The Curzon Film Podcast

We welcome perhaps the most prestigious guest we’ve ever had on to the podcast this week. He’s Gandalf, he’s Magneto and he’s the subject of Joe Stephenson’s new documentary; it’s only Sir Ian McKellen! Built around one 14 hour long interview, ‘McKellen: Playing the Part’ is a fascinating and deftly handled portrait of one of the most important actors to ever grace both stage and screen. Through some highly impressive editing, the film highlights Sir Ian’s work as a Shakespearean actor, his big blockbuster roles and his passionate and exceedingly important work for the LGBTQ+ community. Discussing the film this week are Sam Howlett, Irene Musumeci and all round theatre champion and Shakespeare super-fan Rowan Rutter. Follow the team on Twitter: @SamHowlett_1 - Sam @byronic - Irene @RowanRutter - Rowan @jakehcunningham - Jake Keep your eyes on our feed for podcast updates from Our Man in Cannes Damian Spandley, who as head of Curzon Programming, will be scouting out all the best new films the festival has to offer Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After impressing with supporting roles in 'All the Money in the World' and 'Boardwalk Empire', Charlie Plummer walks his own path in 'Lean on Pete' and is this week's guest on the Curzon Film Podcast. Proving himself to be one of the most gifted, insightful and versatile directors working today, Andrew Haigh ('45 Years', 'Weekend') returns with 'Lean on Pete' a powerfully moving and deeply emotional story about a young boy’s search for belonging on the fringes of contemporary American society. Discussing the film are Sam Howlett, Kambole Campbell, Kelly Powell and from Little White Lies and HeyUGuys, film journalist Alasdair Bayman makes his pod-debut. Email your thoughts on 'Lean on Pete' to podcast@curzon.com and don't forget to subscribe, review and leave a comment! Follow the team: @SamHowlett_1 - Sam @kambolecampbell - Kambole @alasdairbayman - Alasdair @CunninghamJH - Jake Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Pearce’s hugely impressive first film Beast is an unsettling thriller that holds you in suspense until its final moments - and we're lucky enough to welcome Michael on to the show to discuss his intoxicating debut. Moll (Jessie Buckley) is 27 and still living at home, stifled by the small island community around her and too beholden to her family to break away. When she meets Pascal, a free-spirited stranger, a whole new world opens up to her and she begins to feel alive for the first time, falling madly in love. Finally breaking free from her family, Moll moves in with Pascal (Johnny Flynn) to start a new life. But when he is arrested as the key suspect in a series of brutal murders, she is left isolated and afraid. To discuss the film, we welcome Josh Slater-Williams - writer for Little White Lies and Sight and Sound - back on to the show, as well as regular contributors Kelly Powell, Jake Cunningham and Sam Howlett Follow the team on Twitter: @CunninghamJH - Jake @Sam_Howlett1 - Sam @jslaterwilliams - Josh - Josh first saw Beast at Glasgow Film Festival, read his round up of the festival for the BFI here: https://bit.ly/2Kj7QkL - After last week's discussion about the end credits of Let the Sunshine In, Jake has written about that film and the credits of a few other recent releases for The I. You can read that here: https://bit.ly/2I0PcNW - After discussing Custody on the show, you can read more of Sam's thoughts on the film by heading to the Curzon Blog: https://bit.ly/2HyaaTf Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We welcome one of the most iconic names in European cinema, Claire Denis, on to the podcast to talk about her latest film Let the Sunshine In. Plus, Little White Lies Contributing Editor Sophie Monks Kaufman joins the team in the studio to proclaim her love for this magical film. Isabelle (Juliette Binoche) is a stylish and accomplished artist living in Paris. Divorced and looking to find true love at last, she meets a handsome, kind and intelligent younger man who she thinks might finally be the one. But when he calls their affair a mistake and returns to his wife, Isabelle must again face the issue of mid-life loneliness. Sifting through former lovers, new admirers, jealous friends and chance encounters, will she find a fulfilling match? Or will she discover a new path to happiness along the way? Discussing the film are Sophie Monks Kaufman, Kelly Powell and Jake Cunningham Read Sophie's article 10 Great Films About Female Desire for the BFI here: https://bit.ly/2jfHOCv Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Winner of prestigious awards at the 2017 Venice Film Festival, including the Silver Lion