Martin Freeman returns for The Responder series 2, which is heading to the BBC in early May: here’s the trailer for the show.
The first series of psychological drama The Responder held a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing. Written by former Merseyside police officer Tony Schumacher, the show was equal parts a thrilling police procedural and intense character study, with a tour de force performance by Martin Freeman at the centre. It was one of the biggest dramas of 2022, winning Freeman an International Emmy for Best Actor and several BAFTA nominations. Half of the first series was directed by Philip Barantini, who went on to direct the brilliant Boiling Point.
Set and filmed in Liverpool, it followed Chris Carter, an inspector, as he gets demoted and begins working the night shift. The drama interspersed scenes of Chris tackling various crimes...
The first series of psychological drama The Responder held a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing. Written by former Merseyside police officer Tony Schumacher, the show was equal parts a thrilling police procedural and intense character study, with a tour de force performance by Martin Freeman at the centre. It was one of the biggest dramas of 2022, winning Freeman an International Emmy for Best Actor and several BAFTA nominations. Half of the first series was directed by Philip Barantini, who went on to direct the brilliant Boiling Point.
Set and filmed in Liverpool, it followed Chris Carter, an inspector, as he gets demoted and begins working the night shift. The drama interspersed scenes of Chris tackling various crimes...
- 4/22/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Stars: Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Jaime Winstone, Joanne Froggatt, Liz White, Mark Womack | Written by Mike Walden | Directed by Andrew Douglas
Review by Andrew MacArthur of The Peoples Movies
Viewers may initially be taken aback when seeing the credits of upcoming British feature uwantme2killhim? What appears as a low-key thriller actually has some big Hollywood names behind it – including Bryan Singer and Bob and Harvey Weinstein. This should serve an indicator as to the promise that Andrew Douglas’ (2005′s The Amityville Horror) feature shows.
Based on a true story, the film details teenager Mark’s (Jamie Blackley) growing obsession with the world of internet chatrooms and the dark, tragic consequences this ultimately builds up to.
The early stages of the film feature Mark on a chat-room speaking to cyber-girlfriend Rachel (Jaime Winston) who asks the teenager to look out for her “weird” brother John (Toby Regbo) who is bullied at school.
Review by Andrew MacArthur of The Peoples Movies
Viewers may initially be taken aback when seeing the credits of upcoming British feature uwantme2killhim? What appears as a low-key thriller actually has some big Hollywood names behind it – including Bryan Singer and Bob and Harvey Weinstein. This should serve an indicator as to the promise that Andrew Douglas’ (2005′s The Amityville Horror) feature shows.
Based on a true story, the film details teenager Mark’s (Jamie Blackley) growing obsession with the world of internet chatrooms and the dark, tragic consequences this ultimately builds up to.
The early stages of the film feature Mark on a chat-room speaking to cyber-girlfriend Rachel (Jaime Winston) who asks the teenager to look out for her “weird” brother John (Toby Regbo) who is bullied at school.
- 7/4/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
I Against I
Stars: Kenny Doughty, Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson, Mark Womack, Sónia Balacó | Written by Mark Cripps, David Ellison | Directed by Mark Cripps, David Ellison, James Marquand
If you’re an action movie fan you’re probably familiar with the phrase “two men enter, one man leaves”, but what if that principle, normally reserved for fight arenas, was taken to the streets of London?
Set in the nocturnal underworld in London, I Against I sees Tommy Carmichael, the head of a criminal family, viciously murdered. Distraught, his son Joseph (Womack) wants answers and somebody needs to pay. Ian (Doughty) and Issac (Sigurdssson) were both caught on CCTV separately leaving his office, both denying they are the assassin, they now have to un-wittingly kill each other. Locked in a nightmare of murder, betrayal and jealousy they fight for everything that is important to them – but when a sinister third party complicates...
Stars: Kenny Doughty, Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson, Mark Womack, Sónia Balacó | Written by Mark Cripps, David Ellison | Directed by Mark Cripps, David Ellison, James Marquand
If you’re an action movie fan you’re probably familiar with the phrase “two men enter, one man leaves”, but what if that principle, normally reserved for fight arenas, was taken to the streets of London?
Set in the nocturnal underworld in London, I Against I sees Tommy Carmichael, the head of a criminal family, viciously murdered. Distraught, his son Joseph (Womack) wants answers and somebody needs to pay. Ian (Doughty) and Issac (Sigurdssson) were both caught on CCTV separately leaving his office, both denying they are the assassin, they now have to un-wittingly kill each other. Locked in a nightmare of murder, betrayal and jealousy they fight for everything that is important to them – but when a sinister third party complicates...
- 1/17/2013
- by Phil
- Nerdly
It’s Friday, so you know what that means – another round-up of what films are hitting cinemas this weekend; and this week it’s all about Step Up 4 and Offender – the only two films released this week that will be hitting the majority of multiplexes across the UK. However two of this weeks limited releases, Jackpot and I Against I, are well worth tracking down…
Nationwide Releases Step Up 4: Miami Heat
Emily, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, but soon falls in love with Sean, a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs. The crew, called the Mob, strives to win a contest for a major sponsorship opportunity, but soon Emily’s father threatens to develop the Mob’s historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people. Emily must band together with Sean and the...
Nationwide Releases Step Up 4: Miami Heat
Emily, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, but soon falls in love with Sean, a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs. The crew, called the Mob, strives to win a contest for a major sponsorship opportunity, but soon Emily’s father threatens to develop the Mob’s historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people. Emily must band together with Sean and the...
- 8/10/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
The awkwardly titled “I Against I” is a new British thriller from writer director James Marquand, son of Richard Marquand, best known for helming “Return of the Jedi” and “Jagged Edge” back in the 1980s. The film is a complex, noir-tinged affair, with a twisting, cat and mouse plot played out against a stylishly modern London background, its events taking place over the course of a single night and intertwined with flashbacks. Without giving too much away, things kick off with a businessman called Drake (Kenny Doughty, “The Incident”) being snatched by the ruthless gangster Joseph (Mark Womack, “Route Irish”), who accuses him of having killed his father Tommy (veteran Brit television actor John Castle). Although Drake denies the murder, Joseph has CCTV footage of him in the building at the time of the crime, and with Tommy having owed him money, the pieces seem to fit. When Drake claims...
- 8/8/2012
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
I Against I
Stars: Kenny Doughty, Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson, Mark Womack, Sónia Balacó | Written by Mark Cripps, David Ellison | Directed by Mark Cripps, David Ellison, James Marquand
If you’re an action movie fan you’re probably familiar with the phrase “two men enter, one man leaves”, but what if that principle, normally reserved for fight arenas, was taken to the streets of London?
Set in the nocturnal underworld in London, I Against I sees Tommy Carmichael, the head of a criminal family, viciously murdered. Distraught, his son Joseph (Womack) wants answers and somebody needs to pay. Ian (Doughty) and Issac (Sigurdssson) were both caught on CCTV separately leaving his office, both denying they are the assassin, they now have to un-wittingly kill each other. Locked in a nightmare of murder, betrayal and jealousy they fight for everything that is important to them – but when a sinister third party complicates...
