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Ten Screen critics select their hidden film gems of the year.Fionnuala Halligan, chief film critic

A Date For Mad Mary

Dir Darren Thornton

This big-hearted Irish romcom, which shared the top prize at Galway this summer, has all the smarts to hit with younger audiences should it get the chance. Just released from prison, surly, boozy Mary pines for her bridezilla Bff who has moved on. Now she needs a date for the wedding and rarely has someone looked for love with less interest. Thornton directs a scuzzily radiant Seana Kerslake as the miserably mad Mary, wildly unpredictable and widely misunderstood, in a film that feels like the love child of Weekend and Once.

Contact Mongrel International international@mongrelmedia.com

Tim Grierson, Senior Us critic

The Student

Dir Kirill Serebrennikov

The dangers of religious fervor overwhelming reason is the cauldron into which The Student drops its audience, taking us to a Russian high school where a Bible-quoting...

Manchester By The Sea is second, while Moonlight sits third.

Maren Ade’s comedy Toni Erdmann has been crowned Screen’s critical darling of 2016, narrowly edging out Kenneth Lonergan’s drama Manchester By The Sea on this year’s critics’ poll.

While boths films amassed eighteen points (see below for an explanation of the points system), Toni Erdmann edged out its rival courtesy of having one extra top-place finish.

Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight was third on the overall list with 15 points, while Paul Verhoeven’s Elle was fourth with 12.

Damien Chazelle’s La La Land rounded out the top five with 10 points.

Screen critics’ top films of 2016 in full1) Toni Erdmann (18 points)

“Surprising, tense, funny, unsettling and uplifting,” Lee Marshall.

“A masterclass of building a film over time,” Sarah Ward.

“Superbly written and directed…Sandra Huller and Peter Simonischek both give revelatory performances,” Jonathan Romney.

2) Manchester By The Sea (18 points)

“A story of monumental heartbreak that just crackles...

The honorary vice president of Fipresci has been a contributor to Screen for 15 years.

Long-standing contributor Dan Fainaru is to become critic-at-large for Screen International, a roving role which caps his 15-year relationship with the title.

Based in Israel, Fainaru has been a film critic for over 55 years and is honorary vice president of Fipresci. He has served as critic for Screen across the full range of international film festivals since he joined the tile.

His critic-at-large role will afford him the opportunity to assess and review titles outside the driver of Screen’s daily coverage at festivals. Formerly the director of the Israeli Film Institute, Fainaru edits Israel’s only film magazine, Cinematheque.

Screen International’s reviews editor Fionnuala Halligan said: “Dan’s knowledge and taste is unrivalled, and I am looking forward to working with him in this new capacity as he becomes an ambassador at large for Screen’s busy reviews desk.”

Screen International...

The launches of Matt Saville.s A Month of Sundays and Simon Stone.s The Daughter at international film festivals are paying off with critical acclaim for both.

Saville.s dramedy, which stars Anthony Lapaglia as a real estate agent whose life takes an unexpected turn when he receives a call from his dead mother, sending him on a journey of redemption, premiered in the contemporary world cinema section of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Stone.s re-imagining of Ibsen.s The Wild Duck, which features Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Anna Torv, Miranda Otto and newcomer Odessa Young, which had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival,. screened at the Venice Film Festival.s Venice Days followed by its North American premiere at Tiff.s special presentations sidebar.

The Hollywood Reporter.s Jordan Mintzer hailed A Month of Sundays as a .modest, warm hearted character...

Interview conducted by Tom Stockman May 19th 2014

Australian Terry Hayes began his career as a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, when as foreign correspondent in the Us he covered Watergate and President Nixon’s resignation, among many major international stories. He then went on to become a successful screenwriter, having written the screenplays for The Road Warrior, Dead Calm, Payback, and From Hell. He lives in Sydney with his wife and four children.

On Wednesday, June 4th, 7:00pm at the Mad Art Gallery (#2727 South 12th Street, St. Louis, 63118), St. Louis-area book lovers will be treated to an arresting evening of espionage, murder and mystery writers. Terry Hayes joins St. Louis crime novelist Scott Phillips for an on-stage discussion of Hayes’ debut novel I Am Pilgrim followed by an audience Q&A and book-signing. Attendees will also be treated to free gifts, door prizes and free parking while supporting...

There's no doubt about it; actor Steven Seagal has more than a few things in common with his True Justice character Elijah Kane. They're both martial artists as well as expert marksmen, and they're both well versed in alternative medicine. In an episode of True Justice season two, Kane concocts an antibiotic tea to help Sarah ward off an infection. In this week's episode of the reality series Lawman, Seagal's knowledge of Chinese medicine similarly helps a wounded officer. After a lengthy chase, one of Seagal's fellow cops is suffering from a knee injury, and Seagal steps in and takes him to an acupuncturist. Though the officer is skeptical, he comes to believe in the powers of alternative medicine.

See Seagal fight real-life crime in Lawman Thursdays on Reelz at 9p Et/Pt.

Real-life crime fighters in action

Thursdays at 9 Et/Pt

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Link | Posted 7/25/2013 by reelz

True Justice...

The actor who made his name in Bronson talks about the punishing physical regime for his new cage-fighting role in Warrior, being typecast as a thug – and making it in Hollywood

The bed has been removed from the Soho hotel room where rising British film star Tom Hardy and I are to meet, leaving a vast carpeted brawling area. We could, I think as I await his arrival, mix it up like Oliver Reed and Alan Bates did in Women in Love, or as Hardy and his screen brother Joel Edgerton do at the denouement of his unremittingly butch new mixed martial arts film Warrior.

Hardy jogs into the room flanked by minders as if he's entering a boxing arena. How about sorting things out mano a mano, I suggest? It could make both our careers. He could get the slightly bonkers rep Christian Bale has had ever since he...

Tom Hardy has reportedly split from actress fiancee Charlotte Riley. The couple, who got engaged last July after dating for one year, reportedly broke up last month although the "Inception" actor is said to be desperate to rekindle their relationship.

"Tom and Charlotte broke up last month," a source told the Metro newspaper. "He has been calling her a lot to try to patch things up."

Tom and 28-year-old Charlotte first met on the set of the TV adaptation of "Wuthering Heights" when they were cast as star-crossed lovers before going on to work together again in television drama "The Take".

Speculation about the couple's relationship has been mounting after Tom failed to make an appearance at Sunday's (February 13) BAFTAs where he won the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award. He is said to have sent an apology blaming "personal commitments" for his absence.

Gossip Cop, however, begged to differ on the split report.

Inception star Tom Hardy is engaged to his girlfriend British actress Charlotte Riley and will tie the knot next year. The pair, who met on the set of a TV adaptation of Wuthering Heights last year when the 33-year-old actor played Heathcliff to her Catherine, are already charting out their big day, reported People magazine.The 28-year-old actress may even take a bigger than usual role in the celebrations. Not only will she walk down the aisle, but she also wants to help provide the entertainment.Riley sometimes sings in a band that she hopes will perform for guests.Hardy married Sarah Ward ...

British actress Charlotte Riley has confirmed reports she's engaged to actor Tom Hardy.

The pair, who met while filming a TV adaption of Wuthering Heights last year, sparked speculation they are set to wed after Riley was spotted with a diamond on her ring finger at a red carpet event in July.

And now the 28 year old has revealed she is due to walk down the aisle with the Bronson star - although no date has yet been set.

She tells the Sunday Express magazine, "Yes, we are engaged. We just got on well right from the start, to be honest, and had an immediate understanding of each other."

Hardy was previously married to Sarah Ward and has a son, Louis, with his ex-girlfriend Rachael Speed.