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Post by Ace on Jan 20, 2009 16:24:49 GMT -5
With The Greatest getting thru the roof potitive review and without doubt this gonna be the best feature in Brosnan resume.If they market in right an oscar nomination for Brosnan is a sure thing. Depends. Tailor of Panama is his best reviewed (lead actor) film so far with The Matador second - both with his most acclaimed performances and The Greatest will be lucky to be in that tier. As for awards etc, first it needs a distributor -- then it needs the right distributor and a ton of other factors need to fall right.
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Post by Ace on Jan 20, 2009 20:31:26 GMT -5
www.variety.com/review/VE1117939408.html?categoryid=2471&cs=1VarietyThe Greatest By TODD MCCARTHY A Barbarian Film Group presentation of a Silverwood Films/Irish Dreamtime production. Produced by Lynette Howell, Beau St. Clair. Executive producers, Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Kaufman, Doug Dey, Ron Hartenbaum, Douglas Kuber, Myles Nestel, Anthony Callie. Co-producers, Amanda J. Scarano, Katie Mustard. Directed, written by Shana Feste. Allen Brewer - Pierce Brosnan Grace Brewer - Susan Sarandon Rose - Carey Mulligan Ryan - Johnny Simmons Bennett - Aaron Johnson Ashley - Zoe Kravitz Joan - Jennifer Ehle Lydia - Amy Morton Jordan Walker - Michel Shannon Far from a remake of the Muhammad Ali biopic, "The Greatest" is a well-observed study of an affluent family's grief and rebirth after a tragic accident. Writer-director Shana Feste displays impressive control over all aspects of her feature debut, which deals in a nuanced manner with the different ways those affected by the loss deal with it. As demonstrated by the recent "Revolutionary Road," this sort of grim material with agonized characters emits serious noncommercial vibes, suggesting a hard road ahead in a marketplace in which solid reviews will have to help the star names in selling it. Feste was inspired by the psychological insight into family disruptions of "Ordinary People" in making her film, and one critical result of this influence was her recruitment of that picture's cinematographer, John Bailey, whose work here is superlative; the compositions are bold and strong, the lighting exquisite, making "The Greatest" a visual pleasure. Opening sequence comes out of nowhere to slug you in the gut. A young couple tenderly makes love, then are seen in the fellow's Karmann Ghia, which he impulsively stops in the middle of the empty road at night to say something important --and Wham!, the car is smashed by a speeding truck. The teenage boy's funeral is followed by a minutes'-long take that bluntly observes the mother, Grace Brewer (Susan Sarandon), father Allen (Pierce Brosnan) and remaining teen son Ryan (Johnny Simmons) mourning in their own ways in silence in the back of the limousine. Outwardly taking things hardest is Grace, who begins bawling the moment she awakes in the morning and soon develops an obsession for knowing what her son Bennett (Aaron Johnson) might have felt, thought or said during the 17 minutes he remained alive after the accident. Allen, an advanced mathematics professor, holds it all in, although he does tell his gorgeous mistress (Jennifer Ehle) at school not to expect to see him, since he must do everything he can to support his wife. The wild card is Rose (Carey Mulligan), the woman who was in the car with Bennett. Shesuffered only mild injuries and is, lo and behold, pregnant. As disclosed in short flashbacks, Rose and Bennett were longtime classmates who had slept together just the one time. Without resources or family to support her, the attractive, strong-minded young lady intends to keep the baby, a decision Allen supports but surprisingly does not please Grace, who maintains a resentful distance from Rose even after she moves into the Brewer's lovely rambling house (the pic was shot in and around Nyack, N.Y.). These initial positions undergo tectonic shifts through the nine months of the story, as Allen's grief eventually bursts out, Ryan finds a way to articulate how he feels and Grace at long last can speak with the rough character (Michael Shannon) who rammed into her son. It's all done with intelligence, sensitivity and credibility, even if the emotional trauma of parents losing a child is not the sort of thing most people, especially other parents, want to spend much time grappling with. Thesps do admirable, potent work, with Brosnan coping well with the sort of heavy dramatic lifting he only occasionally undertakes; Sarandon channeling a mother's distressed obsession with complete conviction; and Mulligan, a British newcomer who proves a revelation in another Sundance entry, "An Education," bringing a bracing resilience to a teenager for whom one night changed the rest of her life. Simmons comes into his own impressively when given the opportunity in the latter going. Craft contributions are first-rate. Camera (Technicolor, Panavision widescreen), John Bailey; editor, Cara Silverman; music, Christophe Beck; music supervisors, Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe; production designer, Judy Rhee; art director, Bradley Schmidt; set decorator, Laura Hyman; costume designer, Luca Mosca; sound (Dolby Digital), Jerry Stein; supervising sound designer, Michael Baird; associate producers, Nissa Ren Cannon, Chris Charalambous; assistant director, Curtis A. Smith; second unit director, Nick Caccese; second unit camera, Peter Hlinomaz; casting, Laura Rosenthal, Ali Farrell. Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (competing), Jan. 17, 2009. Running time: 100 MIN.