Stars: Kenny Doughty, Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson, Mark Womack, Sónia Balacó | Written by Mark Cripps, David Ellison | Directed by Mark Cripps, David Ellison, James Marquand
If you’re an action movie fan you’re probably familiar with the phrase “two men enter, one man leaves”, but what if that principle, normally reserved for fight arenas, was taken to the streets of London?
Set in the nocturnal underworld in London, I Against I sees Tommy Carmichael, the head of a criminal family, viciously murdered. Distraught, his son Joseph (Womack) wants answers and somebody needs to pay. Ian (Doughty) and Issac (Sigurdssson) were both caught on CCTV separately leaving his office, both denying they are the assassin, they now have to un-wittingly kill each other. Locked in a nightmare of murder, betrayal and jealousy they fight for everything that is important to them – but when a sinister third party complicates...
- 8/7/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
A brand-new British thriller from Stray Dogs Films, I Against I combines the East End gangster films of Guy Ritchie with the taut, gripping tension of Alfred Hitchcock film’s such as North by Northwest. The film sees two men given 12 hours to kill each other in a gripping game of cat and mouse, however a twisted force is manipulating this simple game and time is running out…
Set in the nocturnal underworld in London, Tommy Carmichael, the head of a criminal family is viciously murdered. Distraught, his son Joseph (Mark Womack) wants answers and somebody needs to pay. Ian (Kenny Doughty) and Issac (Ingvar Eggert Sigurdssson) were both caught on CCTV separately leaving his office, both denying they are the assassin, they now have to un-wittingly kill each other. Locked in a nightmare of murder, betrayal and jealousy they fight for everything that is important to them – but when...
Set in the nocturnal underworld in London, Tommy Carmichael, the head of a criminal family is viciously murdered. Distraught, his son Joseph (Mark Womack) wants answers and somebody needs to pay. Ian (Kenny Doughty) and Issac (Ingvar Eggert Sigurdssson) were both caught on CCTV separately leaving his office, both denying they are the assassin, they now have to un-wittingly kill each other. Locked in a nightmare of murder, betrayal and jealousy they fight for everything that is important to them – but when...
- 7/25/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Blood Ties
Zoe Saldana, Mark Wahlberg and Marion Cotillard are all linked to "Blood Ties", Guillaume Canet's English-language remake of 2008 French film "Rivals" (aka. "Les liens du sang") for Wild Bunch.
Set in the 1980's, the story follows two brothers - one a pimp and the other a cop - with the former being the family favourite. Canet started in the original and will work with James Gray on the script of the remake. He may also have a small role. [Source: Screen Daily]
Bullies
Danny McBride is expected to star in Randy Krallman's comedy "Bullies" for Mandate Pictures and Rough House Pictures.
Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul penned the script about two brothers who have been bullies all their lives get their comeuppance. [Source: Deadline]
uwantme2killhim
Due to a delay, the cast for the new UK thriller "uwantme2killhim?" has undergone a shake up with Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Joanne Froggatt,...
Zoe Saldana, Mark Wahlberg and Marion Cotillard are all linked to "Blood Ties", Guillaume Canet's English-language remake of 2008 French film "Rivals" (aka. "Les liens du sang") for Wild Bunch.
Set in the 1980's, the story follows two brothers - one a pimp and the other a cop - with the former being the family favourite. Canet started in the original and will work with James Gray on the script of the remake. He may also have a small role. [Source: Screen Daily]
Bullies
Danny McBride is expected to star in Randy Krallman's comedy "Bullies" for Mandate Pictures and Rough House Pictures.
Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul penned the script about two brothers who have been bullies all their lives get their comeuppance. [Source: Deadline]
uwantme2killhim
Due to a delay, the cast for the new UK thriller "uwantme2killhim?" has undergone a shake up with Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Joanne Froggatt,...
- 11/2/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Back in May, Olly Alexander and Jack O'Connell were attached to play the leads in uwantme2killhim?, a new British film inspired by a real-life story, written by Mike Walden, and directed by Andrew Douglas.
But the delays in the start of filming have resulted in a change of cast, with 20 year old Jamie Blackley (represented by United Agents) now playing Mark.
16-year-old Mark meets local girl Rachel on the internet, he begins an intense online relationship. He quickly finds that he’s besotted, that he’ll do anything for her, even befriend her awkward, loner brother, John. When Rachel, who is trapped within the grips of a possessive boyfriend, is murdered, Mark and John make plans to avenge her death. Their actions draw the attention of a secret government department as they unwittingly stumble upon an ongoing operation. Soon Mark is recruited to commit a crime that made British legal history.
But the delays in the start of filming have resulted in a change of cast, with 20 year old Jamie Blackley (represented by United Agents) now playing Mark.
16-year-old Mark meets local girl Rachel on the internet, he begins an intense online relationship. He quickly finds that he’s besotted, that he’ll do anything for her, even befriend her awkward, loner brother, John. When Rachel, who is trapped within the grips of a possessive boyfriend, is murdered, Mark and John make plans to avenge her death. Their actions draw the attention of a secret government department as they unwittingly stumble upon an ongoing operation. Soon Mark is recruited to commit a crime that made British legal history.
- 10/8/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
I'd long since grown bored with the characters in my third novel, Kelly+Victor – until a film set brought them clamouring back for my attention
The Molyneux pub, a big corner boozer in the Kensington/Anfield area of Liverpool, looks like a crime scene. Indeed, the rumour will spread that it has been the scene of a fatal shooting: blackout sheets drape the windows, official-looking people mill on the pavements, cameras and booms are in evidence. This is a not uncommon sight here, except today there is a distinct lack of high-visibility police jerkins. Inside the pub, the air is one of hushed reverence. Someone whispers a greeting in my ear, steers me over python cables and sits me down in front of a monitor. Then they put some earphones on my head. On the screen, a desperate-looking young man leans over a table towards a desperate-looking young woman and...
The Molyneux pub, a big corner boozer in the Kensington/Anfield area of Liverpool, looks like a crime scene. Indeed, the rumour will spread that it has been the scene of a fatal shooting: blackout sheets drape the windows, official-looking people mill on the pavements, cameras and booms are in evidence. This is a not uncommon sight here, except today there is a distinct lack of high-visibility police jerkins. Inside the pub, the air is one of hushed reverence. Someone whispers a greeting in my ear, steers me over python cables and sits me down in front of a monitor. Then they put some earphones on my head. On the screen, a desperate-looking young man leans over a table towards a desperate-looking young woman and...
- 9/22/2011
- by Niall Griffiths
- The Guardian - Film News
Samantha Womack misses the "financial security" that came alongside starring in 'EastEnders'. The blonde actress - who has two children, Ben, 10, and six-year-old Lily with actor husband Mark Womack - played Ronnie Mitchell in the soap from 2007 to 2011, but she now admits to being "less inclined to take chances" with her career roles. When asked if she misses the BBC One show, she told Stylist magazine: "I miss the financial security. As you get older you become less inclined to take chances, but taking a risk was important. "I try to retain the confidence I had when I was...
- 8/11/2011
- Virgin Media - TV
It’s another jam-packed week of DVD and Blu-ray releases, here’s the rundown of what’s available to buy from today, May 23rd 2011.
