Momentum Pictures will release the upcoming action thriller BEAST OF BURDEN in theaters and On Demand / Digital HDFebruary 23, 2018.
Check out the trailer:
The film stars Daniel Radcliffe (Swiss Army Man, Horns, Harry Potter franchise), Pablo Schreiber (Den of Thieves, “Orange is the New Black”), and Grace Gummer (Frances Ha, “Mr. Robot”), and is directed by Jesper Ganslandt (Falkenberg Farewell, The Ape) with the script by Adam Hoelzel.
Pilot Sean Haggerty (Daniel Radcliffe) must deliver cocaine across the US-Mexico border for his final run as a drug smuggler. Alone in a small plane, he is faced with the burden of choosing between his allegiance to the Cartel, his deal with the Drug Enforcement Administration and saving his increasingly tense relationship with his wife, eagerly awaiting his return.
Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley give us a pair of well-drawn, likeable characters as a New Yorker learning to drive from a Indian-American driving instructor, in LEARNING TO DRIVE.
LEARNING TO DRIVE is the kind of little film – smart, often funny, thoughtful – for grown-ups seen too little in theaters. But what really makes this film are the careful crafted, lived-in performances by Kingsley and Clarkson.
A cross-cultural story about two people driving around might bring “Driving Miss Daisy” to mind, but this film is really nothing like that sentimental tale. Although this story is built around a New Yorker learning to drive, the film is really about taking the wheel of one’s own life, a lesson for both the student and the teacher.
In St. Louis, like most of the country, nearly everyone learns to drive, usually as a teenager. In New York, it is a different case. Many people never learn to drive there, instead using public transportation and cabs. So it takes a certain courage and determination for a middle-aged woman to decide to learn to drive in a culture where not everyone does.
Patricia Clarkson plays Wendy Shields, a successful, well-known book critic whose college professor husband suddenly announces he is leaving her for another woman. Her husband gives her the news at a restaurant, hoping to limit the drama, but when he tries to leave, shocked Wendy jumps in his cab and continues asking him why The cab driver, a South Asian immigrant named Darwan (Kingsley), politely pretends not to hear what is going on in his back seat but he is clearly moved by her heartbroken reaction. The husband asks the cabbie to pull over, gets out and tells the cabbie to drive her home.
The next day, Wendy finds comfort from the couple’s only child Tasha (Grace Gummer), who is home from her college in upstate New York. Tasha wants to be supportive but turns down her mother’s request that she transfer to a university in town. So if Wendy wants to see her, she’ll have to drive there. Which means, she will have to learn to drive. When she calls a driving school, the instructor that shows up at her door is the same cabbie who drove her home, the second of his two jobs.
This film takes a smart, drily witty, literary spin that quashes any drift towards the sentimental. The strength of this charming, warm, often funny film is the appealing characters Clarkson and Kingsley build up. The two actors have great chemistry together and bring a little romantic attraction, never acted on, that gives a little extra boost. A lesser film would make this all about the New Yorker, but this film rounds out both characters.
Because of the cab ride, Darwan understands a little more of what Wendy is going through and as he guides her through the basics of driving, he builds up her confidence for taking control of her own life. Darwan’s calm effortlessness in teaching these dual lessons suggest this is not the first time he has helped a middle-aged New York woman find new self-confidence in driving. However, as the story unfolds, Darwan and Wendy become more like friends, and Darwan learns from Wendy as well as the reverse, as he faces his own life changes.
Darwan lives in Queens, in an apartment he shares with a bunch of other Sikh men, a minority religion in the Indian subcontinent men. Most of his roommates, including his nephew, are not in the country legally but Darwan is a legal resident, granted political asylum to escape persecution for his religion and political beliefs. Back home, he was a professor at a university, here he teaches driving and moonlights driving a cab. An immigration raid scatters his roommates and he finds himself living alone, which prompts him to finally agree to his sister’s plan to find him a wife in their village back in India, an idea he had resisted previously.
Since Sikh men wear turbans, they are often mistaken in this country for Muslims, and the film touches on that fact in one scene. While Wendy copes with her pending divorce, her role in the its end and explores her new life, Darwan gets some help from her about romancing his new wife, who arrives uncertain about adjusting to her new country. The film keeps things light but always intelligent
LEARNING TO DRIVE is a charming little film, with fine performances, appealing characters and nice little message about both friendship and learning something new, no matter your age.
LEARNING TO DRIVE opens Friday, September 4, at Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
Broad Green Pictures has released three new featurettes for director Isabel Coixet’s wonderful film, LEARNING TO DRIVE.
Chosen as the Audience Award runner-up at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and inspired by a true story, LEARNING TO DRIVE stars Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley in a feel-good comedy about an improbable friendship.
Wendy is a fiery Manhattan author whose husband has just left her for a younger woman; Darwan is a soft-spoken taxi driver from India on the verge of an arranged marriage. As Wendy sets out to reclaim her independence, she runs into a barrier common to many lifelong New Yorkers: she’s never learned to drive. When Wendy hires Darwan to teach her, her unraveling life and his calm restraint seem like an awkward fit. But as he shows her how to take control of the wheel, and she coaches him on how to impress a woman, their unlikely friendship awakens them to the joy, humor, and love in starting life anew. (trailer)
Of special note – the movie is edited by triple Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker.
For Schoonmaker, the film served as a reunion of sorts. Schoonmaker explains, “Having had the wonderful experience of editing Sir Ben Kingsley’s performance in two Scorsese movies, Shutter Island and Hugo, and also having had the same wonderful experience editing Patricia Clarkson’s performance in Shutter Island, it was a delightful surprise to discover how much humor both of them brought to their parts in Learning to Drive, and how Sir Ben’s stillness and quiet dignity as a Sikh was the perfect foil for Patricia’s highly emotional and wonderfully courageous performance as Wendy. They were magical together and enormous fun to edit.”