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Post by mel71pierce53 on Jan 21, 2009 14:09:28 GMT -5
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Post by mel71pierce53 on Jan 22, 2009 12:20:27 GMT -5
Pierce Brosnan's emotional worry Thursday, 22 January 2009
Pierce Brosnan was scared of exploring his emotions in 'The Greatest'.
The 55-year-old 'Mamma Mia' star has admitted that he was anxious about playing such a difficult part because it is so unlike anything else he has done.
He said: "Well, I haven't played this emotional register since I was really a young actor. I mean, I've steered away from it, in some respects, and taken an easier road. And also, I haven't been really offered them."
The married actor - who lost his first wife Cassandra Harris to ovarian cancer in 1991 - said he had to draw from his own experiences of grief while working on the movie.
He said: "There was enough of my own life history in there as a father, to explore this character. I know a little bit about grief."
"You certainly use your life's history of pain. There's enough pain in there to draw upon. And it was also in the writing, too. When writing like this comes along, it taps in there pretty easily. And then you're casting."
'The Greatest' - which is about a family's struggle to get over the loss of a son - is released in cinemas later this year.
(C) BANG Media International
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Post by mel71pierce53 on Jan 22, 2009 12:22:52 GMT -5
Actress SUSAN SARANDON was reluctant to appear in new film THE GREATEST - until co-star PIERCE BROSNAN persuaded her to take on the role with an unexpected phone call. The Oscar-winner admits she was hesitant to appear in the movie, until writer and director Shana Feste hired the former James Bond star to play her husband. She tells the New York Daily News, "I was debating doing the movie, but it was near my house, it wasn't that long a shoot, and (Feste) was so passionate about it. "I said we'd have to get a great male lead, and I thought Pierce was a good suggestion. So one day I get a voice-mail, and it was Pierce. He said 'This is Pierce Brosnan....' And I was in."
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Post by Ace on Jan 23, 2009 14:17:01 GMT -5
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Post by Ace on Jan 23, 2009 20:30:36 GMT -5
www.sltrib.com/SundanceFilmFestival/ci_11537164Memorable moments at Sundance Sundance » Thanks for the memories The Salt Lake Tribune Updated: 01/23/2009 We came, we stalked celebrities, we screened movies, we reviewed, we blogged, we interviewed, we photographed, and we wrote all about it. Now, in the final week of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, we're already missing the fresh-eyed, eager premiere-goers we all were just last weekend. To mark a festival already well marked, we've created a list of some of our most memorable film scenes, celebrity encounters and only-at-Sundance moments of this year's love fest of things indie. Memorable movie scenes The Sundance Film Festival is defined by its movies, and those movies are defined by specific moments. Here are five of the most memorable moments from 2009 Sundance Film Festival's screenings: Movie » "The Greatest"
The scene » Alan (Pierce Brosnan) is already awake when the alarm clock goes off. His wife, Grace (Susan Sarandon), awakes -- and, when she remembers that their son is dead, starts sobbing in her pillow.