True Blood: The Complete Season 3 (DVD/Blu-ray)
In Bon Temps, everyone has something to hide. But when new threats emerge, no one can conceal the secrets of their past. After Sookie discovers that Bill’s been kidnapped, she heads to Mississippi where she becomes entangled in a world ruled by a pack of vicious werewolves and the powerful Vampire King, Russell Edgington. There, her powers resurface and she learns that Bill may not be trusted. Eric is also drawn to the King’s domain to settle an old score; Tara dives deep into turmoil; Jason falls for a mysterious woman; Lafayette can’t avoid love or demons; Jessica sharpens her vampire skills; and Sam uncovers the truth about his birth family. It all leads up to the revelation of the series…...
True Blood: The Complete Season 3 (DVD/Blu-ray)
In Bon Temps, everyone has something to hide. But when new threats emerge, no one can conceal the secrets of their past. After Sookie discovers that Bill’s been kidnapped, she heads to Mississippi where she becomes entangled in a world ruled by a pack of vicious werewolves and the powerful Vampire King, Russell Edgington. There, her powers resurface and she learns that Bill may not be trusted. Eric is also drawn to the King’s domain to settle an old score; Tara dives deep into turmoil; Jason falls for a mysterious woman; Lafayette can’t avoid love or demons; Jessica sharpens her vampire skills; and Sam uncovers the truth about his birth family. It all leads up to the revelation of the series…...
- 5/23/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
This is the Pure Movies review of Route Irish, directed by Ken Loach and starring Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop, Trevor Williams and Stephen Lord. Written by David Hudson for Pure Movies. Director Ken Loach is known for his politically-charged work, and his latest, Route Irish, is no exception. Fergus (Mark Womack) is a former soldier who has subsequently earned good money working for a private security firm in Iraq. He convinces his best mate Frankie that he too can earn a small fortune by joining the same firm, and is therefore guilt-ridden when Frankie is killed when ambushed on the notoriously dangerous road to Baghdad airport (the ‘Route Irish’ of the title). The film opens with Fergus attending Frankie’s funeral in Liverpool, and joining Frankie’s family in seeking answers about his death from his employers. Pretty quickly, Fergus smells a cover-up and sets out to find...
- 5/22/2011
- by David Hudson
- Pure Movies
Route Irish ***
Stars: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop | Written by Paul Laverty | Directed by Ken Loach
After his peculiarly upbeat dark comedy Looking For Eric in 2009 (one man’s struggle for inspiration guided by the spirit form of Eric Cantona – much better than it sounds on paper), director Ken Loach returns to familiarly bleak territory with conspiracy drama Route Irish.
Fergus, (Mark Womack) an ex-sas soldier and mercenary returns to Liverpool from his highly lucrative contracting job in Iraq for the funeral of his childhood friend and partner Frankie (John Bishop), who has been killed along Route Irish, the “most dangerous road in the world”, the road from Bagdad airport to the green zone.
Overcome with grief and struggling with the knowledge that his friend as a fellow contractor was in the Bagdad, not for patriotism but simply for money, Fergus is forced to examine his motivations for doing the job.
Stars: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop | Written by Paul Laverty | Directed by Ken Loach
After his peculiarly upbeat dark comedy Looking For Eric in 2009 (one man’s struggle for inspiration guided by the spirit form of Eric Cantona – much better than it sounds on paper), director Ken Loach returns to familiarly bleak territory with conspiracy drama Route Irish.
Fergus, (Mark Womack) an ex-sas soldier and mercenary returns to Liverpool from his highly lucrative contracting job in Iraq for the funeral of his childhood friend and partner Frankie (John Bishop), who has been killed along Route Irish, the “most dangerous road in the world”, the road from Bagdad airport to the green zone.
Overcome with grief and struggling with the knowledge that his friend as a fellow contractor was in the Bagdad, not for patriotism but simply for money, Fergus is forced to examine his motivations for doing the job.
- 5/21/2011
- by Jez Sands
- Nerdly
Neds
DVD & Blu-ray, Entertainment One
As seen in movies such as Attack The Block and Anuvahood, British cinema's current obsession with painting our youths as less than saintly continues with director Peter Mullan's latest.
Unlike the above titles, this one is set in early-70s Glasgow and attempts to tackle the causes of such wayward behaviour. In confining events mostly to a housing estate and neighbouring school, the consequences of violence are always there, up close, to remind the perpetrators of their actions. Starting off as an impossibly apple-cheeked class swot, John McGill (played as an older boy by Connor McCarron) seems to be the kid with the most potential. We quickly learn he's been plagued with huge negative influences, such as an abusive, alcoholic father (played by Mullan), a big brother who is a legendary local hard man, and the endless turf wars the neighbourhood teens ruck over.
DVD & Blu-ray, Entertainment One
As seen in movies such as Attack The Block and Anuvahood, British cinema's current obsession with painting our youths as less than saintly continues with director Peter Mullan's latest.
Unlike the above titles, this one is set in early-70s Glasgow and attempts to tackle the causes of such wayward behaviour. In confining events mostly to a housing estate and neighbouring school, the consequences of violence are always there, up close, to remind the perpetrators of their actions. Starting off as an impossibly apple-cheeked class swot, John McGill (played as an older boy by Connor McCarron) seems to be the kid with the most potential. We quickly learn he's been plagued with huge negative influences, such as an abusive, alcoholic father (played by Mullan), a big brother who is a legendary local hard man, and the endless turf wars the neighbourhood teens ruck over.
- 5/20/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
To celebrate the May 23rd release of Route Irish, we are giving away a copy of the film on DVD to 5 lucky winners. You can check out our interview with Ken Loach and Mark Womack from the theatrical release right here.
Directed by British film-making legend Ken Loach (Looking For Eric, The Wind that Shakes the Barley), Route Irish is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller that delivers a fresh insight into the moral and political corruption at play in Iraq. As well as exploring the abuses perpetrated by private security firms on the ground in Iraq, Loach, and long time collaborator, screenwriter Paul Laverty (Looking For Eric, My Name is Joe) examine the effects of combat on security contractors – the new ‘soldiers’ of modern warfare – who witness the horrors of combat and are subject to post-combat stress yet receive no support from the state upon their return home.
Fergus (Womack) returns...
Directed by British film-making legend Ken Loach (Looking For Eric, The Wind that Shakes the Barley), Route Irish is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller that delivers a fresh insight into the moral and political corruption at play in Iraq. As well as exploring the abuses perpetrated by private security firms on the ground in Iraq, Loach, and long time collaborator, screenwriter Paul Laverty (Looking For Eric, My Name is Joe) examine the effects of combat on security contractors – the new ‘soldiers’ of modern warfare – who witness the horrors of combat and are subject to post-combat stress yet receive no support from the state upon their return home.
Fergus (Womack) returns...
- 5/17/2011
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Scott Maslen is going to miss his co-star Samantha Womack "dreadfully" when she leaves 'EastEnders'. The pair play on-screen husband and wife Jack and Ronnie Branning in the BBC One soap and Scott admits it won't be the same on set when the 38-year-old actress leaves later this year to appear in new musical 'South Pacific'. But the 39-year-old actor thinks the time is right for Samantha - who has two children, 10-year-old Ben and Lily, six, with her husband Mark Womack - to take a break, especially after the attention their controversial baby swap storyline attracted. He told buzz magazine: "I'm going...
