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The 65th BFI London Film Festival, which concluded Oct. 17, attracted crowds for in-person events and virtually. The festival unspooled over 12 days across London venues, 10 partner cinema venues around the U.K. and online. There were more than 139,000 physical attendances at screenings and events and over 152,000 virtual attendances.

The festival closed with the European premiere of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” at new festival venue, the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall with director Joel Coen and key cast, including Frances McDormand, in attendance.

There was a sting in the tail, however, as two people who attended the closing film and after party tested positive for Covid-19, compelling the BFI to send letters to attendees informing them about this. The positive tests came as no surprise as the U.K. is experiencing a dramatic surge in cases currently.

The array of celebrities who attended the festival in person included Jay Z,...

Bleecker Street has acquired the U.S. rights to Geeta Malik’s “India Sweets and Spices,” premiering in theaters on Nov. 19.

The film, which debuted at Tribeca Film Festival, follows Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) as she returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year away at college and turns their well-ordered life upside down. When she befriends Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery store, she invites him to a family dinner party where family secrets fly.

Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta and Ved Sapru also star in the humorous coming-of-age tale, produced and financed by Madison Wells and Sk Global Entertainment, and producers Naomi Despres, Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti and Gigi Pritzker. Adrian Alperovich, Kilian Kerwin, Mark O’Connor, Bruce Toll and Rachel Shane executive produce.

The deal was brokered between Kent Sanderson and Avy Eschenasy of Bleecker Street and CAA,...

Bleecker Street announced on Monday that it acquired the rights to the coming-of-age comedy “India Sweets and Spices,” which is written and directed by Geeta Malik and stars “Uncharted” actress Sophia Ali. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is set for release on November 19.

Ali plays Alia Kapur, an Indian-American college student who returns to her upscale family in New Jersey and soon upends her family’s orderly life with her newfound independence, especially after she discovers secrets about her parents during a family dinner with the son of the local Indian grocery store owners. Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Rish Shah, Deepti Gupta, and Ved Sapru also star.

“’India Sweets and Spices’ is a film so close to my heart, and I’m thrilled to be working with such a passionate team at Bleecker Street,” said writer/director Geeta Malik. “I know we’re in great hands for...

Bleecker Street has landed the U.S. rights to filmmaker Geeta Malik’s new comedy India Sweets and Spices, which made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. A theatrical release of November 19 has been set.

In the movie, Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year away at college and upends their well-ordered life with her brash independence. After befriending Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery, she invites his family to a dinner party where family secrets are revealed. Alia’s surprise turns to rebellion when she uncovers secrets about both her parents that push her toward a daring and ultimately hilarious confrontation. Also starring are Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta and Ved Sapru.

“India Sweets and Spices is a film so close to my heart, and...

The trailer for Justin Timberlake’s new film “Palmer” has arrived. In the drama, Timberlake plays a former high school football star turned convicted felon who now has the responsibility of caring for 7-year-old Sam, whose interest in tea parties, dolls and fairies makes him the target of bullies at school.

“Palmer” is a coming-of-age story directed by Fisher Stevens, and the film shows a solemn, more introspective side to Timberlake as he looks after Sam and comes to realize that neither he nor the boy have to conform to what everyone expects them to be.

“Listen to me, son, kids are mean, especially when they see something that they’re not used to seeing,” Timberlake says in the trailer. “The truth is, I haven’t felt like I was good at anything until Sam.”

Cheryl Guerriero wrote the screenplay for “Palmer,” which also stars Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, June Squibb and Ryder Allen.

Justin Timberlake stars as an ex-athlete who returns home after serving a prison sentence in the trailer for the new movie “Palmer.”

The Sk Global film, bought by Apple TV Plus in July, tells a story surrounding lead character Eddie Palmer, an athlete who becomes addicted to painkillers and who gets caught robbing a home. After a stint in prison, the man returns to his hometown to find his grandmother caring for a neighbor’s child. But the child does not fit into the rigid behavioral expectations of his rural home.

“Next door is a beautiful 30-year-old woman who’s a meth addict, who has an eight-year-old boy, who likes to play with dolls and dress up as a girl in red state America,” director Fisher Stevens said of the film in an interview with Billboard. “Justin’s grandmother is co-parenting this boy with the meth addict mom who is...

Apple has acquired Justin Timberlake’s ‘Palmer,” the company announced on Wednesday. “Palmer” was directed by Fisher Stevens. “Palmer” joins Apple’s expanding film slate, which includes “Greyhound” and the upcoming 2020 Sundance US Grand Jury Prize Award-winning Documentary “Boys State”– as well as “Emancipation,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Snow Blind.”

“Palmer” is about a former college football phenomenon named Eddie Palmer (Timberlake) who, after a stint in prison, returns to his hometown to get his life back on track. There, he faces not only lingering conflicts from his past but also a much more surprising challenge as he finds himself suddenly in charge of a unique young boy who has been abandoned by his wayward mother.

The script was written by Cheryl Guerriero, which appeared on the 2016 Blacklist.

Also Read: Justin Timberlake Says Confederate Statues in Home State Tennessee 'Must Come Down'

An Sk Global, Rhea Films and Nadler No Gmo Popcorn Co.

Apple is buying the Justin Timberlake drama “Palmer” from Sk Global in a move to expand its slate of high-profile original films.

“Palmer,” directed by Fisher Stevens from Cheryl Guerriero’s script, follows a former college football phenomenon who returns to his hometown to get his life back on track upon his release from prison. He faces lingering conflicts from his past, but also a much more surprising challenge as he finds himself suddenly in charge of a unique young boy who has been abandoned by his wayward mother. “Palmer” also stars Juno Temple, June Squibb, Alisha Wainwright and Ryder Allen.

The script for the film appeared on the 2016 Blacklist. It’s an Sk Global, Rhea Films and Nadler No Gmo Popcorn Co. project, in association with the Hercules Film Fund. “Palmer” is produced by Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti, Charlie Corwin, Daniel Nadler and Charles B. Wessler. The movie is executive produced by Robert Friedland,...

