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Hello
and welcome to Crawford's Cinema Companion on the BBC
Lincolnshire website. My name is Alex Crawford and you
can hear me doing full reviews of each week's new releases
on 'The Friday Night Mix' every week from 7pm till 9pm
with Nick Wilmshurst and Stainy. |
*Friday
26th August, 2005*
An
announcement was made this week as to what the opening and
closing films will be at this year's London Film Festival.
On the 19th October (which is a Wednesday), the 49th London
Film Festival will open with the new film from City of God
director Fernando Meirelles, The Constant Gardener.
The
Constant Gardener is based on the bestselling novel
of the same name by John le Carre. The two leads are played
by Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz, while the
hugely talented Bill Nighy and Danny Huston
will provide support. The Constant Gardener is a film about
one man's quest to uncover a chilling truth behind a personal
loss and a global conspiracy. Meirelles' style, so scintillatingly
showcased in City of God, should be perfect for a smart, sophisticated
and intelligent espionage thriller.
The
closing film, showing on Thursday 3rd November will be Good
Night. And, Good Luck, the second film directed by George
Clooney. Clooney's debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,
was one of the best films of the year in which it was released,
and my hopes are very high for his follow up.
Good
Night. And, Good Luck is a film about Edward R Murrow, the
journalist who swore to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy
and his seemingly vice-like grip over post-WW2 America. David
Strathairn, a hugely talented character actor, will take
the lead, while Clooney, Patricia Clarkson and Robert
Downey Jr. will take key supporting roles. Confessions
of a Dangerous Mind used a number of flashy directorial touches
for its slightly unhinged tone, Good Night. And, Good Luck
seems like a more sombre affair, and Clooney's direction will
probably be more relaxed. He has chosen to shoot in black
and white, and if he gets it right, which I think he will,
we could be looking at one of the year's best films.
The
rest of the festival's programme will be announced on Wednesday
September 14th, and in three weeks time you'll be able to
read my first impressions of the selections in this column.
I'll also be providing detailed coverage of the Festival itself.
Unfortunately,
this week's column must end on a sad note following the death
of Brock Peters. Peters, who died earlier this week
at the age of 78 is not a name that is well known by anyone,
really, but he played one of the most memorable and important
roles in cinema history. His performance as Tom Robinson in
To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with grace and dignity.
It won him roles in films as varied as The Pawnbroker and
Soylent Green as well as becoming beloved of Star Trek fans
everywhere with his recurring role in Deep Space Nine.
To
Kill a Mockingbird also earned him a friend, in co-star Gregory
Peck. Brock Peters read the eulogy at Peck's funeral in
2003, and one can only hope that someone of the same stature
will do the same for him.
Elsewhere on the site is my preview of the 25
films you need to see in 2005.
Remember to listen to The Mix on 94.9 on Fridays 7-9pm.
And if a weekly dose of Crawford's Cinema Companion isn't
enough for you, keep up to date with Alex's
blog*
*The
BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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