BEST SELLERS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director Lina Roessler and Screen Media is the story of two people who turn out to need each other during the worst of times with BEST SELLERS.

Lucy Stanbridge (Aubrey Plaza) is running a publishing company inherited from her father that needs a boost of energy to get it back on track. Turning to assistant Rachel Spence (Ellen Wong), they go through their list of writers they could work with, and the name Harris Shaw (Michael Caine) comes up.

First, they have to get through the door to meet with him! Shaw is not a pleasant individual and he makes sure that everyone knows it. Reminding him of his contractual obligations, Lucy reminds him that the publishing company is owed another book. Realizing he is in financial trouble, he gives up the manuscript for The Future is X-Rated.

Not happy that the book also has to be edited, he goes on a rant with not wanting his words “in incompetent hands”. That’s when Lucy makes him a deal, go on a book tour and the manuscript will not be edited. At his first public reading, he uses the word “bullshite” and takes off like hair on fire.

Shaw does not understand the fuss but if it gets him what he wants, then “bullshite” it is! Yet, the underlying story of both Lucy and Shaw become clearer and their working relationship changes as truth spill out and history gets cleaned up.

That’s the real story!

Caine as Shaw gets the opportunity to jump right in to being a grumpy, cantankerous, outspoken old man who wants to smoke his cigars and drink till he can not remember anything. Washing away his life memories, Caine gives his character no filter and no excuses in the beginning but all of that hides Shaw’s truths that cannot be hidden anymore.

Plaza as Lucy is a young woman who has a clear incentive to keeping her father’s publishing company up and running. Her character is clearly capable of doing the job, but her time with Shaw begins to change her perspective on life and as realities begin to change, Plaza gives us a young woman who begins to see things quite differently.

Also in the film is Scott Speedman as Jack Sinclair, Cary Elwes as Halpren Nolan, and Veronica Ferres as Drew Davis.

Screen Media is an international distributor of television series and films, licensing content through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, and subscription and advertising video-on-demand platforms.  In 2017 Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. acquired Screen Media which is in its 23rd year as a leading global independent distribution company. With one of the largest independently owned libraries of filmed entertainment in the world and license agreements across all forms of media, Screen Media’s distribution capability enables direct distribution of all rights in all countries, thus enhancing the profitability of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment productions. The company is continually looking to add films and television series to its content library.

Caine and Plaza are amazing together playing off one another’s fears and life stories. On screen together they give their characters such life in the midst of pain and frustration. The story is a simple one but filled with emotion that just gave me a heart pitty-pats. It is a very cool opportunity to watch these actors explore their lives from different angels.

BEST SELLERS is a heartwarming and heart wrenching film that is worth of a watch and a box of Kleenex. The film was also the Gala Presentation – 2021 Berlinale Film Festival. The relationship between these two characters begins with such anger and hostility but those emotions clearly mask what is really going on with both Shaw and Lucy. Watching these two actors bring out the best and worst is worth every frame.

In the end – the story is not always on the page!

His Story and Life Collide in TOLKIEN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director Dome Karukoski and Fox Searchlight Pictures comes the story of stories told about the life of TOLKIEN.

The story begins with war as Private Sam Hodges (Craig Roberts) finds a very ill Tolkien and makes it his mission to help him survive. Out in the field as bombs rage and gas explodes, he once again sees how his life began and led him to the field of inhumanity.

J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) was a young man living with his mother and brother in a small English house in the middle of vast fields. One day Father Francis (Colm Meaney) helps the family move to the city to start again but it doesn’t last long as once again Father Francis moves Tolkien and his younger brother to the house of Mrs. Faulkner (Pam Ferris). Becoming their guardian, she starts with the boys’ education and Tolkien dives deeper into his drawings and writings.

Eventual Mrs. Faulkner takes in Edith Bratt (Lily Collins) and Tolkien is quite taken with her. Continuing to be watched over by Father Francis, the young man is told that he can’t share his feelings about her and still go to university. He makes the sad choice to leave her and joins childhood friends Rob Gilson (Patrick Gibson), Geoffrey Smith (Anthony Boyle) and Christopher Wiseman (Tom Glynn-Carney), also known as the TCBS, to university.

As the group continues to meet, Tolkien is one step away from having to leave school when he discovers Professor Wright (Derek Jacobi). Sharing his story’s with the Professor, both men become thrilled at the possibilities of the story and language. Finally finding his place in school, the war breaks out and Tolkien is called up.

Before shipping out he once again sees Edith and he finds himself still smitten with the young girl. They have a chance to explain to one another the situation as it was then but their hearts never let go of one another only to be parted again by battle.

Tolkien fights to stay alive, fights to find his friends and without realizing it would soon take all the horrors of war and create one of the most iconic stories ever written.

Hoult as Tolkien takes on the monumental task of playing a character that became famous for his books and his name becomes world wide again when the films come to the screen. I will be honest, I wasn’t sure that justice could be done in the story telling of a writer who impacted my life so profoundly yet Hoult did so. The struggles of youth followed Tolkien and he could have ‘gone wrong’ as the sayings goes but instead he found a path that Hoult walks honorably.

Collins as Edith is a young girl understanding Tolkien much more than anyone else (other than his brother). She pushes him to continue to write stories because she saw something magical about the world Tolkien creates. Collins gives her character strength, dignity and a forwardness not seen by women of Edith’s day. Meaney as Father Francis takes the role of father, protector and if that doesn’t work he uses good old fashioned guilt to ‘guide’ Tolkien’s life choices. I have to say I wasn’t happy with this character and that’s probably because I’m not much for emotional bullying which means Meaney did a fantastic job!