Apple has landed the Sk Global feature drama Palmer starring Justin Timberlake and directed by Fisher Stevens.

The movie, written and executive produced by Cheryl Guerriero, whose script appeared on the 2016 Blacklist, follows a former college football phenomenon named Eddie Palmer (Timberlake) who, after a stint in prison, returns to his hometown to get his life back on track. There, he faces not only lingering conflicts from his past but also a much more surprising challenge as he finds himself suddenly in charge of a unique young boy who has been abandoned by his wayward mother. Juno Temple, Oscar-nominee June Squibb, Alisha Wainright also star with Ryder Allen making his feature film debut.

Palmer joins Apple’s growing film slate, many titles which Deadline first told you about, i.e. the streamer’s record $120M film festival acquisition with Will Smith-Antoine Fuqua‘s Emancipation, acquisition of Sony’s Tom...

Jesus is back — that is, John Turturro’s Jesus Quntana character from “The Big Lebowski” in a Screen Media’s trailer for the spinoff movie “The Jesus Rolls.”

The footage shows Turturro, who also directed, with his memorable licking of a bowling ball before sending it down a lane and into outer space.

“The Jesus Rolls” also stars Bobby Cannavale, Susan Sarandon, Jon Hamm, Audrey Tautou, and Christopher Walken. The trailer did not include an appearance by Jeff Bridges’ character Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski from the original 1998 movie, in which Turturro’s character taunted Lebowski and his bowling team at a bowling alley and referred to himself as “The Jesus.”

“The Jesus Rolls” follows a trio of misfits — Turturro, Cannavle and Tatou — whose sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds.

The Big Lebowski spin-off is finally coming our way next year. It's been announced that Screen Media has picked up the rights to The Jesus Rolls, which was formerly known as Going Places. John Turturro, who played the role of Jesus Quintana in the Coen brothers cult classic, is set to reprise the part. Turturro also serves as writer and director. Turturro had this to say in a statement.

"It feels like a good time to release a transgressive film about the stupidity of men who try and fail and try better to understand and penetrate the mystery of women. I look forward to working with Screen Media and bring our work and the character of the Jesus to American audiences."

We first heard of this spin-off back in 2016. Production took place and, for a couple of years, the project just kind of sat with no word on when we...

John Turturro’s “Big Lebowski” spinoff, “The Jesus Rolls,” which follows his “Lebowski” character Jesus Quintana, is scheduled to hit theaters in early 2020.

Screen Media purchased the rights to the film, which Turturro directed from his own script. “Jesus Rolls” also stars Bobby Cannavale and Audrey Tautou and features Jon Hamm, Susan Sarandon and Pete Davidson.

“The Jesus Rolls” follows a trio of misfits whose sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape from the law, from society and from the hairdresser, all while the bonds of their outsider family strengthen.

The film, formerly titled “Going Places,” is produced by Robert Salerno, John Penotti, Fernando Sulichin, Sidney Kimmel and Paul-Dominique Win Vacharasinthu.

John Turturro’s long-buzzed-about “Big Lebowski” sequel has a fresh title, and a fast-approaching release date. Screen Media announced today that the boutique distribution company has picked up the North American rights to Turturro’s film, now known as “The Jesus Rolls” (and formerly known as “Going Places”), and is planning a release in early 2020.

Written, directed by, and starring Turturro, the new film sees the multi-hyphenate reprising his role of Jesus Quintana from the beloved Coen brothers film. He’ll be joined by a wide-ranging supporting cast that includes Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Jon Hamm, Susan Sarandon, and Pete Davidson.

Per the film’s official synopsis, it follows “a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser,...

Dios mio, man, the Jesus is back. Screen Media has acquired the North American rights to “The Jesus Rolls,” the spinoff film based on John Turturro’s breakout character, Jesus Quintana, from the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski,” the company announced Monday.

Turturro wrote and directed the film (formerly titled “Going Places”) in which he reprises his role as Jesus Quintana, and Screen Media is planning to release “The Jesus Rolls” in early 2020.

Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Jon Hamm, Susan Sarandon and Pete Davidson star in the film, which follows a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story. Their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape from the law, from society and from the hairdresser,...

Screen Media has acquired North American rights The Jesus Rolls, the movie from John Turturro that returns his Big Lebowski character Jesus Quintana to the big screen more than 20 years later. Turturro wrote, directed and stars in the pic, which the indie distributor now plans to release in early 2020.

The movie — part Big Lebowski spinoff, part remake of Bertrand Blier’s 1974 pic Going Places (this film’s original name) follows a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape from the law, from society and from the hairdresser, all while the bonds of their outsider family strengthen.

Bobby Cannavale and Audrey Tautou also star in the film,...

Cornerstone Films handles international sales.

Screen Media has acquired all North American rights to John Turturro’s The Jesus Rolls featuring the notorious character Jesus Quintana from The Big Lebowski.

Turturro wrote, directed and stars in the eagerly awaited spin-off (formerly Going Places), in which a trio of misfits go on the run when they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser.

Bobby Cannavale and Audrey Tautou also star with Jon Hamm, Susan Sarandon and Pete Davidson. Screen Media plans a release in early 2020, and Cornerstone Films handles international sales.

Robert Salerno, John Penotti, Fernando Sulichin, Sidney Kimmel, and Paul-Dominique Win Vacharasinthu...

Principal photography has begun in New York on the dramedy in which the director-star is understood to be reprising his role as The Jesus from The Big Lebowski.

Turturro has spoken before about a Lewbowski spin-off for his cult character and bowling alley lizard Jesus Quintana from the Coen Brothers’ 1998 comedy mystery.