- 5/14/2011
- Virgin Media - TV
Scott Maslen is going to miss his co-star Samantha Womack "dreadfully" when she leaves 'EastEnders'. The pair play on-screen husband and wife Jack and Ronnie Branning in the BBC One soap and Scott admits it won't be the same on set when the 38-year-old actress leaves later this year to appear in new musical 'South Pacific'. But the 39-year-old actor thinks the time is right for Samantha - who has two children, 10-year-old Ben and Lily, six, with her husband Mark Womack - to take a break, especially after the attention their controversial baby swap storyline attracted. He told buzz magazine: "I'm going...
- 5/12/2011
- Virgin Media - TV
Tomorrow, Sky 1 brings Martina Cole’s gritty crime novel The Runaway to the screen, with the first in a six-part drama, which will star a liberal smattering of British talent including Alan Cumming, Joanna Vanderham and volatile relative new-comer Jack O’ Connell. And lucky devil that I am, I’ve got my hands on the first two episodes for an early review.
If you haven’t yet come across any of the pre-release marketing, the official Sky synopsis goes like this:
East London kids Cathy Connor (Vanderham) and Eamonn Docherty (O’Connell) dream of a brighter future. But their hopes are shattered when Cathy is sent into care and then compelled to run away and forced to survive on the streets of Soho. Befriended by colourful transvestite Desrae (Cumming), Cathy grows up in the heart of London’s underworld, while Eamonn is drawn into a life of crime and ultimately flees to New York.
If you haven’t yet come across any of the pre-release marketing, the official Sky synopsis goes like this:
East London kids Cathy Connor (Vanderham) and Eamonn Docherty (O’Connell) dream of a brighter future. But their hopes are shattered when Cathy is sent into care and then compelled to run away and forced to survive on the streets of Soho. Befriended by colourful transvestite Desrae (Cumming), Cathy grows up in the heart of London’s underworld, while Eamonn is drawn into a life of crime and ultimately flees to New York.
- 3/30/2011
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
Screenterrier reported back in March 2010 on the casting of Skins star Jack O'Connell and newcomer Joanna Vanderham in Sky1's adaptation of Martina Cole's best-seller The Runaway.
The 6-part series also stars Alan Cumming as flamboyant transvestite Desrae, Ken Stott (Messiah), and Keith Allen (Robin Hood).
Now, a year later, the drama hits our screens on Thursday 31st March at 9pm on Sky1.
East London kids Cathy Connor (Vanderham) and Eamonn Docherty (O'Connell) dream of a brighter future. But their hopes are shattered when Cathy is sent into care and then compelled to run away and forced to survive on the streets of Soho. Befriended by colourful transvestite Desrae (Cumming), Cathy grows up in the heart of London's underworld, while Eamonn is drawn into a life of crime and ultimately flees to New York. As London's red light district sinks into the sleaze of the 70s, and the Ira,...
The 6-part series also stars Alan Cumming as flamboyant transvestite Desrae, Ken Stott (Messiah), and Keith Allen (Robin Hood).
Now, a year later, the drama hits our screens on Thursday 31st March at 9pm on Sky1.
East London kids Cathy Connor (Vanderham) and Eamonn Docherty (O'Connell) dream of a brighter future. But their hopes are shattered when Cathy is sent into care and then compelled to run away and forced to survive on the streets of Soho. Befriended by colourful transvestite Desrae (Cumming), Cathy grows up in the heart of London's underworld, while Eamonn is drawn into a life of crime and ultimately flees to New York. As London's red light district sinks into the sleaze of the 70s, and the Ira,...
- 3/24/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
Ken Loach returns to the political arena with the taut, violent Route Irish, a cautionary tale about the privatization of modern war propelled by a riveting, intricately plotted mystery.
Ex-sas private security contractor Fergus (Mark Womack) returns to Liverpool from Iraq to attend the funeral of his friend Frankie (John Bishop) who was killed on ‘Route Irish’, the dangerous road between Baghdad airport and the Green Zone. Fergus doesn’t accept the official story of his death, and discovers that a cell phone camera recording of a horrific shooting incident holds the key to the truth of why Frankie died.
Mark Womack’s Fergus is the ferocious heart of the film, and it is a stunning portrayal of a deeply traumatised man consumed with sorrow and anger over his experiences in Iraq and the loss of his best friend. Fergus channels his pain into a determination to get to the...
Ex-sas private security contractor Fergus (Mark Womack) returns to Liverpool from Iraq to attend the funeral of his friend Frankie (John Bishop) who was killed on ‘Route Irish’, the dangerous road between Baghdad airport and the Green Zone. Fergus doesn’t accept the official story of his death, and discovers that a cell phone camera recording of a horrific shooting incident holds the key to the truth of why Frankie died.
Mark Womack’s Fergus is the ferocious heart of the film, and it is a stunning portrayal of a deeply traumatised man consumed with sorrow and anger over his experiences in Iraq and the loss of his best friend. Fergus channels his pain into a determination to get to the...
- 3/20/2011
- by Ian Gilchrist
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ken Loach brings the horrors of the war in Iraq back home to Liverpool in this gripping conspiracy thriller
All films are political, though most unconsciously so. Along with a handful of others (one thinks of the great Soviet directors of the 1920s, of the Italians Francesco Rosi and Gillo Pontecorvo, of the American John Sayles), Ken Loach is that relatively rare figure, the consciously political film-maker. Only the occasional Loach film lacks some well-considered left-wing agenda, and Route Irish, his response to the war in Iraq, takes up themes he has pursued on several occasions, including crimes committed in the name of the state, the brutalisation of militarism, the exploitation of the demoralised unemployed and the thoughtless ill-treatment of native populations.
Scripted by his regular screenwriter Paul Laverty, Route Irish is a characteristic Loach film, a gripping conspiracy thriller not unlike Hidden Agenda, his film on the Troubles. Quite...
All films are political, though most unconsciously so. Along with a handful of others (one thinks of the great Soviet directors of the 1920s, of the Italians Francesco Rosi and Gillo Pontecorvo, of the American John Sayles), Ken Loach is that relatively rare figure, the consciously political film-maker. Only the occasional Loach film lacks some well-considered left-wing agenda, and Route Irish, his response to the war in Iraq, takes up themes he has pursued on several occasions, including crimes committed in the name of the state, the brutalisation of militarism, the exploitation of the demoralised unemployed and the thoughtless ill-treatment of native populations.
Scripted by his regular screenwriter Paul Laverty, Route Irish is a characteristic Loach film, a gripping conspiracy thriller not unlike Hidden Agenda, his film on the Troubles. Quite...
- 3/20/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Submarine (15)
(Richard Ayoade, 2010, UK/Us) Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Noah Taylor. 97 mins
Ayoade evidently did his homework before stepping behind the camera, swotting up on everything from the French New Wave to The Graduate to Wes Anderson, but the result is a fresh and distinctly British-flavoured coming-of-ager, full of provincial frustrations and recognisable types. The story takes few risks – an intelligent Welsh schoolkid's quest for self-definition and sexual adventure – but Submarine works hard to earn our affections with a mix of sincerity, energy and impeccable comic timing.