This delightful, independent film is playing in select theaters now and opens in St. Louis on Friday September 4.
Haim Saban announced today that after launching Saban Films last week the company has acquired North American distribution rights to Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones’ THE HOMESMAN, starring Jones and Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, with a supporting cast featuring Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, Academy Award nominee Hailee Steinfeld, James Spader and Academy Award winner Meryl Streep.
The story centers around a claim jumper and a pioneer woman who team up to escort three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa.
In his Cannes review, Todd McCarthy’s (THR) writes: “In what’s probably her best big screen role since Million Dollar Baby, Swank is obliged to keep Mary Bee’s emotions in tight check, but the pain her valiant character bottles up emerges in piercing flashes to lasting effect. Jones’ scalawag is a man on the run from everything he’s ever done in his life, and director guides himself to a performance that is mildly amusing and glancingly poignant by turns.”
Living in Cinema’s Craig Kennedy says: “Swank and Jones are both terrific. The show belongs entirely to Swank at first, but she slowly makes way for Jones who can steal a scene with a simple glance. Even after Jones takes the reigns however, Swank’s deeply felt personification lingers and continues to shape the story. They make an unexpectedly great team.”
The new venture, which is headed by President Bill Bromiley, came to Cannes with an aggressive acquisitions strategy and targeted the highly-regarded competition title, finalizing negotiations with majority owner of the North American rights, Brian Kennedy. EuropaCorp is the international distributor of the picture. This is the first acquisition for Saban Films and the second collaboration between Bromiley, Tommy Lee Jones and Michael Fitzgerald following 2008’s In the Electric Mist.
THE HOMESMAN, which premiered Sunday, May 18th in competition in Cannes, is a Tommy Lee Jones/Michael Fitzgerald production, directed by Tommy Lee Jones and produced by Peter Brant, Brian Kennedy and Luc Besson. The screenplay was written by Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley A. Oliver, based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout.
Saban Films is planning a 2014 theatrical release.
Tommy Lee Jones said: “I am delighted that Saban Films has chosen ‘The Homesman’ to begin their venture into film release. Our company has full confidence in Saban Films and I sincerely hope we will serve them well.”
Representing the film in the sale to Saban Films was CAA and Scott Edel of Loeb & Loeb. Bill Bromiley, Ness Saban and Niveen Tadros, EVP & General Counsel, negotiated the acquisition on behalf of Saban Films.
Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, LindaEmond and Grace Gummer will star in JENNY’S WEDDING, written and to be directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue (BEACHES).
The film is set to start shooting on October 28.
JENNY’S WEDDING revolves around Jenny (Heigl) who causes a massive sea-change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. A pretty and engaging woman, everyone is baffled by Jenny’s lack of a love-life, and her parents (Wilkinson, Emond) particularly have been anxious for her to settle down, but when the announcement comes that she is finally going to wed, her choice of partner tears the family apart. In order to reconnect, everyone including Jenny, must reinvent themselves.
The announcement was made today by producers Donoghue, Gail Levin and MM Productions’ Michelle Manning.
Mary Agnes Donoghue’s writing credits include THE BUDDY SYSTEM, starring Richard Dreyfus and Susan Sarandon, BEACHES with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey in the leads, DECEIVED starring Goldie Hawn, WHITE OLEANDER starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger and Robin Wright, and VERONICA GUERIN with Cate Blanchett.
Katherine Heigl (KNOCKED UP) will next be seen in NORTH OF HELL co-starring Patrick Wilson currently in post-production and will lend her voice to THE NUT JOB alongside Will Arnett, Liam Neeson and Brendan Fraser, due out for release in January 2014 through Open Road Films.
Tom Wilkinson’s (THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL) upcoming films include 2013 Toronto Film Festival official selection titles FELONY opposite Joel Edgerton and BELLE co-starring Emily Watson and Miranda Richardson to be released by Fox Searchlight in spring 2014.
Linda Emond’s feature film credits include JULIE & JULIA co-starring Meryl Streep, STOP-LOSS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and NORTH COUNTRYand will next appear in Spike Lee’s OLDBOY, set for release in November through FilmDistrict.
Grace Gummer was seen in theatres earlier this year in Noah Baumbach’s critically acclaimed FRANCES HA, opposite Greta Gerwig. She will next appear in THE HOMESMAN, directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones alongside her mother, Meryl Streep, and Hilary Swank as well as LEARNING TO DRIVE, with Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson, both in post-production.
JENNY’S WEDDING is being financed by Merced Media Partners and PalmStar Media Capital and executive produced by PalmStar’s Kevin Frakes, Merced’s Raj Brinder Singh and Stuart Brown, as well as Lauren Selig. The Solution Entertainment Group’s (“The Solution”) Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel are also executive producing the film and will handle international sales for JENNY’S WEDDING
Who doesn’t love Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts? To celebrate these two mega-stars pairing up, we are giving away free passes to the new film “LARRY CROWNE.”
The screening for “LARRY CROWNE” will be Tuesday, June 28th at the Ronnie’s 20 Theater at 7 pm.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE JULIA ROBERTS OR TOM HANKS FILM?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
ANYONE CAUGHT REPRINTING TICKETS FOR DISTRIBUTION WILL BE BANNED FROM OUR CONTESTS! DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!
“LARRY CROWNE” has been rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13) for brief strong language and some sexual content.
SYNOPSIS:
Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he’s worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves – often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband.