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (Ske), New Element and Tribus P Film are financing Going Places, which is based on Turturro’s adapted screenplay inspired by Bertrand Blier’s novel and screenplay for the 1974 film Les Valseuses.

Cornerstone Films handles international sales and ICM Partners represents Us rights on the project, about a trio of misfits whose bond deepens when they make an enemy of a gun-toting hairdresser.

Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Susan Sarandon and Sonia Braga rondo out the key cast.

Sidney Kimmel, Fernando Sulichin and Paul-Dominique Vacharasinthu are producing Going Places with Ske president John Penotti and Robert Salerno.

Bruce Toll, [link...

Hell Or High Water is a modern action drama set in West Texas where the distinction between honest men and outlaws has blurred beyond recognition. Featuring a cast that includes Academy Award®-winner Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “True Grit”), Chris Pine (“Star Trek,” “Into The Woods”), Ben Foster (“3:10 To Yuma,” “The Messenger”) and Gil Birmingham (“The Lone Ranger,” “Twilight”), Hell Or High Water is produced by Sidney Kimmel, Peter Berg, Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn and executive produced by Gigi Pritzker, Bill Lischak, Michael Nathanson, Rachel Shane, John Penotti and Bruce Toll.

A story about the collision of the Old and New West, two brothers — Toby (Chris Pine), a straight-living, divorced father trying to make a better life for his son; and Tanner (Ben Foster), a short-tempered ex-con with a loose trigger finger — come together to rob branch after branch of the bank that is foreclosing on their family land.

Watch the brand new “Texas” trailer for CBS Films’ Hell Or High Water.

The film opens in select theaters on August 12th and nationwide on August 19th.

Hell Or High Water is fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a bright green 82 on MetaCritic

Hell Or High Water is a modern action drama set in West Texas where the distinction between honest men and outlaws has blurred beyond recognition.

Featuring a cast that includes Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “True Grit”), Chris Pine (“Star Trek,” “Into The Woods”), Ben Foster (“3:10 To Yuma,” “The Messenger”) and Gil Birmingham (“The Lone Ranger,” “Twilight”), Hell Or High Water is produced by Sidney Kimmel, Peter Berg, Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn and executive produced by Gigi Pritzker, Bill Lischak, Michael Nathanson, Rachel Shane, John Penotti and Bruce Toll.

A story about the collision of the Old and New West, two brothers — Toby (Chris Pine), a straight-living,...

Walk of Shame finally gets a release date, and will hit theaters and VOD on May 2nd. The Elizabeth Banks screwball comedy about the night that got away, which conveniently precedes the most important day of her life. The perfect film to label itself “outrageous,” this one has slight hints that there is more going on, but the trailer doesn’t seem too sure about giving those bits away.

We’re led to believe that we are very far into silly here, but the supporting cast makes you wonder if that can be completely true.

Take a look and see what you make of this one.

Walk of Shame In Select Theaters & VOD on Friday, May 2nd, 2014

The outrageous comedy Walk Of Shame stars Elizabeth Banks ( The Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect ) as a resourceful reporter whose one-night stand with a handsome stranger (James Marsden of Anchorman 2 ) leaves her stranded the...

Watch the latest trailer for Walk Of Shame. The upcoming comedy from Focus World stars Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden & Gillian Jacobs.

The outrageous comedy Walk Of Shame stars Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect) as a resourceful reporter whose one-night stand with a handsome stranger (James Marsden of Anchorman 2) leaves her stranded the next morning in downtown Los Angeles without a phone, car, ID, or money – and only 8 hours before the most important job interview of her career.

From Lakeshore Entertainment and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Walk Of Shame also stars Gillian Jacobs (Community), Sarah Wright Olsen, Kevin Nealon, Ethan Suplee, Bill Burr, and Willie Garson (White Collar). Written and directed by Steven Brill, the movie is produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, and Sidney Kimmel. The executive producers are Eric Reid, Ted Gidlow, Jim Tauber, Bruce Toll, Matt Berenson, and Peter Schlessel.

Walk Of Shame opens in select theaters & VOD on Friday,...

Watch 2 clips from Phil Morrison's All is Bright. Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd star in the comedy from Anchor Bay Films which finds release on October 4th, 2013. Giamatti also produces alongside Michael Hogan, John Brooks Klingenbeck, Jim Tauber, Bruce Toll, Daniel Carey, Elizabeth Giamatti, Sidney Kimmel, Louise Lovegrove and John Penotti. Rene (Rudd) and Dennis (Giamatti) prove Christmas is the season for a good con. A low-level convict fresh out of prison, misanthropic Dennis is unable to find work because of his shady past. Furthermore, he discovers his longtime partner in crime, Rene, has begun a relationship with his ex-wife. Despite their growing animosity toward one another, the two decide to pull one last job together: selling Christmas trees in New York City.

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment will finance and produce New York Times bestselling thriller novelist Gregg Hurwitz's spec script Legacy in partnership with Double Nickel Entertainment for celebrated British theater director Thea Sharrock's feature directorial debut, it was announced by Ske President Jim Tauber.

This is Ske's first production since financing and producing the Focus Features' release of The Place Beyond the Pines, starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes. Sidney Kimmel and Ske President of Production Matt Berenson will produce with Double Nickel's Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman (executive producers of Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino). Tauber and Bruce Toll will executive produce.

Sidney Kimmel had this to say in a statement.

"Thea is a star in the world of contemporary British theater, and her transition to film in my opinion should be as seamless as Stephen Daldry's and Sam Mendes'. Her taste and talent...

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (Ske) will finance and produce Gregg Hurwitz’s spec script Legacy with Double Nickel Entertainment for the directorial debut of UK theatre director Thea Sharrock.

Legacy marks Ske’s first production since it financed and produced The Place Beyond The Pines.

The story combines elements of comedy, drama and thriller and tells of a single mother whose 12-year-old son persuades her to commit the perfect crime.

