FRED Film Radio - English Channel

Just Mercy: Fresh from Harvard Law School, fledgling attorney Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) defies the wishes of his parents, who are concerned about the notoriously racist South, when he ventures to Alabama to open a law practice to support death row inmates routinely denied proper legal counsel. Meeting with a variety of prisoners, Stevenson soon encounters Walter “Johnny D” McMillan (Foxx), a black man accused of the brutal murder of a white teenage girl, an allegation he vehemently denies, with numerous factors clearly supporting innocence. Despite Johnny D’s scepticism that he will be afforded due diligence by a corrupt system, Stevenson hires local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), and mounts an urgent case for a retrial, uncovering a chain of injustices and crucial oversights as they search for the truth. Adapted from Bryan Stevenson’s own bestselling memoir, director Destin Daniel Cretton’s methodical and interrogative approach paints a searing (and often infuriating) portrait of the fight for justice in the face of structural racism, which feels all-too timely nearly three decades after the case in question. Driven by powerhouse performances from Jordan and Foxx, who are ably supported by a stellar cast including Larson, Rafe Spall and O’Shea Jackson Jr, this is cinema at its most inspiring and essential.

To discover more about the film, click here.

The post Michael B. Jordan – Just Mercy #LFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Steve Hargrave interviews Richard Lowenstein, director of the film Mystify: Michael Hutchence.

Mystify: Michael Hutchence: Respected clinical psychologist Nicoline is at the top of her game. Promptly after starting a new job at a penal institution, she commences sessions with Idris, an inmate found guilty of multiple violent sex crimes. While her colleagues are confident that the disarmingly alluring convict is well on the road to rehabilitation, Nicoline remains unconvinced, passionately advocating that Idris be denied release. As the simmering tensions between the pair steadily escalate, Nicoline finds herself overpoweringly drawn to her subject, and soon the boundaries between doctor and patient begin to blur. Shot with cool, probing precision, director Halina Reijn’s stimulating examination of power and abuse features an impressively nuanced central performance from Carice van Houten. A film of bold intricacy that’s unafraid to pose challenging questions and venture into uncomfortable territory.

To discover more about the film, click here.

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PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Joe Talbot, director of the film The Last Black Man in San Francisco.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco: Jimmie (Jimmie Fails) dreams of reclaiming the beautiful late 19th century home his grandfather built in the heart of the city, before harder times and changing demographics forced his family out. He and best friend Mont (Jonathan Majors) scheme to make this happen while Jimmie annoys the sitting tenants with guerrilla gardening on the beloved Fillmore house. A skateboarder and dreamy, suit-wearing playwright, the pair are at odds with the tough guys around the neighbourhood, and spend their time working to deliver Jimmie’s dream while living with Mont’s grandfather (Danny Glover). Occasionally, a film comes around that thrillingly invents its own cinematic rhythms, perfectly suited to its subject. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is such a film and it’s one to make your head sing and heart soar.

To discover more about the film, click here.

The post Joe Talbot – The Last Black Man in San Francisco #LFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Steve Hargrave interviews Halina Reijn, director of the film Instinct.

Director Halina Reijn presents her first feature at London Film Festival, the complex adult, sexual psychological drama Instinct starring her producing partner and Game Of Thrones star Carice van Houten. Halina discusses her journey to getting the film made, and her quest to give female voices a more nuanced and complex platform in film.

Instinct: Respected clinical psychologist Nicoline is at the top of her game. Promptly after starting a new job at a penal institution, she commences sessions with Idris, an inmate found guilty of multiple violent sex crimes. While her colleagues are confident that the disarmingly alluring convict is well on the road to rehabilitation, Nicoline remains unconvinced, passionately advocating that Idris be denied release. As the simmering tensions between the pair steadily escalate, Nicoline finds herself overpoweringly drawn to her subject, and soon the boundaries between doctor and patient begin to blur. Shot with cool, probing precision, director Halina Reijn’s stimulating examination of power and abuse features an impressively nuanced central performance from Carice van Houten. A film of bold intricacy that’s unafraid to pose challenging questions and venture into uncomfortable territory.