Why it's memorable » Director-writer Shana Feste shows, without a word spoken, how these parents cope with their grief.Movie » "Adam" The scene » Awkward Adam (Hugh Dancy) invites beautiful neighbor Beth (Rose Byrne) to see his planetarium --- and then overexplains the scientific details. Why it's memorable » It deftly shows how Adam, as a sufferer of Asperger's syndrome, is both obsessive and brilliant --- and why Beth could fall for Advertisement him. Movie » "The Cove" The scene » Activist Ric O'Barry disrupts an International Whaling Commission meeting, a flat-screen TV strapped to his chest, to expose a Japanese village's slaughter of dolphins. Why it's memorable » As Louie Psihoyos' documentary illuminates this marine tragedy, O'Barry's civil disobedience provides a much-needed emotional catharsis. Movie » "Arlen Faber" The scene » The title character (Jeff Daniels) throws out his back, and is stuck on the floor as his turntable repeatedly plays "Isn't It Romantic?" Why it's memorable » Daniels' gift for physical comedy (remember "Dumb & Dumber"?) brings some warmth to this misanthropic character. Movie » "Big Fan" The scene » Giants fans Paul (Patton Oswalt) and Sal (Kevin Corrigan) tailgate at Giants Stadium -- but then watch the game from a TV in the parking lot. Why it's memorable » Writer-director Robert Siegel reveals the depths of his characters' fan worship, and their loserhood. by Sean P. Means Memorable red-carpet moments Every Sundance Festival, it's the same: Your first celebrity sighting is exciting. After several nights on the prowl, the red-carpet walks all have the familiar air of just another award show clip airing on "ET!" All the women actors appear thinner than you can imagine, everyone has beautiful skin, while the men all appear shorter in person, all sporting casually messy hair. Everybody just loved working together, and the director/screenwriter/producers were all brilliant, and it's hard to find a memorable quote among the scribbles in your notebook. So before we forget, here's a list of our top red-carpet moments of Sundance 2009. Celebrity » Amy Poehler, at the Jan. 16 screening of "Spring Breakdown" Why it was memorable » The new mother receives a "onesy" with a Canadian flag printed on the front and U.S. flag on the back in recognition of her child's bi-national heritage with husband Will Arnett. Celebrity » Ashley Judd, at the Jan. 16 screening of "Helen" Why it was memorable » Judd lists five -- count 'em, five! -- books on depression she read in preparation for her role as a chronically melancholy university professor, and yet the actor still manages a dazzling smile. Celebrity-to-be » Chloe Moretz, at the Jan. 17 screening of "500 Days of Summer" Why it was memorable » The 11-year-old has been so busy with other acting jobs she forgot the name of her character in the movie she was helping to promote. She covered her mouth, giggled, and then ran to ask a fellow cast member. "It's Rachel," she said on her return. Celebrity » Woody Harrelson at the Jan. 19 screening of "The Messenger" Why it was memorable » Amid an entire film cast wearing black for the press walk, Harrelson shows off his idiosyncratic nature by daring to show up wearing -- gasp! -- multi-colored, canvas tennis shoes. Celebrity » Uma Thurman, at the Jan. 21 screening of "Motherhood" Why it was memorable » In the mother of all "Celebrities: They're-just-like-us!" moments, Thurman broke the monotony of the red carpet with a simple gesture. She arrived for the press walk with a bunch of red balloons, tying one to the end of a telephoto lens and offering several others to photographers. by Ben Fulton, Robert Hirschi, Kim McDaniel and Kathy Stephenson Memorable only-at-Sundance moments: Besides the films, besides the celebrity sightings, besides all that, there's those sweet little everything else events, the only-at-Sundance moments where the famous and the regular working folks -- features reporters, that is -- rub shoulders, during parties, concerts, at gourmet dinners, and well, in bathrooms. Here's a nearly random list of several of the memorable moments we collected at this year's festival. Memorable moment » Super, super group rocks out, about 1 a.m. Jan. 20 at Park City's Harry O's nightclub What happened » At the performance of rock supergroup Camp Freddy, a bunch of musicians (and non-musicians) took over the stage to close with a blazing version of the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Performers included Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), Matt Sorum (Guns n' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Billy Morrison (The Cult, Circus Diablo), Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction), Donovan Leitch Jr. (Nancy Boy), Billy Duffy (The Cult), Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol's band) and Shaun White (pro snowboarder/skateboarder). Memorable moment » Pop singer "crashes" SpongeBob SquarePants reading, about 5 p.m. Jan. 18 at Park City's Village at the Yard What happened » The cast of TV's animated hit series was performing a staged reading of a future episode about lost treasure and the myth of Davy Jones' locker -- which is a euphemism for the resting place of drowned sailers. At one point, the cast mentioned the legendary Davey Jones, to which the real Davy Jones -- the lead singer of the 1960s pop group, The Monkees -- jumped on stage with "I'm a Believer" blaring from the speakers. So much for being a pop music iconic. That was when a woman old enough to know better whispered in a reporter's ear: "Now, who is that?" Memorable moment » Gibson Guitar