for best director, Custody is a gripping, tension-filled drama that heralds a stunning new cinematic voice in Xavier Legrand. The film stars Denis Ménochet (Inglourious Basterds) who we were lucky enough to speak to on the podcast. After a bitter divorce, Miriam (Léa Drucker) and Antoine (Denis Ménochet) battle for sole custody of their son, Julien (Thomas Gioria). Miriam claims the father is violent but lacks proof. Antoine accuses her of manipulating their son for her own ends. Both sides seem to be hiding something; the truth is buried in deceit and jealousy. When the judge awards joint custody, Julien becomes a pawn in a tense conflict that soon brings the family’s fraught past to light. Discussing the film are Sam Howlett, Steven Ryder and Kambole Campbell. Follow the team on Twitter here: @SamHowlett_1  @kambolecampbell  @CunninghamJH  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

120 BPM is a portrait of the early 90s Act Up AIDS activists in Paris and a stunningly intimate romance. It's one of the most critically acclaimed films of the last 12 months and it finally arrives on UK shores this week and we were lucky enough to speak to its director, Robin Campillo. Joining Sam in the studio to discuss the film are Irene Musumeci and Julien Allen (Reverse Shot) As the AIDS epidemic tears through their community, the members of ACT UP Paris are fighting for survival. While they battle against governmental apathy, pharmaceutical greed and public ignorance, they also go out partying, debate politics and, occasionally, fall in love. One day, as outspoken radical Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) strikes up a conversation with shy newcomer Nathan (Arnaud Valois), they have no idea that their lives are about to change forever. Based on the director’s own experiences, this vibrant and deeply emotional drama rushes with youthful energy, balancing powerful themes of social justice with euphoric moments of spine-tingling sensuality. Urgent and affecting, it’s a film about life, death, love, tragedy – and, above all, the will to survive. Follow the team here: Sam Howlett @SamHowlett_1 Irene Musumeci @byronic Julien Allen @JulesArk Jake Cunningham @CunninghamJH Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Buy tickets for 120 BPM here: https://www.curzoncinemas.com/film-info/120-bpm  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we hop in our tiny metal plane to Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. Locked in to the recording kennel to discuss Anderson’s latest stop motion passion piece, Sam and Jake are joined by Beth Webb, film journalist and programmer for Bechdel Test Fest, and writer of the Isle of Dogs feature in the latest Curzon Magazine. Plus, Mark Waring, the director of animation for the film shares his insights into creating this furry beautiful isle. In Wes’s fully realised world, canine flu has caused widespread panic and the world’s dog population has been quarantined on a remote island. Young Atari has made his way to the Isle of Dogs in order to retrieve his pet Spots. There, a gang of dogs decide to help him, but it’s a race against time. Follow the team on Twitter Beth Webb @BethKWebb Sam Howlett @SamHowlett_1 Jake Cunningham @CunninghamJH Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shot using an iPhone, Steven Soderbergh's second film since retiring might look like an exercise in no-budget filmmaking, but it's more than just cheap thrills. Kambole Campbell (Little White Lies, Crack Magazine) and Steph Watts (Film4, One Room With a View) join Jake to talk about why this entrapment horror hasn't just been phoned in. Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) has been the victim of a stalker. Having moved to a new city, she still thinks she sees him everywhere. It's understandable, considering her trauma. But when she attempts to receive help, her doctors have a different idea of what might be wrong. Follow the team on Twitter: Steph Watts @slwmedia Kambole Campbell @kambolecampbell Jake Cunningham @CunninghamJH Pick up a copy of Crack Magazine in shops to read Kambole's full review https://crackmagazine.net/ Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're thrilled to welcome, Ruben Östlund, the director of the Palme D'or winning 'The Square' on to the Curzon Film Podcast this week, as well as the magnetic Claes Bang who plays Christian, a gallery curator stuck in the centre of Östlund's maelstrom of social anxiety and dark comedy. Ruben Östlund's Palme d’Or winner The Square is a knife-sharp satire on art, culture and communication in the digital age, starring Claes Bang (The Bridge), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale, Mad Men) and