Gibson, Boyle and Glynn-Carney as Rob, Geoffrey and Christopher are three friends I’d love to have had growing up. Although they started out prickly, the story of each of these young men would impact Tolkien in ways they would never see coming. These four actors when on screen together are gripping and I enjoyed watching their friendship grow.

Now, as for Roberts as Private Sam Hodges, I have only one thing to say – stellar and well done young man, extremely well done. From beginning to end it was the life of Tolkien that was his mission and he took it so seriously that nothing would turn him from it. Sound like a story character you might know? 

Other cast include Laura Donnelly as Mabel Tolkien, Guillermo Bedward as Hilary Tolkien, Nia Gwynne as Browen, Tony Nash as Mackintosh, Owen Teale as Headmaster Gilson, Lara Maguire as Rose, Holly Dempster as Beryl, Genevieve O’Reilly as Mrs. Smith and David Birkbeck as Porter.

TOLKIEN is well done, beautifully put on screen and gives the viewer a deep look inside what it took for THE LORD OF THE RINGS to make it to the page. Watching the story unfold is like seeing how characters were born in his mind. I caught myself a few times pointing at things I saw on the screen with an inhale and then a smile. Okay, so being a raging Tolkien fan it was like being part of a mental treasure hunt.

The cast brings together with such intensity the moments in Tolkien’s life that he held on to for dear life. The story is raw and beautiful at the same time to the point where I didn’t want it to end. The good news is that sitting on my library shelf are the books and films which are a wonderful solace brought by a man who took what he experienced in his life and shared it in the most magnificent way with the world.

In the end – a life of love, courage and fellowship!

Find the Meaning of Life on DVD with WHEN THE STARLIGHT ENDS

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from writer/director Adam Sigal and Cinedigm is the story of life, the written word and the clash between the two with WHEN THE STARLIGHT ENDS.

Jacob (Sam Heughan) is stuck at a job he can't stand and girlfriend Cassandra (Arabella Oz) wants him to be happy. He truly wants to write and when Cassandra says he should follow his dream, their lives begin to change. Sitting in front of a computer screen daily, he pumps out his thoughts trying to put it all together in a book worth publishing.

When it begins to pay off, he knows that Cassandra deserves to fruits of their labor and finding the house of their dreams is a good beginning. Jacob begins working on his next work but starts to get sidetracked and tries to get it together with a side chat with dog-neighbor Ralph (Sean Patrick Flanery). When that doesn't help, his mind begins to wander wondering if it's possible that there is another 'Jacob' living another life.

Cassandra makes the painful decision to leave when she realizes that Jacob's writing is more important than she is. Knowing he could change this fate around with one simple promise, something inside stops every urge he has. That decision puts Jacob back in front of the keyboard to try and find a happy ending to it all.

He lives for the words.

Heughan as Jacob is a man who can't believe the love of his life allows him to finally have the time to put his thoughts into a book. When the book is successful, it releases him to freely write and take care of his life with Cassandra. Heughan is sweet in this role giving us all a look inside of the thought process of a writer but this character has moments of artistic narcissism.

Of course I'm sure it can be said that all artists carry a bit of it with them but Cassandra isn't about to have it in her life. Heughan came to the attention of American audiences from the STARZ original series Outlander playing the role of Scottish rogue Jamie Fraser. This is a different look for accent-less Heughan and the stories within the main story come off well.

Oz as Cassandra also has the opportunity to play other characters within the stories Jacob is writing. Because his work focuses around his love for her, it is also a very cool way of showcasing Oz's ability to go from loving girlfriend to hitchhiker. The brilliant scene toward the end of the film between Cassandra and Heughan is awkward, necessary and it felt like I was eavesdropping.

Flanery as Ralph is the odd duck neighbor who occasionally is Jacob's sounding board. It's not so much that he really cares about what Jacob is going through as much as it would be nice to have a buddy to have a few beers with. His story comes into play when the writer can't help but wonder how his life works.

Other cast include Armando Gutierrez as Don, Hunter Gomez as Danny, Georgia Cook as Ellie, George Griffith as Jimmy, AlexAnn Hopkins as Eva, and David Arquette as Bill.

Cinedigm is a leading distributor of amazing content in storefronts, digital platforms, Internet and Demand platforms for cable television. With an extensive library of over 52,000 films and television shows, Docudrama films, next-gen Indies and Independent films. At its inception, Cinedigm has played a pioneering role in transitioning movie theatres from traditional film prints to digital distribution to advance worldwide cinema modernization. For more on what Cinedigm has to offer please visit http://www.cinedigm.com.

WHEN THE STARLIGHT ENDS is a look inside the mind of Jacob as a writer and he truly does have a lot to say and in such a way that I loved hearing every word. The process of how he gets there is the story of a man who goes so deep into his own world that he forgets about the one person he constantly professes is his life.

Writer/director Sigal presents his complex story blanketed in the simplicity of love and the choices we all make using that emotion. Sometimes it isn't until we hurt or are hurt that what is in our hearts and minds flows out of us whether it is writing, painting, singing, etc.

The character of Jacob had the choice to keep the life he professed to love but instead took another path that was riddled with mirrors of pain, angst and ugly realities staring right back at him.

In the end - rewrite your life!