Lounge, at 2 p.m. Jan. 17 on Park City's Main Street What happened » The living members of The Doors performed an impromptu concert. Our reporter pretended to be a roadie in order to get in, and because of a strict photographer who was taking what were supposed to be exclusive photos, he smuggled out the video tape in order to post this concert-for-the-ages online. Memorable moment » Recognizing chanteuse Norah Jones in the bathroom at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center about 8:20 p.m. Jan. 16 What happened » A reporter ducks into the Ladies' to call her boss and report after the premiere screening of "The September Issue" (no PETA protests, no star sightings), a the documentary about the legendary Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour. That's when the reporter looked to the left and saw Jones, who was retouching her makeup. The women exchange "I just recognized you" and "That women just recognized me" looks. Reporter asks to snap a picture, but the singer briskly brushed off the request. Memorable moment » Bon Appetit Supper Club at a dinner serving Chris Rock and cast and crew of his documentary "Good Hair," 7 p.m. Jan. 18 What happened » "Iron Chef America's" Chef Cat Cora served braised beef short ribs, with herbed potato risotto, chanterelle mushrooms and Stella Artois beer to famous comedian, and among others, a food journalist, who ate the whole thing. Memorable moment » Watching Barak Obama be sworn in as president about 9:30 a.m. Jan. 20, on big-screen TVs outside and in bars and lounges up-and-down Park City's Main Street What happened » For a time on Tuesday, the industry convention that is Sundance joined the rest of America to stare at screens of not just another movie, but a live historic changeover. Aretha sang, Joe Biden vowed, and then Obama, with his hand of Lincoln's Bible, followed Chief Justice John Roberts, stumbling a bit in repeating his oath of office, just enough to make two of the most powerful lawyers in the country appear like regular people. All this on a day when truth and history came together, almost like a movie. by David Burger, Vince Horiuchi, Darren Ewing, Roxana Orellana, Kathy Stephenson and Sean P. Means At this year's festival, did you bag a memorable moment? Tell us about it. Send an email to features@sltrib.com with the subject line "Memorable Sundance," and we'll post the best at www.blogs.sltrib.com/sundance.
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Post by Ace on Jan 26, 2009 14:38:03 GMT -5
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Post by Andrea on Jan 29, 2009 16:55:33 GMT -5
The Greatest screenings at the European Film Market in Berlin www.efm-berlinale.de/en/films/films-screenings/film-details.php?film_id=20096249The Greatest The Greatest USA 2008 Director: Shana Feste Cast: Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons, Aaron Johnson World Sales: Kimmel International Screenings at the European Film Market Sat Feb 07 13:00 CinemaxX 9 35 mm Mon Feb 09 11:00 CinemaxX 9 35 mm The Greatest The death of their teenage son in a car crash is almost too much for the Brewer family to bear because the impact of his death unleashes the turmoil that was beneath the surface of their lives.
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Post by Ace on Jan 31, 2009 18:31:14 GMT -5
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Post by Ace on Feb 1, 2009 19:55:41 GMT -5
Report from Sundance www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/01/PKU615E1HB.DTL&feed=rss.entertainmentRuthe Stein, S.F. Chronicle correspondent Sunday, February 1, 2009 The Sundance Film Festival has hatched stars before. But - as befits a forum so focused on filmmakers - the discoveries have all been directors such as Steven Soderbergh ("sex, lies, and videotape"), Scott Hicks ("Shine") and Edward Burns ("The Brothers McMullen"). In the future, the festival's 25th anniversary year will surely be remembered as the birth of a movie star. Her name is Carey Mulligan. Look for it. I never thought I'd be saying this about any actress, but she's got that indefinable Audrey Hepburn thing going. Call it pixie charm or an exalted state of adorableness - whatever it is, it's been missing from the big screen since Hepburn's death in 1993. Suddenly there it was in the opening scene of "The Greatest," a somber but ultimately moving drama in competition at Sundance. A teenager sits in a parked car and tells his girlfriend (Mulligan) how much he loves her. The camera hones in on her broad smile, dimples and pixie haircut and you think, well, of course he would feel that way. After the boy's sudden death, she goes on to captivate his father (Pierce Brosnan). I left thinking Mulligan was American and was surprised when she popped up with a British accent in the cautionary romance "An Education," set in London circa early 1960s. Turns out she is from England and has loads of experience across the Atlantic in TV ("Bleak House") and onstage (a recent revival of "The Seagull"). Mulligan shows she can do flirtatious in "An Education," a crowd-pleaser that was bought for a festival near-record $3 million and won the Audience Prize in the world cinema category. She plays a schoolgirl who attracts the attention of a wealthy middle-aged man (Peter Sarsgaard) just walking down the street. He woos her with the shocking approval of her middle-class parents, who are awestruck by the way he throws around money. Like Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Mulligan manages to appear innocent even in compromising situations and brings sweetness to a seedy story.
