News

Oscar and double Palme d’Or winning director Bille August is attending the Göteborg Film Festival for a Director’s Talk and the gala screening of his psycho-drama “The Pact”.

He will also pitch at the adjoining Nordic Film Market (Feb. 3-6), the work in progress of his upcoming Danish pic “The Kiss”.

August spoke exclusively to Variety about “The Kiss,” his enduring interest in the complexity of human beings, book-to-screen adaptations and his belief in the big screen experience.

Loosely based on Stefan Zweig’s novel “Beware of Pity and transposed from an Austrian to a Danish setting, “The Kiss” is a romantic drama set in 1913. The helmer has reunited with “A Fortunate Man”’s lead Espen Smed, cast as cavalry officer trainee Anton. Introduced to Baron von Løvenskjold’s daughter Edith, a wheelchair user following an accident, Anton is attracted to her, but unsure if his feelings are of pity or true love.

Despite its feel-good title, “The Kindness of Strangers” is a rather bleak movie, one so tied to the miseries of its characters that it’s difficult to see the point of it at all.

Perhaps there is no point other than to get a number of famous actors to occasionally cross paths in a dreary New York City in the winter. The movie functions like one of those star-studded Garry Marshall ensemble movies (“Valentine’s Day” or “New Year’s Eve”) but made terribly sad until the last few minutes, when a tacked-on happy ending arrives in time for the credits.

Written and directed by Lone Scherfig, “The Kindness of Strangers” begins with the story of Clara (Zoe Kazan) and her two young boys fleeing an abusive marriage. Most of her time on screen will be spent scavenging for supplies and figuring out how to keep living in the big city with...

How much weight do you put into a strong performance within a film that has its fair share of issues? Can a single turn lift up an entire project? Honestly, it really depends on the movie and the acting turn in question. Sometimes, it can be enough to warrant a recommendation, while at other times, it still falls a little bit short. In the case of this week’s new release The Kindness of Strangers, we’re faced with a similar situation. The flick is a mixed bag, though its ensemble cast is led by a wonderful performance by Zoe Kazan. In the end, she does manage to drag this one across the finish line, generating enough goodwill for a mild recommendation. The movie is a drama that takes its title largely literally. The lynchpin is Clara (Kazan), an abused wife who packs up her two sons Anthony (Jack Fulton...

Operation Mincemeat

Moving into his fourth decade of filmmaking, British director John Madden returns with a major pull the rug WWII drama in Operation Mincemeat. Produced by See-Saw Films and Cohen Media Group, with Charles S. Cohen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Kris Thykier serving as producers. Colin Firth and Kelly Macdonald were announced to headline in May, with Matthew Macfadyen, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn, Tom Wilkinson (who was part of Madden’s ensemble in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films), Hattie Morahan, Simon Russell Beale, Paul Ritter and Mark Gatiss have also joined the cast. Sebastian Blenkov, who lensed Madden’s last feature serves as cinematographer.…...

The Kindness of Strangers

Dogme 95 alum Lone Scherfig continues in English for her tenth film, The Kindness of Strangers, a Danish-Canadian co-production, which takes place in a Russian restaurant in New York. Produced by Malene Blenkov and Sandra Cunningham through Denmark’s Creative Alliance, Canada’s Strada Films with co-producers through Germany’s Nadcon, Sweden’s Unlimited Stories and France’s D’Artagnan, Scherfig’s international cast consists of Andrea Riseborough, Tahar Rahim, Zoe Kazan, Jay Baruchel, Bill Nighy, David Dencik and Caleb Landry Jones. Sebastian Blenkov, who lensed Scherfig’s The Riot Club (2014) and 2016’s Their Finest (review), returns as cinematographer. Scherfig’s first big break was with 2000’s Italian for Beginners (review), which took home the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival.…...

Exclusive: Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri) and Jay Baruchel (Goon) are joining the cast of Lone Scherfig’s latest movie, I can reveal. The movie is now underway in Toronto and will soon head to Copenhagen and New York.

As previously announced, Andrea Riseborough (Death Of Stalin), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) also star in the ensemble piece from the One Day and Their Finest filmmaker, who has also written the script. The project was previously announced as Secrets From The Russian Tea Room but the film is currently untitled as the filmmakers consider another name.

UK sales outfit HanWay has world sales rights with finance on the movie coming from Ingenious Media and Apollo Media. I can also reveal today that Entertainment One will distribute in Canada and Sf Studios in Scandinavia. Principal photography started in Toronto on March 23.

The movie,...

HanWay Films has acquired worldwide sales rights; touting project at Efm.

Lone Scherfig’s forthcoming Secrets From The Russian Tea Room has cast up ahead of shooting this spring.

Bafta-nominated Andrea Riseborough (The Death Of Stalin), Cesar winner Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and The Big Sick star Zoe Kazan will play a group of people going through the worst crises of their lives: an ER nurse who runs an eclectic therapy group (Riseborough); an ex-con turned manager of the titular Tea Room (Rahim); and a mother looking to avoid her abusive cop husband (Kazan).

The film will shoot at the iconic Russian Tea Room in Manhattan, New York.

HanWay Films has acquired worldwide sales rights and will be touting the project at this week’s European Film Market (Efm) in Berlin. The company has previously handled sales on four Lone Scherfig titles, including period drama Their Finest starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and [link=nm...

HanWay Films has acquired worldwide sales rights; touting project at Efm.

Lone Scherfig’s forthcoming Secrets From The Russian Tea Room has cast up ahead of shooting this spring.

Bafta-nominated Andrea Riseborough (The Death Of Stalin), Cesar winner Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and The Big Sick star Zoe Kazan will play a group of people going through the worst crises of their lives: an ER nurse who runs an eclectic therapy group (Riseborough); an ex-con turned manager of the titular Tea Room (Rahim); and a mother looking to avoid her abusive cop husband (Kazan).

The film will shoot at the iconic Russian Tea Room in Manhattan, New York.

HanWay Films has acquired worldwide sales rights and will be touting the project at this week’s European Film Market (Efm) in Berlin. The company has previously handled sales on four Lone Scherfig titles, including period drama Their Finest starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and [link=nm...

It’s easy to appreciate great acting. You know it when you see it. Especially during this part of the year, it pops up often. Well, let me tell you that Jessica Chastain shows you how it’s done in Miss Sloane. Out this weekend, it’s among her very best performances to date. Not only is it the sort of work that demands consideration from awards and such, it’s a timely film that is only more relevant now. Give or take a terrible ending, it’s a really strong movie that deserves to find an audience. Standing tallest in Miss Sloane, of course, is Chastain. She’s just terrific here. The film is a political drama with elements of a thriller as well. Elizabeth Sloane (Chastain) is known as one of the best lobbyists in the business. A superstar at her giant firm, she does anything and everything in order to win.