I’ve just been having a look at some of the lovely films showing at the Curzon over the Christmas period: A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story; Cbeebies Panto: Dick Whittington and his Cat; The Muppet Christmas Carol; Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker; The Snowman with the City of Bristol Brass Band; Richard Lennox’s Christmas Concert and………….. yes you guessed it…………..Elf!! I wonder what other goodies the Curzon team have in store for us? But enough of Christmas, let’s take a look at what’s showing this week, from Friday! I’m very excited about one particular film hence the reason for the blog post! The week kicks of with:
MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
Very popular first time around at the Curzon, Mrs Harris goes to Paris is showing on Friday 11th, Tuesday the 15th and Thursday the 17th of November. The link to the booking page is here:
Friday’s showing at 2.30. p.m. has Deals on Reels status which means if you sign up for free membership at the Curzon , you can get entry into this film for £3 regardless of age.
The reviews were good, the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gives it 94% and the audience score is 93% which is very impressive.
For this who may not have heard of it, Rotten Tomatoes is a very well trusted American review-aggregation website for film and television. The Tomatometer score represents the percentage of positive professional critic reviews for a given film or television show. A Tomatometer score is calculated for a movie or TV show after it receives at least five reviews. The audience score is the percentage of users who have rated the movie or show positively. Check it out here:
Set in post World War II London, Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris tells the story of Ada Harris, a seemingly ordinary British housekeeper (played by Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville), whose dream to own a Christian Dior gown takes her on an unexpected adventure to, you guessed it, Paris.
Ada has lived a lonely existence since her husband Eddie went missing in action in the war, but throughout all her challenges, she has remained upbeat and positive.
One day, when she spies a beautiful Christian Dior gown hanging in the closet of a wealthy client, she experiences an unexpected pang of desire.
She wants one. And she thinks this dress could be the key to changing her life.
After taking on extra cleaning jobs and saving all she can, Ada bids farewell to her friends in London and sets off to Paris to find her dress.
Once she arrives, however, she realises her dream might not be quite so easy to achieve. For one thing, Dior’s intimidating Madame Colbert (Academy Award nominee Isabelle Huppert), doesn’t believe a woman like Ada should be allowed to wear haute couture.
But in true Mrs. Harris fashion, she refuses to give up. With her signature wit and charm, she wins over idealistic Dior accountant André (Lucas Bravo), kindly model Natasha (Alba Baptista) and the aristocratic Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), Paris’ most eligible bachelor.
Soon, Mrs. Harris discovers that in changing her own life, she might just change the lives of everyone around her.
“What’s so lovely is that Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris is a celebration of beauty and the importance of cherishing those special things in life that may seem silly to others but make us feel most like ourselves.” Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Metro Newspaper (UK) TOP CRITIC
“It may sound dismissive to call a film ‘nice’, but that’s exactly what this is. It’s beautifully produced, entirely uncynical niceness. If you’re after just a lovely time, come on in and put your feet up.” Olly Richards Empire Magazine TOP CRITIC
“Against this backdrop of exploitation, decay and corruption, we’re asked to cheer for a brainwashed blue-collar cleaner who’s about to blow half a grand on a posh frock? The genius of the film, of course, is that we do” Kevin Maher Times (UK) TOP CRITIC.
LIVING
This is the one I’ve been waiting for and I’m in no doubt that it’s going to be absolutely amazing. The reviews are fantastic and the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gives it 96% – it’s too early for an audience score. There are eight showings between the 11th and 17th of November. The link to the booking page is here:
One of the reason I’m so excited about this particular film is quite simply Bill Nighy who is one of my favourite actors. I was lucky enough to see him in ‘Skylight’ with Carey Mulligan on Broadway, an experience I will never forget. Check ot these reviews of his performance in Living:
“Nighy is magnetic, heart-breaking and utterly unforgettable. Movies have become classics for less” Allison Shoemaker Fox 10 Phoenix TOP CRITIC.