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Post by Andrea on Feb 2, 2009 10:54:02 GMT -5
www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=11537THE GREATEST by Scott Knopf (2009-01-31) 2009, Un-rated, 98 minutes Shana Feste was working as a nanny when she received the news that Pierce Brosnan was interested in starring in her debut feature “The Greatest.” She quickly flew out to Hawaii to meet with him and then a few days later, news arrived that Susan Sarandon was interested as well. The first-time director landed James Bond and Louise! The lead role went to Carey Mulligan (An Education), a young up-and-coming actress whose name will be on everyone’s lips soon enough. It was the quality of her script that landed such an A-list cast. She penned the script and shopped around until landing at Barbarian Films .Together, the team went to work on a heavy film about a grieving family and the stranger that enters their life under unusual circumstances. When the Brewer family loses their teenage son, Bennett, each member begins to mourn in their own way. Brosnan plays Allen Brewer, the father who remains calm in an attempt to hold his family together. Sarandon plays Grace Brewer, the mother who obsesses over her baby’s last seventeen minutes of life. Bennett’s younger brother Ryan, played by Johnny Simmons puts on a strong front like his father and attends group therapy meetings to meet girls. “The Greatest” explores just why dealing with how other people grieve can be as difficult as grieving yourself. In the vein of “In the Bedroom” (2000) and “Moonlight Mile” (2001), Feste’s film offers a unique perspective on the subject of sorrow. Soon after Bennett’s death, his girlfriend Rose shows up at the Brewer’s front door in need of a place to stay—until she has the baby. Pregnant and alone, Rose, who only briefly dated Bennett, moves in with his mourning family. She tries earnestly to learn more about the now-deceased dad of her yet-to-be-born baby. Each family member reacts to her presence differently and instead of becoming the glue that holds them together, it becomes increasing clear that she might be pushing the Brewers towards separation. “The Greatest” is a solid film containing numerous performances worth mention. But while it comes as no surprise that Sarandon and Brosnan deliver the goods, Mulligan holds her own alongside the pros. She captures the innocence of a young woman in a desperate situation. Rose is a child trying her hardest to be an adult. The film’s most impressive performance comes from the actor whose character spends most of the film in a coma. That’s not a knock at the rest of the performers, it’s what Michael Shannon does when he wakes up that’s so extraordinary. Playing the man responsible for Bennett Brewer’s death, Shannon has the honor of portraying the film’s most complex character. He acts his heart out during a scene where Grace squeezes every last detail about her son’s last moments from his memory. A number of great performances added to a moving script and filmed with beautiful cinematography have resulted in an outstanding film. Feste’s project shows that having the right pieces makes fitting them all together a whole lot easier.
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Post by Ace on Feb 7, 2009 2:49:16 GMT -5
Selling at the Berlinale www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=43144&Category=The Greatest sells strongly for Kimmel Jeremy Kay in Berlin 07 Feb 2009 Kimmel International has closed key territories on Shane Feste's drama The Greatest starring Sundance breakout star Carey Mulligan alongside Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon. Deals have closed with SND in France, Dea Planeta in Spain, Gussi in Mexico, PlayArte in Brazil, Nordisk in Scandinavia, Nu Metro in South Africa and Forum in Israel. A North American deal is imminent on the story of a grieving family that rallies together when their dead son's pregnant girlfriend turns up. Company president Mark Lindsay is showing early footage in Berlin of Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut drama Sympathy For Delicious, which is shooting in Los Angeles. The picture stars Christopher Thornton, who also wrote the screenplay, as a paralysed DJ who discovers he can heal people. Orlando Bloom, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich and Ruffalo also star. Meanwhile Lindsay has finalised a Spanish deal with Dea Planeta for the Uma Thurman comedy Motherhood, which receives its first market screening here following the world premiere at Sundance.