To discover more about the film, click here.

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The post Halina Reijn – Instinct #LFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Alejandro Landes, director of the film Monos.

Alejandro Landes is back talking about Monos, his third film, in competition at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival. Landes confirms that Monos is an allegory to talk about Colombia but also to talk about war nowadays. Besides, the film can also be considered as a coming-of-age story as it portrays teenagers going through that important and fragile phase in life. In its mixing genres, Landes reveals that he got influenced by war movies like Apocalypse Now and from teen movies like Harmony Korine’s Gummo. Since Alejandro Landes is also an architect, his goal is always to be faithful to details, even when rituals are involved.

Monos: High in the mountains of South America, above the billowing clouds but with gunshots heard in the distance, a motley group of child and teenage soldiers train and wait for instruction. They stave off boredom by fucking, playing and fighting. This might be some teen rave gone feral, but for the deadly seriousness underlined by the presence of an American hostage, the Doctora. Monos has inspired feverish buzz wherever it has screened this year and comparisons to Apocalypse Now and Lord of the Flies are not off the mark in mapping out the film’s terrain. But this is also a wildly original vision from Landes and screenwriter Alexis dos Santos, referencing horrors on their own continent. The camera prowls over mud and organic decay, cutting swathes through the jungle, all to the strains of Mica Levi’s visceral score. Monos sparks with dark adrenal electricity and it’s completely, utterly thrilling.

Monos is released in UK cinemas across UK and Ireland on 25th October 2019. For more information visit the official website here , or visit the Facebook page, and find on Twitter #MONOSFILM.

To discover more about the film, click here.

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PODCAST | David Martos interviews Agnieszka Holland, director of the film Mr. Jones.

The director talks to FRED about the reasons that drove her to address the period prior to the Second World War, why we are nowadays kidnapped by technology and why she believes in quotas in order to promote the work of female directors.

Mr. Jones: James Norton plays the Welsh reporter who at great personal risk broke the story of the early 1930s Soviet Ukrainian Famine in Agnieszka Holland’s latest deep dive into historical memory. The entirety of the region’s grain production was sold abroad to finance the rapid modernization of Soviet industry, with the Stalin regime regarding the millions of ethnic Ukrainians who perished as a price worth paying for the new utopia.

The post Agnieszka Holland – Mr. Jones #ZFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Morfydd Clark, actress of the film Saint Maud.

A short interview with Morfydd Clark, one of the co-leads of the film Saint Maud, the horror debut of director Rose Glass, presented in the Official Competition of the 2019 BFI London Film Festival. Clark talks with us about her character, how she connected with her anxiety and the very real universal themes of the film, and tells us a little but about her experience working with Glass on this movie.

Saint Maud: Having recently found God, self-effacing young nurse Maud (Morfydd Clark) is untiring in her spiritual devotion. Landing a job as full-time private carer, she arrives at the plush home of Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. While they could not be more different – Amanda’s taste for the extravagant being the antithesis of Maud’s pious values – the mismatched pair are intrigued by each other, slowly building a brittle bond of co-dependency. But when a chance encounter with a former colleague throws up hints of a dark past, it becomes clear there is more to sweet Maud than meets the eye. As Amanda’s self-indulgent behaviour escalates, tensions between the couple steadily grow, leaving Maud convinced that she has been sent to serve a higher purpose. Rose Glass’ gothic-tinged psychological drama is a wickedly playful piece of work, by turns insidiously creepy, darkly humorous and heartbreakingly sad. The two leads crackle with palpable chemistry, with Jennifer Ehle’s beautifully nuanced performance proving the perfect complement to Morfydd Clark’s star-making turn as the unsaintly Maud. Consistently upending expectations, this thrilling one-of-a-kind is an almost religious experience.