“It’s a great minimalist performance by Nighy, making the smallest escape of emotion significant — and it works because you know just how quirky and scene-stealing Nighy can be when not thus repressed.” David Sexton New Statesman TOP CRITIC
“Nighy deserves big love at all the awards ceremonies that matter in 2023” Charlotte O’Sullivan London Evening Standard TOP CRITIC.
I was very excited to hear that on Friday, the internationally award-winning producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen who co-founded Number 9 films in 2002 and are Patrons of the Curzon will be doing a Q&A with Trustee and writer/director Niall Johnson after Friday’s screening. Living is their most recent of many brilliant productions and in 2019 they were awarded the highly prestigious and coveted BAFTA Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema.
Living is a 2022 British drama film directed by Oliver Hermanus from a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro, adapted from the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru directed by Akira Kurosawa, which in turn was inspired by the 1886 Russian novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy.
Widowed bureaucrat Mr Williams (Bill Nighy) diligently shuffles papers at County Hall, overseeing public works alongside Mr Middleton (Adrian Rawlins), Mr Rusbridger (Hubert Burton), Mr Hart (Oliver Chris), Ms Harris (Aimee Lou Wood) and new arrival Mr Wakeling (Alex Sharp). As endless paperwork piles up on his desk, a medical check-up reveals a diagnosis of terminal stomach cancer. Once Mr Williams finally whispers the dreaded words aloud “The doctor has given me six months… eight or nine at a stretch” Thus begins his quest to find some meaning to his seemingly grey, monotonous life before it slips away.
“Addresses weighty matters of life and death with a winning simplicity that is hard to resist” Mark Kermode Observer (UK) TOP CRITIC.
“An absolutely gorgeous, heart-breaking piece of work.” David Fear Rolling Stone TOP CRITIC
“A gentle, exquisitely sad film.” Peter Bradshaw Guardian TOP CRITIC
LYLE LYLE CROCODILE
Friends who have taken their children to see this LOVE it and if you read the reviews after the trailer, you’ll get an idea why it was so hugely popular first time around at the Curzon. There are just two showings on Saturday the 12th November and Sunday the 13th November. The link to the booking page is here:
Both these shows have has Deals on Reels status which means if you sign up for free membership, you can get entry into this film for £3 regardless of age.
The reviews were good, the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gives it 73% and the audience score is 93% which is impressive.
Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action/CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.
When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbour Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.
“Good cheer and exuberant humour enliven this clever live-action musical adaptation of Bernard Waber’s classic children’s-book series.” Richard Brody New Yorker TOP CRITIC
“It’s all harmless fun, containing enough mild laughs and genuinely sweet moments to keep its target audiences entertained.” Frank Scheck Hollywood Reporter TOP CRITIC
“A warm-hearted family film with great musical numbers that will make another generation of kids hopefully search the attic on the chance that they might find a singing crocodile.”
ROYAL BALLET: A DIAMOND CELEBRATION (EVENT CINEMA)
This takes place on November 16th at 7.15.p.m. As this is a live performance there are as yet no reviews
The Royal Ballet’s dazzling Principals lead an evening not to be missed, their sparkling talents a perfect fit for a diamond anniversary. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Friends of Covent Garden, this programme recognises the amazing support of all ROH Friends past and present. The showcase will demonstrate the breadth and diversity of The Royal Ballet’s repertory in classical, contemporary and heritage works. It will also include world premieres of short ballets by choreographers Pam Tanowitz, Joseph Toonga and Valentino Zucchetti as well as The Royal Ballet’s first performance of For Fourby Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon and a performance of George Balanchine’s Diamonds.
The Curzon “Event” screenings are satellite screenings and include theatre, concerts and Q&As and are screened both live and as recorded “encore” screenings. These broadcasts include live and recorded concerts and events from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House and more.
Have a great week everyone and I hope you get to see one of these great films.