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Post by Ace on Mar 16, 2009 13:26:20 GMT -5
www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ia9c64386847182ff992743faa413377d'The Greatest' picked up by Senator Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan star in family drama By Steven Zeitchik March 16, 2009 "The Greatest" NEW YORK -- Senator Films has made its second pickup of a movie that played this year's Sundance Film Festival, buying North American rights to the family drama "The Greatest." Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sanradon star in the pic, which centers on a couple that loses their son in a car accident and then learns that the girlfriend he has left behind is pregnant with his child. Shana Feste wrote and directed the drama, which also features rising star Carey Mulligan. The retooled Senator had previously made a splash when it bought opening-night film "Brooklyn's Finest," Antoine Fuqua's gritty cop drama, which it plans to release this year.
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Post by Ace on Mar 16, 2009 16:01:30 GMT -5
www.indiewire.com/article/2009/03/16/senator_takes_the_greatest/Senator Takes “The Greatest” by Peter Knegt Marco Weber’s Senator Distribution has acquired North American rights to Shana Feste’s Sundance entry, “The Greatest.” The film stars Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, and Carey Mulligan, and centers around the Brewers, family whose lives are shattered by the death of their teenage son, Bennett, in a car crash. “I knew I had to write great roles if I was going to attach myself as a director to my script,” Feste told indieWIRE during Sundance. “Grief is such an interesting emotion - it takes you to such strange, wonderful, heartbreaking places - I knew that if I was going to write roles that would attract actors grief would be a good subject to explore. So I did quite a bit of research and was very inspired by the stories I heard from parents that had lost a child. There was enough material to write five screenplays. I was incredibly moved by the film “Ordinary People,” and wanted to tell a story about the death of a child in an equally truthful, inspiring way.” The deal was negotiated by Senator COO Andrew Matthews, with Endeavor Independent’s Graham Taylor and CAA jointly representing the filmmakers. “From the moment we saw ‘The Greatest’ at Sundance, our team pursued it aggressively, and we are thrilled the filmmakers have entrusted us with the project,” said Senator Chairman Weber and President Mark Urman in a statement. “‘The Greatest’ is that rare film that combines extraordinary quality of execution with mass audience appeal. For us, it was one of the true revelations of Sundance and our entire team loved it.” “Ever since sitting down with Mark and Marco at Sundance I knew instinctively that they were the right distributor,” Feste said in a statement. “Their sensitivity to the themes of the film and their heartfelt emotional response convinced me that they understood the movie on a deeper level than most of the distributors we met with. I am thrilled that we were able to make this exciting partnership come to fruition.”
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Post by Ace on Apr 23, 2009 22:30:23 GMT -5
Next Spring? Nooooo..... www.variety.com/article/VR1118002798.html?categoryId=19&cs=1E1 nabs clutch of Senator films Pics include 'Unthinkable,' 'Informers' By BRENDAN KELLY MONTREAL -- Canuck film distributor E1 Entertainment has inked a deal with Senator Distribution to pick-up Canuck rights to rights to five pics plus U.K. rights to one of those pics. It has acquired Canadian and British rights to "Unthinkable," directed by Gregor Jordan, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Sheen and Carrie-Ann Moss. Pic is a thriller about a black-ops interrogator and an FBI agent hunting for three nuclear weapons set to detonate in the U.S. Distrib took Canadian rights to four pics. Jordan's "The Informers," top-lining Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke and Winona Ryder, opens in the U.S. on Friday. Pic concerns a group of disparate characters in 1980s L.A., including a rock star and a vampire. "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane," directed by Jonathan Levin, with Amber Heard, Michael Welch and Anson Mount, is about high-school kids at a secluded ranch party. It's set for a July release. "The Greatest," written and directed by Shana Feste, stars Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon as a couple who learn their son's girlfriend is pregnant after he dies in a car crash. Pic will be released next spring."Clocktower" is an adaptation of the Capcom video game directed by Martin Weisz. Deal was negotiated by Marco Weber from Senator and Patrice Theroux and Lara Thompson for E1.
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Post by blooey on May 18, 2009 22:53:04 GMT -5
I understand moving it to next year, but I really hope they don't release it in the spring. It's not a good idea to hold it so long, but it really does seem like more of a fall movie.
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Post by celtic0at0heart on May 21, 2009 23:42:01 GMT -5
Thats wonderful and all for canadia, but what about its neighbor to the south?!?!?!?!?1 when we be getting it yo?