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (12A)
(Woody Allen, 2010, UK/Us) Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Gemma Jones. 98 mins
The ever-scrappier Allen observes life's frivolities with a bemused but cheerless eye in a London comedy whose great cast compensates for the fatalistic outlook.
Route Irish (15)
(Ken Loach, 2010, UK/Fra/Ita/Bel/Spa) Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop. 109 mins
Loach considers the physical...
(Richard Ayoade, 2010, UK/Us) Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Noah Taylor. 97 mins
Ayoade evidently did his homework before stepping behind the camera, swotting up on everything from the French New Wave to The Graduate to Wes Anderson, but the result is a fresh and distinctly British-flavoured coming-of-ager, full of provincial frustrations and recognisable types. The story takes few risks – an intelligent Welsh schoolkid's quest for self-definition and sexual adventure – but Submarine works hard to earn our affections with a mix of sincerity, energy and impeccable comic timing.
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (12A)
(Woody Allen, 2010, UK/Us) Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Gemma Jones. 98 mins
The ever-scrappier Allen observes life's frivolities with a bemused but cheerless eye in a London comedy whose great cast compensates for the fatalistic outlook.
Route Irish (15)
(Ken Loach, 2010, UK/Fra/Ita/Bel/Spa) Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop. 109 mins
Loach considers the physical...
- 3/19/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
A minor film by director Ken Loach's standards, but with powerful, angry moments. It's set in Iraq, and the big surprise is an impressive acting role for standup comedian John Bishop. By Peter Bradshaw
This film, written by Paul Laverty, will, on consideration, go down as a minor Loach work – yet there are powerful moments and valuable insights. It takes as its starting point the extraordinary legal immunity granted to private security personnel by the Allied military powers in Iraq after 2003: they were effectively given the right to shoot first and neglect to ask questions afterwards. Fergus and Frankie are two such, ex-army guys attracted to Iraq for a massive payday. When Frankie comes back in a coffin – having apparently died in crossfire on the dangerous road between Baghdad airport and the Green Zone called "Route Irish" – Fergus uncovers evidence that Frankie was silenced for kicking up a stink about murderous abuse.
This film, written by Paul Laverty, will, on consideration, go down as a minor Loach work – yet there are powerful moments and valuable insights. It takes as its starting point the extraordinary legal immunity granted to private security personnel by the Allied military powers in Iraq after 2003: they were effectively given the right to shoot first and neglect to ask questions afterwards. Fergus and Frankie are two such, ex-army guys attracted to Iraq for a massive payday. When Frankie comes back in a coffin – having apparently died in crossfire on the dangerous road between Baghdad airport and the Green Zone called "Route Irish" – Fergus uncovers evidence that Frankie was silenced for kicking up a stink about murderous abuse.
- 3/18/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
After more than four decades as one of Britain’s most highly regarded directors, Ken Loach shows no sign of slowing down.
After taking a detour into somewhat lighter fare with his last feature Looking for Eric, he has returned to the political arena with the taut revenge thriller Route Irish, which examines the privitization of war and the murky world of security contractors in Iraq.
Mark Womack stars as an ex Sas man who is certain that the official explanation for his friend’s death in Iraq is not the real story, and back in Liverpool he embarks on a quest to uncover the truth.
I spoke with the witty and eloquent Ken Loach and Mark Womack earlier this week about the film and about Mr. Loach’s extraordinary career. My review of Route Irish will run on Friday.
After taking a detour into somewhat lighter fare with his last feature Looking for Eric, he has returned to the political arena with the taut revenge thriller Route Irish, which examines the privitization of war and the murky world of security contractors in Iraq.
Mark Womack stars as an ex Sas man who is certain that the official explanation for his friend’s death in Iraq is not the real story, and back in Liverpool he embarks on a quest to uncover the truth.
I spoke with the witty and eloquent Ken Loach and Mark Womack earlier this week about the film and about Mr. Loach’s extraordinary career. My review of Route Irish will run on Friday.
- 3/16/2011
- by Ian Gilchrist
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Route Irish ***
Stars: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop | Written by Paul Laverty | Directed by Ken Loach
After his peculiarly upbeat dark comedy Looking For Eric in 2009 (one man’s struggle for inspiration guided by the spirit form of Eric Cantona – much better than it sounds on paper), director Ken Loach returns to familiarly bleak territory with conspiracy drama Route Irish.
Fergus, (Mark Womack) an ex-sas soldier and mercenary returns to Liverpool from his highly lucrative contracting job in Iraq for the funeral of his childhood friend and partner Frankie (John Bishop), who has been killed along Route Irish, the “most dangerous road in the world”, the road from Bagdad airport to the green zone.
Overcome with grief and struggling with the knowledge that his friend as a fellow contractor was in the Bagdad, not for patriotism but simply for money, Fergus is forced to examine his motivations for doing the job.
Stars: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop | Written by Paul Laverty | Directed by Ken Loach
After his peculiarly upbeat dark comedy Looking For Eric in 2009 (one man’s struggle for inspiration guided by the spirit form of Eric Cantona – much better than it sounds on paper), director Ken Loach returns to familiarly bleak territory with conspiracy drama Route Irish.
Fergus, (Mark Womack) an ex-sas soldier and mercenary returns to Liverpool from his highly lucrative contracting job in Iraq for the funeral of his childhood friend and partner Frankie (John Bishop), who has been killed along Route Irish, the “most dangerous road in the world”, the road from Bagdad airport to the green zone.
Overcome with grief and struggling with the knowledge that his friend as a fellow contractor was in the Bagdad, not for patriotism but simply for money, Fergus is forced to examine his motivations for doing the job.
- 3/15/2011
- by Jez Sands
- Nerdly
Murphy’s Law makes no qualms about being quality television, a grim and proper police procedural that doesn’t sympathize or moralize either the cop or the crook. I had not seen the prior two series’ but that didn’t prove to be an issue – Series 3 is insular, covering a single investigation led by one Thomas Murphy (a scruffy though not disheveled James Nesbitt). Murphy is a career cop whose specialty is undercover work, a task he executes capably, with frequent improvisation aided by a razor-sharp intelligence. The quality of the show seemingly feeds of Murphy’s skill in the field, with six hour-long episodes carefully balancing character development with the suspense inherent in undercover investigations.
The series begins with a routine gun sale, Murphy posing as an experienced dealer in order to score a meeting with Caz Miller (Michael Fassbender). When Murphy learns that the gun is to be used for a hit,...
The series begins with a routine gun sale, Murphy posing as an experienced dealer in order to score a meeting with Caz Miller (Michael Fassbender). When Murphy learns that the gun is to be used for a hit,...
- 3/8/2011
- by Mark Zhuravsky
- JustPressPlay.net
Artificial Eye have released a new UK poster for political-drama Route Irish.
Directed by Ken Loach (Kes), Route Irish stars Mark Womack (Murphy’s Law), Andrea Lowe (Cracker), John Bishop (Skins), Trevor Williams (Shameless) and Stephen Lord (Judge Dredd).
Route Irish, which premiered at 2010 Cannes Film Festival to solid reviews, tells the story of a private security contractor in Iraq who, after rejecting the “official” explanation of his friend’s death, sets out to uncover the truth.
The film will be released nationwide on March 18.
Check out the new UK poster below:
Source: Empire...