Sharrock [pictured] nbecame the youngest artistic director of London’s Southwark Playhouse at the age of 21 and has since directed West End productions such as The Bodyguard, The Sunshine Boys and Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Sidney Kimmel and Ske president of production Matt Berenson will produce alongside Double Nickel’s Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman. Ske president Jim Tauber and Bruce Toll are on board as executive producers.

“Thea is a star in the world of contemporary British theatre and her transition to film in my opinion should be as seamless...

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment will finance and produce the dramedy from first-time feature helmer Thea Sharrock. Legacy, based on a spec script by novelist-screenwriter Gregg Hurwitz, centers on a single mom whose 12-year-old son talks her into committing the perfect crime. Ske’s Sidney Kimmel and Matt Berenson will produce with Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman of Double Nickel Entertainment. Jim Tauber and Bruce Toll executive produce. No casting or start date was announced. Sharrock has directed West End stage productions including Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe, which she subsequently transferred to Broadway. Says Kimmel: “Thea is a star in the world of contemporary British theater, and her transition to film in my opinion should be as seamless as Stephen Daldry’s and Sam Mendes.” Ske most recently produced this year’s Ryan Gosling-Bradley Cooper drama The Place Beyond the Pines.

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment will finance and produce New York Times bestselling thriller novelist Gregg Hurwitz's (pictured left) spec script Legacy in partnership with Double Nickel Entertainment for celebrated British theater director Thea Sharrock's feature directorial debut, it was announced by Ske President Jim Tauber. This is Ske's first production since financing and producing the Focus Features' release of The Place Beyond the Pines , starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes. Sidney Kimmel and Ske President of Production Matt Berenson will produce with Double Nickel's Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman (executive producers of Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino ). Tauber and Bruce Toll will executive produce. Says Kimmel: "Thea is a star in the world of...

Academy Award® nominees Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine, Drive) and Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, The Hangover) star in The Place Beyond The Pines, a provoking drama about the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons. The Place Beyond the Pines will be available to own on Digital on July 23, 2013 as well as on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital on August 6, 2013 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Luke (Gosling) gives up his job as a motorcycle stunt performer in order to provide for his newborn son and the boy’s mother (Eva Mendes of Hitch). Avery (Cooper), an ambitious rookie cop, struggles to make his way in a corrupt police department. Their two worlds collide when Luke takes part in a string of bank robberies, and the consequences of their shocking confrontation echoes into the next generation. From Derek Cianfrance, the acclaimed director of Blue Valentine, and co-starring Ray Liotta (GoodFellas), this...

Image Entertainment, an Rlj Entertainment brand, has acquired all U.S. rights to the romantic drama Last Love, based on Fran&#231oise Dorner's French novel La Douceur Assassine. Starring Oscar winner Michael CaineThe Dark Knight Rises, Inception), who recently signed on to star in Interstellar - his 6th Christopher Nolan film, Last Love is written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, and co-stars Cl&#233mence Po&#233sy (In Bruges, 127 Hours), Justin Kirk (Goats, Showtime's Weeds), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) and Jane Alexander (Dream House, Terminator Salvation). Bill Bromiley, chief acquisitions officer for Image Entertainment, made today's announcement.

Image acquired the film from producers/financiers Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Bavaria Pictures GmbH and Kaminski Stiehm. Global Screen is handling international sales and will be attending the upcoming Cannes film market. The film will be released via ultra VOD in October and then theatrically in markets across the country.

Last Love stars Michael Caine...

The daring new movie from the director of Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond The Pines is a sweeping emotional drama powerfully exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons. Even though we’re only 4 months into the year, director Derek Cianfrance’s latest endeavour will go down as one the best films of 2013. It’s that good and that powerful.

Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels with the carnival from town to town. While passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina (Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has given birth to their son Jason in his absence. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family by taking a job as a car mechanic. Noticing Luke’s ambition and talents, his employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn...

Every year there is always that one, must-see film that should not be missed – director Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond The Pines is it. His daring new movie is a sweeping emotional drama powerfully exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons.

Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels with the carnival from town to town. While passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina

(Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has given birth to their son Jason in his absence. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family by taking a job as a car mechanic. Noticing Luke’s ambition and talents, his employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) proposes to partner with Luke in a string of spectacular bank robberies – which will place Luke...

U.S. rights to The Place Beyond the Pines, the highly anticipated new drama from director Derek Cianfrance, starring Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, have been acquired by Focus Features for a 2013 release. Focus CEO James Schamus and president Andrew Karpen made the announcement today at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie is having its world premiere.

Focus acquired the rights from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (Ske), which financed the movie and which was represented at Toronto by Jim Tauber and Nick Hanks, with Wme Global and Creative Artists Agency acting as sales agents. International sales to the feature are being handled by Sierra/Affinity.

The Place Beyond the Pines was written by Mr. Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder. The movie was produced by Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell through their Electric City Entertainment, Alex Orlovsky through his Verisimilitude, and Ske's Sidney Kimmel; Mr.

Just recently showing at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), The Place Beyond the Pines has been picked up for Stateside distribution. From early response from the screening it sounds like director Derek Cianfrance has crafted a unique thriller that while it may divide audiences, it will not be a forgettable film. Since I saw Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine, he is a director I will always watch.Read below for the official release about the acquisition.

From the Press Release:

U.S. rights to The Place Beyond the Pines, the highly anticipated new drama from director Derek Cianfrance, starring Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, have been acquired by Focus Features for a 2013 release. Focus CEO James Schamus and president Andrew Karpen made the announcement today at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie is having its world premiere.

Focus acquired the rights from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment...