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Post by Ace on Jun 10, 2009 1:20:35 GMT -5
*sigh*
Strapped Senator seeks help Company to scale back, seek outside funding partner
By Steven Zeitchik
June 9, 2009, 11:00 PM ET
Updated: June 10, 2009, 12:18 AM ET Indie company Senator U.S. is scaling back its distribution operations, throwing the release of two of its biggest bets into question.
President Marco Weber acknowledged Tuesday that the company was undergoing a financial crunch that would squeeze its ability to release its high-profile titles.
"We're not in a position to locate the P&A for the bigger pictures, so we have to form alliances and adjust our release schedule," Weber said. "We have to adjust our expectations from when we first started this."
But it is not clear even with those adjustments how and when the most prominent movies would see the light of day -- the Michael Sheen-Samuel Jackson thriller "Unthinkable," which it produced, and Antoine Fuqua's cop drama "Brooklyn's Finest," which it negotiated to acquire at Sundance and has been heavily tweaking in post.
The movies originally had been scheduled as Senator fall releases -- "Unthinkable" for October and "Finest" for November. But funding for P&A fell through, and the films, which are deemed to have broader commercial potential than Senator's other releases, will require that other companies help distribute them -- and that's in a best-case scenario.
The two movies are in very different places. "Unthinkable" was produced by Senator, and its North American rights are controlled by the company. Releasing the pic involves the relatively straightforward matter of locating the P&A -- not easy, but not legally complicated -- and then finding someone to help release the pic, since the company's marketing and distribution staff have been depleted.
"Finest," which was produced by Avi Lerner's Millennium/NuImage, is in a much trickier situation. While the deal was negotiated at Sundance, the MG, or upfront fee, for the pic was not paid, and the fact that the film has not hit release-date targets puts in a legally contentious spot.
It's believed Millennium is seeking rights back to the picture. Weber, meanwhile, contends he has rights to the pic and says that he is seeking partners to release it, just as he is "Unthinkable."
Making matters more complicated is that Senator spent a lot of money on postproduction tweaks that the company and director Fuqua -- but not Millennium -- wanted. The money came out of the pot that was otherwise to be used to release other Senator pics, sources said, further tying the company's fortunes to the "Finest" release.
Senator still will go out with at least one its smaller releases -- the Julia Roberts drama "Fireflies in the Garden," which is set for late summer.
Meanwhile, Weber said that and the two-part French con-man drama "Public Enemy No. 1" would come out in early fall, but people involved with the pic said that plan was called off and there was no release currently scheduled.
The release cutbacks come on the heels of a retrenchment on the part of the once-ambitious Senator, as well as questions about the financial health of the company. Word has surfaced in the past few weeks of vendors who have not been paid.
The company also recently shuttered its New York office, which had been charged with handling a bulk of the distribution responsibilities, and has sent the roughly half-dozen employees packing.
On the exec level, former ThinkFilm topper Mark Urman had come on in the fall to run the newly created Senator Distribution arm. But after an open-ended stay in Los Angeles, Urman has returned to New York and has severed his ties, at least for the moment, with the company, because of the company's lack of P&A funds and consequent inability to release films. He is currently working on distribution strategy on other, non-Senator projects.
Weber, for his part, dismisses the idea that the Urman move was a change from any existing arrangement. "What we always said with Mark is that we will formulate our plans with him for each film," he said.
The production side also has seen a scaling back from about a dozen employees to about half that -- a visit to the offices suggested a small staff in a quiet environment -- but Weber said he will continue his efforts on the production side.
"I've produced 14 movies, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon," he said.
The shift is not dissimilar in some respects to another standalone that at one time had high-flying plans -- the Weinstein Co., which because of a possible P&A crunch also might have to rejigger its release plans. (In a sign of how interdependent the indie distribution world is, Senator picked up a movie Weinstein once had, the horror comedy "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane." That movie remains undated at Senator.) The company also has yet to give a date to Pierce Brosnan starrer "The Greatest," which it picked up after Sundance.
Born as part of the German-based Senator Entertainment, the U.S. outfit formally split in August, with Weber acquiring all shares from former partner Helge Sasse. At the time, the company had grand plans to form a distribution operation for both its own English-language films and titles it acquired, a promise the company seemed to be making good on when it hired Urman in September.
But the company was never positioned to finance its own distribution. So when the finance crunch hit later in the fall, potential funding sources -- and, with it, hopes for P&A -- dried up.