Dominic West (The Wire). Christian (Bang) is a divorced but devoted father of two, and the respected curator of a contemporary art museum in Stockholm. He's gearing up to launch their next show, ‘The Square’, a daring installation examining altruism and our duty to help others. However, Christian's own views on social responsibility are put to the test when he becomes the victim of a scam, forcing him to question the world around him and his place in it. Meanwhile, a shocking viral stunt cooked up by the museum's PR agency is met with public outcry, sending Christian – and the museum – into an existential crisis. Discussing the film are: Sam Howlett - @Sam_Howlett1 Jake Garriock - @JWGarriock Jake Cunningham - @CunninghamJH Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the course of four films, Lynne Ramsay has certified herself as a unique filmmaker with a consistent and complete vision. She is truly an auteur, and one who we were lucky enough to welcome on to the podcast to talk about her new film You Were Never Really Here. A senator's daughter has been kidnapped. The authorities can do nothing. So ex-soldier Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), who has a reputation for resolving impossible situations, is contracted to return the girl safely home. However, things don't quite go to plan in this stripped-down psychological thriller by Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin). Phoenix has rarely been better as the traumatised vet and the film is a masterclass in suspense. Discussing the film are Kelly Powell, Sam Howlett and making his first appearance, writer for Little White Lies and creator of One Room With a View, Kambole Campbell Follow the team: Sam Howlett @SamHowlett_1 Kambole Campbell @kambolecampbell Jake Cunningham @CunninghamJH Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music from incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're thrilled to welcome Sebastián Lelio on to the podcast this week to talk about A Fantastic Woman, his stunning new film that debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in 2017, and a year later finds itself heading to the Oscars. Gloria director Sebastián Lelio returns with A Fantastic Woman, a groundbreaking, captivating and deeply humane story about a trans woman’s fight for acceptance. Anchored by a powerhouse central performance from rising star Daniela Vega, this Oscar-nominated film is an urgent call for compassion towards a community that faces bigotry and hostility on a daily basis. Discussing the film this week are Irene Musumeci, Diego Aparicio and Jake Cunningham Follow the team on Twitter: Irene @byronic Diego @daaparicio3 Jake @CunninghamJH Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're thrilled to welcome one of Britain's most visionary current directors, Clio Barnard, on to the Curzon Film Podcast to talk about her new film 'Dark River'. After blending documentary and narrative form with 'The Arbor' in 2010, Barnard's 2013 follow up 'The Selfish Giant' found her thrust on to the international stage with acclaim from Cannes. Five years later she returns with 'Dark River', a muddy, muted and hugely powerful film set in rural England starring Ruth Wilson. Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are so excited to welcome the one and only Greta Gerwig on to the Curzon Film Podcast this week. After writing the incredible 'Frances Ha' and 'Mistress America', Greta's directorial debut 'Lady Bird' finally flies in to UK cinemas and we couldn't wait to talk about it. Discussing the film are Harriet Hall, Head of Digital Features at Stylist and Louisa Maycock, co-director of Girls on Tops 'a t-shirt celebration of female voices in film', along with podcast regulars Jake Cunningham and and Ryan Hewitt.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus episode of the Curzon film podcast we get to have a short chat with the legendary Ade Edmundson, star of 'Bottom', currently manning battleships in a galaxy far, far away in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' and now on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Conducting the interview is Sam Howlett. Produced by Jake Cunningham Edited by Sam Howlett and Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We were thrilled to welcome Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer & director Luca Guadagnino to Curzon Soho for a special Q&A screening of 'Call Me By Your Name'; and now we're bringing that conversation to you, in hopefully the first in an ongoing series of Q&A episodes of The Curzon Film Podcast. Produced and edited by Jake Cunningham Music supplied by incompetech.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.