>> She’S Out Of My League makes a date on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD June 22, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Jay Baruchel plasys the role of Kirk, a smart and sweet underachiever who can’t believe his luck when the successful and gorgeous Molly (Alice Eve, Sex And The City 2) falls for him. But now that Kirk’s got the girl, he has to contend with his own insecurities and the incessant barrage of ego-deflating “support” from his smart-ass friends, crazy family and obnoxious ex-girlfriend. Showcasing a talented comedic supporting cast including T.J. Miller (Gulliver’s Travels), Mike Vogel (Cloverfield), Nate Torrence (Get Smart), Krysten Ritter (“Breaking Bad”) and Lindsay Sloane (The Other Guys), She’S Out Of My League delivers even more raucous laughs on DVD and Blu-ray. The discs feature deleted scenes including an extended ending, a blooper reel, a hilarious “do’s and don’ts” guide to...

"Adventureland" is around the corner. The Greg Mottola directed and written film finds theatres on April 3rd. Mottola is responsible for "Superbad," one of the funniest films in recent times. A talented cast works their magic in "Adventureland" including Jesse Eisenberg of "The Hunting Party," "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds ("Smokin' Aces"), Kristen Wiig ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") and Bill Hader who also notched up laughs in "Superbad" alongside Seth Rogen.   For the sake of interest, we've briefly compiled a list of amusement park scenes from films we found most memorable. These can be found after you read what "Adventureland" is all about.   What's "Adventureland" about?   It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little...

Chicago – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago screening of “Adventureland,” which stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart (from “Twilight” and the “New Moon” sequel “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon”), Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Wendie Malick, Kelsey Ford, Michael Zegen and Matt Bush from “Superbad” director Greg Mottola. Sidney Kimmel is a producer.

To win your free pass to the advance screening of “Adventureland” in Chicago courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is be one of the first 30 people to submit a comment in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup. That’s it!

The screening will be held on April 1, 2009 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The poster for “Adventureland” from the director of “Superbad”.

Image credit: Miramax Films

Here...

It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park.  Forget about German beer, world-famous museums and cute French girls-James' summer will now be populated by belligerent dads, stuffed pandas, and screaming kids high on cotton candy.  Lucky for James, what should have been his worst summer ever turns into quite an adventure as he discovers love in the most unlikely place with his captivating co-worker Em (Kristen Stewart), and learns to loosen up.

The film stars Jesse Eisenberg ("The Squid and the Whale"), Kristen Stewart ("Twilight, "Into the Wild"), Ryan Reynolds ("Just Friends," "Van Wilder"),  Martin Starr ("Knocked Up," "Superbad"), and "Saturday Night Live...

Check out the new features on the official "Adventureland" site where one can meet the cast, check out new photos of "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart and the rest of the cast.   Not enough? Try entering to win a trip to Europe! The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Release date is on the 27th of March.   Check out the official site here.   What's this all about? It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park. Forget about German beer, world-famous museums and cute French girls-James' summer will now be populated by belligerent dads, stuffed pandas,...

With release date confirmed for March 27 (wide) this year, we are pleased to give you some new clips from Miramax Films' "Adventureland" at this year's Sundance Film Festival! The comedy stars  Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Greg Mottola, director of the uproariously funny "Superbad," directs from his own screenplay. Stewart is fresh off the success of "Twilight" and should command a strong audience pull just from that. Multi-talented Eisenberg's last film was 2007's "The Hunting Party" alongside Terrence Howard and Richard Gere. See the gallery now! What's it about? It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park.

Check out these new Sundance Film Fest pics from Miramax's "Adventureland" starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Greg Mottola directs the comedy based on his own screenplay. Producing are Anne Carey, Ted Hope and Sidney Kimmel. Naturally, Stewart's off a fresh success with "Twilight." She's in post production for "Welcome to the Rileys" alongside James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo. Check out the new images here and the trailer here. Also, see the official site here - http://adventurelandthefilm.com/ What's it about? It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park. Forget about German beer,...

We have new images as well as the first trailer from "Adventureland" starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Greg Mottola, helmer of the successful "Superbad" starring Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, helms and writes this time around. He's in pre-production for 2010's British comedy "Paul" starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" fame. Stewart is enjoying her shining time with "Twilight" hitting the top spot and pulling in over $70 million on its first weekend at play. Hader was in "Superbad" as well. See the new images here! So what's this film about? It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has...

Cannes, In Competition

CANNES -- Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's first film as a director, "Synecdoche, New York", will mesmerize some and mystify others, while many will be bored silly. It's not a dream, Kaufman says, but it has a dreamlike quality, and those won over by its otherworldly jigsaw puzzle of duplicated characters, multiple environments and shifting time frames will dissect it endlessly.

Not bound for mainstream audiences, the hard-to-pronounce title, which sort of rhymes with Schenectady, N.Y., where it's set, will require careful nurturing to find its audience. That could take some time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is perfect in the role of Caden Cotard, a regional theater director who wins a genius award that pays a vast fortune just as his artist wife, Adele (Catherine Keener), is leaving him because he has "disappointed" her.

From the Greek, meaning something that represents a bigger thing, as in the White House for the U.S. administration or Hollywood for the movie industry, "synecdoche" sums up what Caden creates to fill the gulf created when Adele takes their daughter to live in Berlin.

Determined to make a success, he takes over a vast building in which he plans to stage an ongoing drama with an enormous cast that ultimately matches and sometimes replaces what is happening in real life. He has a love affair with cheeky boxoffice clerk Hazel (Samantha Morton) and later casts lookalike Brit Tammy (Emily Watson) to play her in his never-ending show.

He hires beautiful actress Claire to play his wife and then marries her for real when Hazel falls for hunky Derek (Paul Sparks).

Visiting Berlin in real time, Caden discovers that his daughter Olive (Sadie Goldstein) has been more or less adopted by the very intense Maria (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

Time flies by in decades, though some characters age and others do not. Caden hires an actor named Sammy (Tom Noonan) to play him, and with two Hazels and two Cadens, life is bound to become even more confusing. Later, famed actress Millicent Weems (Dianne Wiest) joins the cast to play a maid, but when Tom dies she takes over the role of Caden.