The company was further buffeted several months ago by the dismal performance of the Mickey Rourke-Kim Basinger '80s tale "The Informers," which it opened wide on more than 400 screens but which earned less than $700 per engagement.
And it saw a significant drain on resources when money from Senator began to be poured into the postproduction of "Brooklyn's Finest."
Some who have worked with the company said the distribution entity was an overreach in the first place. "Marco's not a fundraiser. He's a producer, and he should go back to just doing that," said one person who has worked with the firm.
The company continues to have an arrangement with Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group, a deal that covers DVD and other ancillary revenue for existing projects. But the deal does not go beyond the current slate of pictures, throwing into question its relationship to future projects.
Senator does have several projects in development and at least one scheduled to start later this summer. But even here, its proprietor acknowledged a tectonic shift.
"The last 12 months have been some of the toughest in the business," Weber said. "I love movies. So the question is, where do we go from here?"
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Post by Ace on Jul 2, 2009 11:28:55 GMT -5
"The Greatest" to open Karlovy Vary www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i638d13c527612515db9d03833756270cKarlovy Vary gears up for 44th edition Czech festival acts as buffer between Cannes, Venice By Scott Roxborough June 25, 2009, 10:13 AM ET After the snowy hype of Sundance, the bustle in Berlin and the sheer craziness of Cannes, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival comes as sweet respite. Now in its 44th edition, the Czech festival acts as a calm way station for cinema buffs and industry folk to regroup post-Cannes and pre-Venice and enjoy film without the adjunct "business." The setting -- a West Bohemian spa town -- provides the necessary isolation while the screening schedule carefully balances recent festival winners with established art house faves and new work from independent directors the world over. The competition vying for the 2009 Crystal Globe is strictly indie -- highlights include German comedy "Whisky with Vodka" from Andreas Dresen ("Cloud 9"), Sophie Barthes' directorial debut "Cold Souls" starring Paul Giamatti and minimalist drama "Twenty" from Iranian director Abdolreza Kahani. But Karlovy Vary has also found space for mainstream entertainment such as Sam Mendes "Away We Go" and Brit comedy "The Boat That Rocked" from Richard Curtis, which will close the festival. Karlovy Vary always carves out a big chunk of its schedule for cinema from the former East Block. Five of the 14 competition titles fit in this category. Dozens more "eastern" films can be found in the festivals' many sidebar sections. For festival hoppers, Karlovy Vary plays an essential catch-up role, screening the best of the fests. Sundance is represented in the opening film -- Shana Feste's family drama "The Greatest," featuring Carey Mulligan as well as new titles from U.S. up-and-comers Scott Sanders ("Black Dynamite") and Cary Fukunaga ("Sin Nombre"). A good chunk of Cannes' Competition will make the trip including Lars von Trier's "Antichrist," Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces," Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" and Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner "The White Ribbon." They are joined by this year's gold and silver Berlinale Bear winners: Claudia Llosa's "The Milk of Sorrow," Adrian Biniez's "Gigante" and Maren Ade's "Everyone Else." A number of big names will also catch the flight to Karlovy Vary, including this year's Cannes jury president Isabelle Huppert, Spanish heartthrob Antonio Banderas, actor John Malkovich and director Paul Schrader. Just some of the movers and shakers looking to slow down and sit back for a week of pure cinema at Eastern Europe's premiere film event. Lineups for the festival, which runs July 3-11, follow: Opening film (out of competition) "The Greatest," Shana Feste, U.S.Competition "Angel at Sea," Frederic Dumont, Belgium/Canada "Applause," Martin Pieter Zandvliet, Denmark "Black Sheep," Humberto Hinojosa Ozcariz, Mexico "Cold Souls," Sophie Barthes, U.S. "Freedom," Davide Ferrario, Italy "Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells," Jeon Soo-il, South Korea "I am Not Your Friend," Gyorgy Palfi, Hungary "Piggies," Robert Glinski, Poland/Germany "Soul at Peace," Vladimir Balko, Slovak Republic "Twenty," Abdolreza Kahani, Iran "Villa Amalia," Benoit Jacquot, France/Switzerland "Whisky with Vodka," Andreas Dresen, Germany "Will Not Stop There," Vinko Bresan, Croatia/Serbia "Wolfy," Vassily Sigarev, Russia Closing film (out of competition) "The Boat that Rocked," Richard Curtis, U.K.
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