we thought to ourselves ‘how come nobody did an apocalypse movie about Jerusalem’ , when it’s the perfect set up for it. You’ve seen movies about the apocalypse in cities all around the world: Bostin, then you have REC – everywhere, but nobody’s been dealing with Jerusalem itself. Though the Bible, and its scriptures are set there, so that’s where we took it,” further shares Yoav on the concept of the movie.

               

                “Jeruzalem” opens in theatres nationwide on January 20 from Pioneer Films. Check out the film’s trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNZcLIhn5lg