None of this is easy to follow, and it requires concentration to stay up with all the changing characters and the many abrupt moves in all directions, but such is Kaufman's confidence as a filmmaker and his wonderful ability to write memorable dialogue that the converted will follow him anywhere.

Many scenes are flat-out hilarious -- Hazel lives in a house that is constantly on fire and filled with flames and smoke -- but the film has a deeply affecting aura of true melancholy. Mankind's knowledge of death and the unknowable depths of other people's minds are central to the story. Some sequences are simply there because it's the movies and movies should be fun, but others are both poetic and profound.

Disappointment and regret are key elements along with the muddled illusions, delusions and misapprehensions that afflict most of us. With his theatrical intellect, Caden is persuaded that in the world's population not one person is an extra; they are all the lead in their own story. Kaufman's ambitious and invigorating film finds that ineffably sad.

But before he closes with a scene of almost unbearable gravity, he gets in lots of gags including a series of titles Caden comes up with for his epic production, not the least of which is "Infectious Diseases in Cattle".

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, Tom Noonan. Director: Charlie Kaufman. Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman. Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel. Director of photography: Fred Elmes. Production designer: Mark Friedberg. Music: John Brion. Costume designer: Melissa Toth. Editor: Robert Frazen. Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Ray Angelic.

Sales: Kimmel International.

MPAA rating R, running time 104 minutes.

• Adventureland is what you get when you come out with a break out hit in August. On the heals of the hit of Super Bad, director Greg Mottola is in full casting mode adding  thesps Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart to the Miramax Films project. Reynolds is slowly changing lanes from a career of popcorn flicks (most recently Smokin' Aces) and falling upon indie fair like The Nines. The young actress Stewart will next be seen in Sean Penn's  highly anticipated Into the Wild. Written by Mottola, the 1987-set story follows an uptight recent college grad (Eisenberg) who is forced to take a degrading minimum-wage job at the local amusement park when he realizes he can't afford his dream European tour. The experience helps him to loosen up a bit as he finds first love, forms new friendships and emerges with a newfound sense of maturity just in

...

NEW YORK -- Sony Pictures Classics has picked up North American rights to Ira Sachs' Toronto International Film Festival entry Married Life.

The post-World War II drama from Sidney Kimme Entertainment and Firm Films follows a meek man (Chris Cooper) who falls for a beautiful, younger woman (Rachel McAdams). His main obstacles are his good friend (Pierce Brosnan) with an equally strong attraction to her and his controlling wife (Patricia Clarkson), whom he'd like to spare the agony of divorce by poisoning her.

Married is an official selection of this month's New York Film Festival. The film received mixed reaction from an initial buyers' screening this summer. But its final cut debuted to a warmer response in Toronto. The deal closed late Sunday, toward festival's end.

Sachs (The Delta) and Oren Moverman (I'm Not There) adapted their screenplay from John Bingham's novel Five Roundabouts to Heaven. Sidney Kimmel, Jawal Nga, Steve Golin and Sachs produced the project. William Horberg, David Nicksay, Geoff Stier, Adam Shulman, Matt Littin, Alix Madigan-Yorkin and Bruce Toll served as executive producers.

NEW YORK -- Sony Pictures Classics has picked up domestic rights to Ira Sachs' Toronto International Film Festival entry "Married Life".

The post-World War II drama from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Firm Films follows a meek man (Chris Cooper) who falls for a beautiful, younger woman (Rachel McAdams). His main obstacles are his good friend (Pierce Brosnan) with an equally strong attraction to her and his controlling wife (Patricia Clarkson), whom he'd like to spare the agony of divorce by poisoning her.

"Married" is an official selection of this month's New York Film Festival. The film received mixed reaction from an initial buyers' screening this summer. But its final cut debuted to a warmer response in Toronto. The deal closed late Sunday, toward festival's end.

Sachs ("The Delta") and Oren Moverman ("I'm Not There") adapted their screenplay from John Bingham's novel "Five Roundabouts to Heaven". Sidney Kimmel, Jawal Nga, Steve Golin and Sachs produced the project. William Horberg, David Nicksay, Geoff Stier, Adam Shulman, Matt Littin, Alix Madigan-Yorkin and Bruce Toll served as executive producers.

Greg Mottola, fresh off directing Superbad, is off to Adventureland.

The director will helm the coming-of-age comedy that sees Miramax Films and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment teaming up with indie shingle This Is That. Mottola also wrote the script for the movie, to which Jesse Eisenberg is attached to star.

Taking place in summer 1987, the story follows an uptight recent college grad who is forced to take a degrading minimum-wage job at the local amusement park when he realizes he can't afford his dream European tour. The experience helps him to loosen up a bit as he finds first love, forms new friendships and emerges with a newfound sense of maturity just in time to enter the real world in the fall.

Ted Hope and Anne Carey of This Is That (The Savages, Nothing Is Private) will produce along with Sidney Kimmel. Executive producers are William Horberg and Bruce Toll.

Production is set to begin in the fall in Pittsburgh.

Mike Falbo, director of production and development, and creative executive Lauren Levy will oversee for Miramax.

This review was written for the festival screening of "Talk to Me". Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s.

While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes "Talk to Me", it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.

Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.

We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his "Ph.D. in poverty" to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.

It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).

Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.

Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.

But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.

Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on "The Tonight Show".

Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa ("The Wood").

In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.

Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.

Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant "A Change Is Gonna Come".

TALK TO ME

Focus Features

A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production

Credits:

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa

Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin

Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle

Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine

Production designer: Warren Alan Young

Music: Terence Blanchard

Costume designer: Gersha Phillips

Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire

Cast:

Petey Greene: Don Cheadle

Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor

"Nighthawk" Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer

Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson

Milo Hughes: Mike Epps

Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall

E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen

Running time -- 118 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

This review was written for the festival screening of "Talk to Me". Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s.

While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes "Talk to Me", it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.

Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.

We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his "Ph.D. in poverty" to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.

It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).

Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.

Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.

But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.

Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on "The Tonight Show".

Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa ("The Wood").

In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.

Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.

Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant "A Change Is Gonna Come".

TALK TO ME

Focus Features

A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production

Credits:

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa

Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin

Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle

Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine

Production designer: Warren Alan Young

Music: Terence Blanchard

Costume designer: Gersha Phillips

Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire

Cast:

Petey Greene: Don Cheadle

Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor

"Nighthawk" Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer

Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson

Milo Hughes: Mike Epps

Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall

E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen

Running time -- 118 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo Petey Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s.

While his fearlessly robust performance absolutely galvanizes Talk to Me, it's not the only thing that makes Kasi Lemmons' third feature such a pleasure to take in. Similarly commanding performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Hustle & Flow's" Taraji P. Henson, plus an energetic script by Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, vividly bring this biopic to life.

Following its Los Angeles Film Festival kick-off, the Focus Features film will be opening in limited release July 13, but enthusiastic word-of-mouth could ensure that audiences will tune in right up to the start of awards season.

We first see Petey Greene spinning the Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke platters within the confines of Virginia's Lorton Prison, where he puts his Ph.D. in poverty to use telling it like it is to his fellow inmates.

It's there he meets the decidedly buttoned-down Dewey Hughes (the always intriguing Ejiofor), the program director for Washington, D.C.'s R&B station, WOL-AM, who's visiting his estranged, incarcerated brother (Mike Epps).

Pestering Hughes for an on-air job when he gets out of the can, Petey and his bubbly, take-no-prisoners girlfriend (a terrific Henson) make good on their threat to show up at his decidedly corporate station one day, refusing to take no for an answer.

Eventually wearing Hughes down enough to give him a shot behind the mike, Petey and his plain-speaking style instantly light up the phone lines at the station, where WOL owner E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen), knowing a ratings-booster when he sees one, hands Greene the coveted morning shift.

But Petey proves to be more than just a colorful radio personality. In the aftermath of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination he was the calming voice of reason for legions of listeners seeking immediate justice.

Looking to tap into his potential, Hughes becomes his manager, landing Petey his own TV show as well as stand-up gigs leading to an ill-fated appearance on The Tonight Show.

Petey's subsequent downward spiral is a trajectory well-traveled by the biopic, and although it robs the film of that spirited comic zip found in the picture's first half, director Lemmons orchestrates the tonal shift with a refreshingly minimal amount of purposefulness, working from an effervescent script by Genet (whose father was Dewey Hughes) and Famuyiwa (The Wood).

In addition to mining exceptional performances from Cheadle, Ejiofor and Henson, who creates another indelible performance here, Lemmons does well by bright turns from Sheen, Cedric the Entertainer and real-life husband Vondie Curtis Hall, the latter two planning a pair of WOR on-air personalities.

Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.

Completing the desired effect is Terence Blanchard's mood-altering, jazzy score and a Top 40s worth of golden soul oldies, highlighted by Cooke's ever-poignant A Change Is Gonna Come.

TALK TO ME

Focus Features

A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of a Mark Gordon Co./Pelagius Films production

Credits:

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Screenwriters: Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa

Producers: Mark Gordon, Sidney Kimmel, Joe Fries, Josh McLaughlin

Executive producers: William Horberg, J. Miles Dale, Joey Rappa, Bruce Toll, Don Cheadle

Director of photography: Stephane Fontaine

Production designer: Warren Alan Young

Music: Terence Blanchard

Costume designer: Gersha Phillips

Editor: Terilyn A. Shropshire

Cast:

Petey Greene: Don Cheadle

Dewey Hughes: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Nighthawk Bob Terry: Cedric the Entertainer

Vernell Watson: Taraji P. Henson

Milo Hughes: Mike Epps

Sunny Jim Kelsey: Vondie Curtis Hall

E. G. Sonderling: Martin Sheen

Running time -- 118 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

This review was written for the theatrical release of "Death at a Funeral".At its best, British farce should seem effortless. In "Death at a Funeral", the effort shows. Subplots are contrived and relationships pat. Yet this topsy-turvy funeral produces a number of smiles, giggles, pleasant guffaws and several solid, sustained laughs. Not a bad batting average as comedies go.

Director Frank Oz always has been adept at building a comedy when he has the right script, and young Dean Craig has given him, in his first produced screenplay, a loony dark comedy that jibes well with Oz's comic sensibility.

Other than Peter Dinklage, the mostly British cast is unfamiliar to most American moviegoers, which might hamper boxoffice a tad. But the spirited effort should pick up steam in North American cinemas as reviews and word-of-mouth slowly build an over-25 audience who appreciates comic jabs at British decorum, upper-class manners and thoroughly embarrassing situations.

The film tips its comic hand right away when a funeral home delivers the wrong body to the household of the dearly departed. No, things will not go well at the final rites for the paterfamilias of a large and somewhat divided British family. From that point on, Oz and Craig tiptoe through a minefield of taboos and traditions that do not so much mock the dead as the foibles and follies of the living.

Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), son of the deceased, still lives in his parents' comfortable country home with his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), who chafes under the not-always-subtle thumb of her mother-in-law, Sandra (screen veteran Jane Asher). She desperately wants to move out. Now.

Daniel, who has been writing and rewriting the same novel for several years, suffers in the shadow of brother Robert (Rupert Graves), a wildly successful novelist who has flown in from his New York penthouse for the funeral.

First cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing her fiance, Simon (Alan Tudyk, actually an American), who is anxious to make a good impression on her disapproving doctor father, Victor (Peter Egan). But Martha's brother Troy (Kris Marshall), a Chemistry Student with a penchant for making designer drugs, has created a powerful hallucinogen that Martha -- believing the pill to be Valium -- gives to the nervous Simon. By the time he reaches the funeral, he is blissed out and prone to shedding clothes.