Directed by Ken Loach (Kes), Route Irish stars Mark Womack (Murphy’s Law), Andrea Lowe (Cracker), John Bishop (Skins), Trevor Williams (Shameless) and Stephen Lord (Judge Dredd).
Route Irish, which premiered at 2010 Cannes Film Festival to solid reviews, tells the story of a private security contractor in Iraq who, after rejecting the “official” explanation of his friend’s death, sets out to uncover the truth.
The film will be released nationwide on March 18.
Check out the new UK poster below:
Source: Empire...
- 2/24/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Thanks to the magic of the internet, we’ve got movie posters for you lovely readers to check out. We’re covering a wide range here, whether it’s action (Sucker Punch), animation (Winnie the Pooh), suspense (The Adjustment Bureau) or political (Route Irish).
First up is Zack Snyder‘s Sucker Punch, which is bringing us five separate, designed-to-look-vintage sheets, one for each character. You’ve already seen character posters in the past, but these look quite different; they not only have the aforementioned vintage look, but they’ve also got catchy taglines. Check them out below, thanks to KinoGallery (via CinemaBlend):
Up next is Winnie the Pooh, Disney’s revisit of the famed cartoon character. After a trailer premiered in November to a strong response, the anticipation for this has been surprisingly high. The poster it’s just received at Yahoo (via FirstShowing) and it seems like it...
First up is Zack Snyder‘s Sucker Punch, which is bringing us five separate, designed-to-look-vintage sheets, one for each character. You’ve already seen character posters in the past, but these look quite different; they not only have the aforementioned vintage look, but they’ve also got catchy taglines. Check them out below, thanks to KinoGallery (via CinemaBlend):
Up next is Winnie the Pooh, Disney’s revisit of the famed cartoon character. After a trailer premiered in November to a strong response, the anticipation for this has been surprisingly high. The poster it’s just received at Yahoo (via FirstShowing) and it seems like it...
- 2/24/2011
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Prom
Opens: April 29th 2011
Cast: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Summary: Portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott, it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events.
Analysis: Disney's attempt at creating the next "High School Musical" franchise for itself, this teen romantic comedy is a batch of clique cliches - the beauty queen, the rebel with better hair than anyone else in the film, the handsome yet dumb foreign exchange student, the 'so above it' geek who really wants to belong, and at least one or two 'fugly' girls.
It's all very "The Breakfast Club" meets "10 Things I Hate About...
Opens: April 29th 2011
Cast: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Summary: Portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott, it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events.
Analysis: Disney's attempt at creating the next "High School Musical" franchise for itself, this teen romantic comedy is a batch of clique cliches - the beauty queen, the rebel with better hair than anyone else in the film, the handsome yet dumb foreign exchange student, the 'so above it' geek who really wants to belong, and at least one or two 'fugly' girls.
It's all very "The Breakfast Club" meets "10 Things I Hate About...
- 2/24/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
It's safe to say that Ken Loach's latest movie sees him delve into unusually explosive territory. He's not a director you'd expect to find queuing with Michael Bay at your local outlet of Pyrotechnics'r'Us, but, as you can see from the film's new quad poster, Route Irish is a departure for the Midlander: a balls-out political thriller that tackles the grisly aftermath of Britain's involvement in Iraq.Route Irish take its title from the nickname of the Baghdad Airport Road, the first, perilous road travelled by visitors seeking the sanctuary of the Green Zone. It's here that security contractor Frankie (John Bishop) meets a sticky end. His best pal and colleague Fergus (Mark Womack) heads back to Liverpool for his funeral and discovers that there's much more to his death than meets the eye. When he starts pulling the threads of Fergus' recent past, Mark starts to unravel the...
- 2/24/2011
- EmpireOnline
Here is the trailer for Ken Loach's new film Route Irish that centers on the Iraq War. Loach directed 2006's Irish war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
He has worked once again with his regular writing collaborator Paul Laverty to tell the story of a British soldier-turned-security contractor in Iraq who rejects the official explanation of his friend’s death and sets out to discover the truth.
The film premiered as a last minute addition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and received mediocre reviews. Despite critic's feelings that Route Irish is not one of his better films, I think it looks pretty intense and one I will enjoy.
Here’s the plot synopsis:
Route Irish is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller that delivers a fresh insight into the moral and political corruption at play in Iraq. As well as exploring...
He has worked once again with his regular writing collaborator Paul Laverty to tell the story of a British soldier-turned-security contractor in Iraq who rejects the official explanation of his friend’s death and sets out to discover the truth.
The film premiered as a last minute addition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and received mediocre reviews. Despite critic's feelings that Route Irish is not one of his better films, I think it looks pretty intense and one I will enjoy.
Here’s the plot synopsis:
Route Irish is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller that delivers a fresh insight into the moral and political corruption at play in Iraq. As well as exploring...
- 2/4/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Hard-hitting social realist director Ken Loach took a break from sternly examining the injustices and hardships of the world a couple of years ago, delighting critics [1] with the crowd-pleasing Looking for Eric. Now he's back to business, at long last turning his political eye to the Iraq War in Route Irish. Loach, whose Irish War drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley took home the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2006, once again teams with his regular writing collaborator Paul Laverty, bringing us the story of a British soldier-turned-security contractor in Iraq who rejects the official explanation of his friend's death and sets out to discover the truth. The film premiered as a last minute addition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival to middling [2] reviews [3]. A number of critics praised Loach's intent, but felt it was a lesser work in his filmmography. Why take their word for it though? Watch the trailer after the break.
- 2/4/2011
- by Adam Quigley
- Slash Film
Ken Loach brought home the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival for his masterpiece The Wind That Shakes The Barley. After the well-reviewed, but under-seen Looking For Eric in 2009, he is back with Route Irish. This war drama starring Mark Womack and Andrea Lowe premiered at Cannes last year to mixed reviews. It will finally get a March release in the UK. We have the first trailer below via Get The Big Picture.
Synopsis: The story of a private security contractor in Iraq who rejected the official explanation of his friend’s death and sets out to discover the truth.
Route Irish hits UK theaters March 18th, 2011.
What do you think the trailer?
E-mail Jordan Raup here. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Tfs updates!
Synopsis: The story of a private security contractor in Iraq who rejected the official explanation of his friend’s death and sets out to discover the truth.
Route Irish hits UK theaters March 18th, 2011.
What do you think the trailer?
E-mail Jordan Raup here. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Tfs updates!
- 2/4/2011
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Artificial Eye Film Co have just released the very first images from Ken Loach’s new movie, Route Irish which I wonder if means we can expect a trailer for the movie soon. Route Irish stars Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop (yes the comedian who I just found out has been in Skins), Trevor Williams and Stephen Lord and according to IMDb will be with us in the UK 18th March.
Synopsis: The story of a private security contractor in Iraq who rejected the official explanation of his friend’s death and sets out to discover the truth.
Some of our guys have seen clips from the movie at various events at the London Film Festival which you can check out here.
In the meantime, click the images below to enlarge.
Synopsis: The story of a private security contractor in Iraq who rejected the official explanation of his friend’s death and sets out to discover the truth.
Some of our guys have seen clips from the movie at various events at the London Film Festival which you can check out here.
In the meantime, click the images below to enlarge.