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The post Morfydd Clark – Saint Maud #LFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Rose Glass, director of the film Saint Maud.

Director Rose Glass presented her horror debut in the official competition of the 2019 BFI London Film Festival in the United Kingdom. She introduces the film to us in this interview, including some of its key themes. Among them, the juxtaposition of religion and psychology and the idea that you never know what’s going on in another person’s head. Here she also talks with us about her interest in the horror genre and her first experience of working on a horror feature.

Saint Maud: Having recently found God, self-effacing young nurse Maud (Morfydd Clark) is untiring in her spiritual devotion. Landing a job as full-time private carer, she arrives at the plush home of Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. While they could not be more different – Amanda’s taste for the extravagant being the antithesis of Maud’s pious values – the mismatched pair are intrigued by each other, slowly building a brittle bond of co-dependency. But when a chance encounter with a former colleague throws up hints of a dark past, it becomes clear there is more to sweet Maud than meets the eye. As Amanda’s self-indulgent behaviour escalates, tensions between the couple steadily grow, leaving Maud convinced that she has been sent to serve a higher purpose. Rose Glass’ gothic-tinged psychological drama is a wickedly playful piece of work, by turns insidiously creepy, darkly humorous and heartbreakingly sad. The two leads crackle with palpable chemistry, with Jennifer Ehle’s beautifully nuanced performance proving the perfect complement to Morfydd Clark’s star-making turn as the unsaintly Maud. Consistently upending expectations, this thrilling one-of-a-kind is an almost religious experience.

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The post Rose Glass – Saint Maud #LFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Jennifer Ehle, actress of the film Saint Maud.

A short interview with Jennifer Ehle, one of the co-leads of Saint Maud, the feature horror debut by director Rose Grass. In this interview, Ehle talks with us about her character, her connection to the horror genre as a whole and her experience of working with Grass on this feature.

Saint Maud: Having recently found God, self-effacing young nurse Maud (Morfydd Clark) is untiring in her spiritual devotion. Landing a job as full-time private carer, she arrives at the plush home of Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. While they could not be more different – Amanda’s taste for the extravagant being the antithesis of Maud’s pious values – the mismatched pair are intrigued by each other, slowly building a brittle bond of co-dependency. But when a chance encounter with a former colleague throws up hints of a dark past, it becomes clear there is more to sweet Maud than meets the eye. As Amanda’s self-indulgent behaviour escalates, tensions between the couple steadily grow, leaving Maud convinced that she has been sent to serve a higher purpose. Rose Glass’ gothic-tinged psychological drama is a wickedly playful piece of work, by turns insidiously creepy, darkly humorous and heartbreakingly sad. The two leads crackle with palpable chemistry, with Jennifer Ehle’s beautifully nuanced performance proving the perfect complement to Morfydd Clark’s star-making turn as the unsaintly Maud. Consistently upending expectations, this thrilling one-of-a-kind is an almost religious experience.

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The post Jennifer Ehle – Saint Maud #LFF2019 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Nina Danino, director of the film I Die of Sadness Crying for You.

In the experimenta section of the 2019 London Film Festival, Nina Danino brings to the audience her affinity with vocal performance and her 7 years research on “copla”, a performance of women’s sorrow in I Die of Sadness Crying for You. By mixing archive footage like the performances by the diva of copla, Marifé de Triana, with newly shot footage, Nina Danino wonders if women of copla ever existed and while doing that, she investigates on the true meaning of experimental film.

I Die of Sadness Crying for You: A personal essay film on the powerful copla genre of Spanish music, a form of popular song that flourished in the 1930s and 40s. Copla communicates a specifically female sorrow and sadness from failed, often illegitimate, relationships that result in unrequited love or ostracism. Filmmaker Nina Danino reveals the strength and texture of copla performances, reappraising for a contemporary audience whilst revisiting her own memories of her mother singing.

To discover more about the film, click here.

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