Daniel's mate Howard (Andy Nyman), an uptight hypochondriac with an obsession over physical ailments, arrives with two fairly unwelcome guests: His friend Justin (Ewen Bremner), who is equally obsessed with Martha, with whom he had a one-night fling, and Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan), a cantankerous antique who has lost all sense of social decorum.

But who is that strange little fellow Peter Dinklage) who shows up with a peculiar expression on his face and a secret that could tear the already estranged family apart?

Revelations and physical comedy arrive on an escalating schedule that reserves its more outrageous developments for the third act. The film at times does feel a bit airless, like a play caught on film, even though Oz moves the scenes of the many crimes and misdemeanors in and around the spacious house and its well-manicured gardens. One gag in particular might test the patience of those unamused by potty humor.

While there is no standout performance -- meaning that everyone has splendidly performed his character's faults to the comic hilt -- one most enjoys Macfadyen for bringing subtle drama and melancholy to the comic center of the tale and Tudyk for his bravery in performing in a state of delirium and quite often in the nude for so much of the movie.

Oz benefits from a solid crew of British craftsmen, who afford him sharp, well-composed cinematography (Oliver Curtis), a rich yet homey setting (Michael Howells) and stylish costumes (Natalie Ward).

DEATH AT A FUNERAL

MGM

MGM and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way Entertainment production

Credits:

Director: Frank Oz

Screenwriter: Dean Craig

Producers: Diana Phillips, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Sidney Kimmel

Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch, Philip Elway

Director of photography: Oliver Curtis

Production designer: Michael Howells

Music: Murray Gold

Co-producers: Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis

Costume designer: Natalie Ward

Editor: Beverly Mills

Cast:

Daniel: Matthew Macfadyen

Jane: Keeley Hawes

Howard: Andy Nyman

Justin: Ewen Bremner

Martha: Daisy Donovan

Simon: Alan Tudyk

Robert: Rupert Graves

Peter: Peter Dinklage

Sandra: Jane Asher

Victor: Peter Egan

Running time -- 90 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

At its best, British farce should seem effortless. In Death at a Funeral, the effort shows. Subplots are contrived and relationships pat. Yet this topsy-turvy funeral produces a number of smiles, giggles, pleasant guffaws and several solid, sustained laughs. Not a bad batting average as comedies go.

Director Frank Oz always has been adept at building a comedy when he has the right script, and young Dean Craig has given him, in his first produced screenplay, a loony dark comedy that jibes well with Oz's comic sensibility.

Other than Peter Dinklage, the mostly British cast is unfamiliar to most American moviegoers, which might hamper boxoffice a tad. But the spirited effort should pick up steam in North American cinemas as reviews and word-of-mouth slowly build an over-25 audience who appreciates comic jabs at British decorum, upper-class manners and thoroughly embarrassing situations.

The film tips its comic hand right away when a funeral home delivers the wrong body to the household of the dearly departed. No, things will not go well at the final rites for the paterfamilias of a large and somewhat divided British family. From that point on, Oz and Craig tiptoe through a minefield of taboos and traditions that do not so much mock the dead as the foibles and follies of the living.

Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), son of the deceased, still lives in his parents' comfortable country home with his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), who chafes under the not-always-subtle thumb of her mother-in-law, Sandra (screen veteran Jane Asher). She desperately wants to move out. Now.

Daniel, who has been writing and rewriting the same novel for several years, suffers in the shadow of brother Robert (Rupert Graves), a wildly successful novelist who has flown in from his New York penthouse for the funeral.

First cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing her fiance, Simon (Alan Tudyk, actually an American), who is anxious to make a good impression on her disapproving doctor father, Victor (Peter Egan). But Martha's brother Troy (Kris Marshall), a Chemistry Student with a penchant for making designer drugs, has created a powerful hallucinogen that Martha -- believing the pill to be Valium -- gives to the nervous Simon. By the time he reaches the funeral, he is blissed out and prone to shedding clothes.

Daniel's mate Howard (Andy Nyman), an uptight hypochondriac with an obsession over physical ailments, arrives with two fairly unwelcome guests: His friend Justin (Ewen Bremner), who is equally obsessed with Martha, with whom he had a one-night fling, and Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan), a cantankerous antique who has lost all sense of social decorum.

But who is that strange little fellow Peter Dinklage) who shows up with a peculiar expression on his face and a secret that could tear the already estranged family apart?

Revelations and physical comedy arrive on an escalating schedule that reserves its more outrageous developments for the third act. The film at times does feel a bit airless, like a play caught on film, even though Oz moves the scenes of the many crimes and misdemeanors in and around the spacious house and its well-manicured gardens. One gag in particular might test the patience of those unamused by potty humor.

While there is no standout performance -- meaning that everyone has splendidly performed his character's faults to the comic hilt -- one most enjoys Macfadyen for bringing subtle drama and melancholy to the comic center of the tale and Tudyk for his bravery in performing in a state of delirium and quite often in the nude for so much of the movie.

Oz benefits from a solid crew of British craftsmen, who afford him sharp, well-composed cinematography (Oliver Curtis), a rich yet homey setting (Michael Howells) and stylish costumes (Natalie Ward).

DEATH AT A FUNERAL

MGM

MGM and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way Entertainment production

Credits:

Director: Frank Oz

Screenwriter: Dean Craig

Producers: Diana Phillips, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Sidney Kimmel

Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch, Philip Elway

Director of photography: Oliver Curtis

Production designer: Michael Howells

Music: Murray Gold

Co-producers: Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis

Costume designer: Natalie Ward

Editor: Beverly Mills

Cast:

Daniel: Matthew Macfadyen

Jane: Keeley Hawes

Howard: Andy Nyman

Justin: Ewen Bremner

Martha: Daisy Donovan

Simon: Alan Tudyk

Robert: Rupert Graves

Peter: Peter Dinklage

Sandra: Jane Asher

Victor: Peter Egan

Running time -- 90 minutes

MPAA rating: R...