- 1/26/2011
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Usually around this time of the year we list maybe 10 or 20 films that we think are as absolute ‘Must See’s’ for what the next 12 months of cinema has to offer us but as the clock is ticking ever closer to midnight on 2010, we thought we would challenge ourselves a little further this time around. The question I posed to the Owf staff recently was… can Cinema in 2011 produce enough ‘Must See’ films to hit 52, which would ratio out to be just one film per week? That’s all we are hopeful for here… just one film every Friday that justifies us parting with our ever increasingly important cash in these tough economic times.
Did we manage to find 52? Kind of.
There’s certainly 52 films listed here but once we got to around 30, the whole thing became a struggle and we had to fill it out disappointingly with the usual array of over-budgeted summer spectacles,...
Did we manage to find 52? Kind of.
There’s certainly 52 films listed here but once we got to around 30, the whole thing became a struggle and we had to fill it out disappointingly with the usual array of over-budgeted summer spectacles,...
- 12/25/2010
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
Samantha Womack wants more children when her 'EastEnders' schedule calms down. The 37-year-old actress - who plays long-suffering club owner Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC One soap - would love to a baby brother or sister, but is struggling to fit it in with her busy career. She said: ''I am a natural born breeder, and it's what I do best. We make such great ones it would be criminal not to make another.'' Samantha already has son Ben, nine, and daughter Lili-Rose, five, with her husband Mark Womack, who is also keen to extend their brood. He added: ''It's just a timing thing. Sam's ..
- 6/2/2010
- Virgin Media - TV
Last year Ken Loach introduced us to Steve Evets in Looking for Eric, and this year, topping this top ten list of New Faces from the Cannes Film Festival is Mark Womack - also a veteran actor for the small screen, but pretty much a beginner on the silver screen. In Route Irish, Womack takes on the angry role of Frankie - a contractor in Iraq who senses that his close friend's death isn't as what officials are claiming it to be. Frankie descends into madness, applies his own code of conduct and sets off on a war path of his own - the perf is raw just like many characters in Loach's films. - #1. Mark Womack Last year Ken Loach introduced us to Steve Evets in Looking for Eric, and this year, topping this top ten list of New Faces from the Cannes Film Festival is Mark Womack -...
- 5/28/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
#1. Mark Womack Last year Ken Loach introduced us to Steve Evets in Looking for Eric, and this year, topping this top ten list of New Faces from the Cannes Film Festival is Mark Womack - also a veteran actor for the small screen, but pretty much a beginner on the silver screen. In Route Irish, Womack takes on the angry role of Frankie - a contractor in Iraq who senses that his close friend's death isn't as what officials are claiming it to be. Frankie descends into madness, applies his own code of conduct and sets off on a war path of his own - the perf is raw just like many characters in Loach's films. ...
- 5/27/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
It took 79-year-old Jean-Luc Godard to shine out amid the festival's glut of unwatchable art-house films
Just because there's champagne and yachts and a bit of sunshine, everyone thinks Cannes must be brilliant. Most of the time, it is, but it certainly hasn't been this year and when the curtain comes down tonight on the 63rd edition of the world's most important film festival, everyone at the Palais will surely be glad to make way for next month's Congres des Parfumeurs. It should help dissipate the air of disappointment lingering in the screening theatres.
There. I've said it. After the early promise of Mike Leigh's tender character study Another Year, the Cannes line-up revealed very little new or inventive in world cinema. And there's nothing more depressing than watching half-arsed art house. I'd rather watch slick Hollywood "product" than sit through most of this year's Cannes films again, when...
Just because there's champagne and yachts and a bit of sunshine, everyone thinks Cannes must be brilliant. Most of the time, it is, but it certainly hasn't been this year and when the curtain comes down tonight on the 63rd edition of the world's most important film festival, everyone at the Palais will surely be glad to make way for next month's Congres des Parfumeurs. It should help dissipate the air of disappointment lingering in the screening theatres.
There. I've said it. After the early promise of Mike Leigh's tender character study Another Year, the Cannes line-up revealed very little new or inventive in world cinema. And there's nothing more depressing than watching half-arsed art house. I'd rather watch slick Hollywood "product" than sit through most of this year's Cannes films again, when...
- 5/22/2010
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Mark Womack in Route Irish
Photo: Wild Bunch I had never seen a Ken Loach film prior to catching Route Irish, his last minute In Competition addition to the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. I had no real expectations, but was certainly curious to learn what all the fuss was about when it came to Loach and his work. However, I certainly didn't expect what I got, which was a highly approachable Iraq War story I could recommend to general audiences and one that takes a much different approach to the war than the majority of the films before it. It may be about Iraq, but it doesn't take place there and we aren't dealing with soldiers in the traditional sense. It's unique approach is what makes it worth watching, even if the story does falter a bit.
Set in Liverpool, the film follows Fergus (Mark Womack), a one-time private security contractor,...
Photo: Wild Bunch I had never seen a Ken Loach film prior to catching Route Irish, his last minute In Competition addition to the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. I had no real expectations, but was certainly curious to learn what all the fuss was about when it came to Loach and his work. However, I certainly didn't expect what I got, which was a highly approachable Iraq War story I could recommend to general audiences and one that takes a much different approach to the war than the majority of the films before it. It may be about Iraq, but it doesn't take place there and we aren't dealing with soldiers in the traditional sense. It's unique approach is what makes it worth watching, even if the story does falter a bit.
Set in Liverpool, the film follows Fergus (Mark Womack), a one-time private security contractor,...
- 5/21/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Actor Trevor Williams was reportedly left "shaken" after being waterboarded for scenes in Ken Loach's upcoming Iraq war drama Route Irish. Speaking at the Cannes press conference for the movie, Williams's co-star Mark Womack revealed that initial plans to fake the torture failed. Womack said: "It was very traumatic, for Trevor more than I, I'd imagine. We tried to cheat it with the use of a tube and we found that it wasn't working that way for us. "Trevor just went for it. I think we had to. If you're going to do something like that you've got to commit to do it as truthfully (more)...
- 5/21/2010
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Ken Loach's "Route Irish" may suffer from flat performances and an overwrought, polemically-motivated plot, but there's no denying its basic power as targeted polemic. The movie follows Fergus (Mark Womack), a disgruntled Iraq war veteran whose best pal Frankie dies overseas before the beginning of the movie. Grappling with the loss and seeking to figure out the details behind it, Fergus embarks on a one-man vigilante mission to bring down the ...
- 5/21/2010
- Indiewire
Late Palme d'Or contender shines light on murky world of security contractors
Cannes welcomed back one of its favoured sons today, and it was Ken Loach as he is best known and loved: gritty, uncompromising and angry. Very, very angry.
The 73-year-old director was a last-minute addition to the competition for this year's Palme d'Or with his film Route Irish, named after the hazardous road that links the green zone in Baghdad to the airport.
Loach told the Guardian that he and regular collaborator Paul Laverty had been trying to find a way of addressing Iraq for some time. "Iraq, to use the old cliche, was the elephant in our sitting room for a long time," said Loach.
"The actual event, the war in Iraq, was so appalling that it takes a long time to see it in perspective." He admits that anger was a motivating force – "anger on behalf...
Cannes welcomed back one of its favoured sons today, and it was Ken Loach as he is best known and loved: gritty, uncompromising and angry. Very, very angry.
The 73-year-old director was a last-minute addition to the competition for this year's Palme d'Or with his film Route Irish, named after the hazardous road that links the green zone in Baghdad to the airport.
Loach told the Guardian that he and regular collaborator Paul Laverty had been trying to find a way of addressing Iraq for some time. "Iraq, to use the old cliche, was the elephant in our sitting room for a long time," said Loach.
"The actual event, the war in Iraq, was so appalling that it takes a long time to see it in perspective." He admits that anger was a motivating force – "anger on behalf...
- 5/20/2010
- by Mark Brown
- The Guardian - Film News
Ken Loach's dark Iraq drama is let down by ponderous pacing and some ingenuous performances
After last year's buoyant comedy Looking for Eric, Ken Loach has turned this time to very dark subject matter, from which he has made a film which is a mix of conspiracy thriller and issue-led drama.
Mark Womack plays Fergus, a violent ex-army guy and one of the highly paid private security contractors in Iraq. Until 2009 private contractors had legal immunity privileges there, allowing them to shoot first and neglect to ask questions later.
Fergus returns to his native Liverpool for the funeral of Frankie, his childhood friend and fellow soldier of fortune, who has been killed in mysterious circumstances on "Route Irish", a notoriously dangerous roadway between Baghdad airport and the nearby fortified green zone.
For the first time, Fergus grasps how the death of a contractor is utterly without the consoling, cathartic...
After last year's buoyant comedy Looking for Eric, Ken Loach has turned this time to very dark subject matter, from which he has made a film which is a mix of conspiracy thriller and issue-led drama.
Mark Womack plays Fergus, a violent ex-army guy and one of the highly paid private security contractors in Iraq. Until 2009 private contractors had legal immunity privileges there, allowing them to shoot first and neglect to ask questions later.
Fergus returns to his native Liverpool for the funeral of Frankie, his childhood friend and fellow soldier of fortune, who has been killed in mysterious circumstances on "Route Irish", a notoriously dangerous roadway between Baghdad airport and the nearby fortified green zone.
For the first time, Fergus grasps how the death of a contractor is utterly without the consoling, cathartic...
- 5/19/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Photo: Wild Bunch I have never seen a Ken Loach film, but if I time things properly I will be seeing his latest feature, Route Irish as it was announced this morning as the nineteenth and final entry into the Competition category and will have its first screening on May 20.
Cannes General Delegate Thierry Fremaux commented on that addition saying, "The opportunity of adding another film to the Competition brings the total number of films presented to 19. So it is manageable and we decided to go for it."
He also points out this isn't the first time last minute additions have been made, and to impressive results. "Gilles Jacob included Yilmaz Guney and et Serif Goren's film Yol, Andej Wajda's L'Homme de fer and Abbas Kiarostami's Le Goût de la cerise at the last minute. That's not the end of the story: all three won the Palme d'Or for that year.
Cannes General Delegate Thierry Fremaux commented on that addition saying, "The opportunity of adding another film to the Competition brings the total number of films presented to 19. So it is manageable and we decided to go for it."
He also points out this isn't the first time last minute additions have been made, and to impressive results. "Gilles Jacob included Yilmaz Guney and et Serif Goren's film Yol, Andej Wajda's L'Homme de fer and Abbas Kiarostami's Le Goût de la cerise at the last minute. That's not the end of the story: all three won the Palme d'Or for that year.
- 5/10/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
With two films dealing with the infamous "Green Zone" strip, by preference, I want raw, and complex human emotions with my non-fiction backdrop. My vote goes to the Ken Loach and Paul Laverty tandem. - #41. Route Irish Director: Ken LoachWriter(s): Paul LavertyProducers: Rebecca O'BrienDistributor: Rights Available. The Gist: This is set on the most dangerous stretch of road in Baghdad where a British mercenary soldier is killed under mysterious circumstances. The story of two men who work as private security contractors in Iraq who risk their lives in a city awash with violence and greed...(more) Cast: John Bishop, Mark Womack, Stephen Lord and Andrea Lowe Why is it on the list?: With two films dealing with the infamous "Green Zone" strip, by preference, I want raw, and complex human emotions with my non-fiction backdrop. My vote goes to the Ken Loach and Paul Laverty tandem.
- 2/3/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
A Prophet
Opens: February 12th 2010
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb
Director: Jacques Audiard
Summary: Sent to prison, Malik El Djebena falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins their confidence but uses his intelligence to discreetly develop his own network.
Analysis: Finally scoring a limited release in the Us in February, Jacques Audiard's violent and hard-edged prison drama won the Grand Prix at Cannes, scored Best Film at the London Film Festival, and is already the hotly tipped favourite to take the Oscar for Best Foreign Film late next month.
Reviews have been stellar around the world for the film which quickly became the most universally admired entry in the often hotly contentious first week of Cannes back in May. From a breakout performance by Tahar Rahim,...
Opens: February 12th 2010
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb
Director: Jacques Audiard
Summary: Sent to prison, Malik El Djebena falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins their confidence but uses his intelligence to discreetly develop his own network.
Analysis: Finally scoring a limited release in the Us in February, Jacques Audiard's violent and hard-edged prison drama won the Grand Prix at Cannes, scored Best Film at the London Film Festival, and is already the hotly tipped favourite to take the Oscar for Best Foreign Film late next month.
Reviews have been stellar around the world for the film which quickly became the most universally admired entry in the often hotly contentious first week of Cannes back in May. From a breakout performance by Tahar Rahim,...
- 1/2/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
We might be getting a double dose of the "Green Zone" in 2010. We have the actioner film by Paul Greengrass coming out in early 2010, and then we should see Ken Loach staking out this region in war-torn Baghdad with Dp Chris Menges by his side. - We might be getting a double dose of the "Green Zone" in 2010. We have the actioner film by Paul Greengrass coming out in early 2010, and then we should see Ken Loach staking out this region in war-torn Baghdad with Dp Chris Menges by his side. The film will see the debuts of Mark Womack and Andrea Lowe and supporting help from John Bishop, Trevor Williams and Talib Hamafraj. Scripted by Paul Laverty, Route Irish is set on the most dangerous stretch of road in Baghdad where a British mercenary soldier is killed under mysterious circumstances. The story of two men who work as...
- 12/13/2009
- by Ioncinema.com Staff
- IONCINEMA.com
Legendary Brit director Ken Loach may be 73, but he isn't slowing down any - after the success of Looking For Eric, he's already lined up his next movie, Route Irish.Like fellow Brit, Paul Greengrass, Route Irish sees Loach tackle the thorny issue of Iraq, with the title referring to the road between Baghdad Airport and the International Green Zone, and should be a return to harder-hitting fare after the relative whimsy of his Eric Cantona-starring outing.Loach will be working with his longtime writing partner Paul Laverty (who's been the writer for his past nine films now) and will feature, in true Loachian style, two relative newcomers in the form of Mark Womack and Andrea Lowe. The plot will revolve around two private security contractors working in Baghdad. When one of them dies on 'Route Irish', the other won't accept the official explanation and decides to find out who's really responsible.
- 11/6/2009
- EmpireOnline
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.