News

Stars: Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Rufus Jones, Mark Tandy, Niall McNamee, Charlie Murphy, Orla Brady, Michael McElhatton | Written by David Marconi, Stephen Leather | Directed by Martin Campbell

Going into The Foreigner, I expected a standard action thriller, perhaps a predictable revenge plot padded with familiar tropes and over-the-top set pieces. But what I got was something far more grounded, surprisingly tense, and emotionally resonant. Director Martin Campbell, known for revitalizing James Bond not once but twice, manages to deliver a taut, politically-tinged thriller that’s equal parts espionage drama and personal vendetta, anchored by two compelling performances from Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan.

Jackie Chan, in a stark departure from his typically light-hearted action fare, plays Quan Ngoc Minh, a quiet, almost ghostlike London restaurateur whose teenage daughter is killed in a politically motivated bombing. Chan’s performance is subdued, even haunted. There’s a depth of sorrow in his...

Jane Gull’s offers strange tonal shifts and an oddly dreamy treatment of the brutal situation the central couple find themselves in

British writer-director Jane Gull made a strong impression with her very likable 2016 debut My Feral Heart, about a young carer with Down’s syndrome. This follow-up feature is about a young couple faced with homelessness. Paul (Niall McNamee) is a young Irish guy hoping to make it as a singer-songwriter and playing pubs in London; his manager is his wife, Sophie, played by EastEnders’s Shana Swash. When they are booted out of their flat for non-payment of the exploitatively high rent, the couple head to Southend looking for work, and gigs and things go from bad to worse.

This is a well-intentioned, earnestly acted film, but the tonal shifts are frankly uncomfortable. The brutally grim events in Paul and Sophie’s life are repeatedly leavened with an odd sort of John-Carney-does-poverty dreaminess.

Jane Gull’s music drama will release in cinemas on June 9.

Bulldog Film Distribution has acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights to Love Without Walls, Jane Gull’s music drama about a couple living on the streets.

The film had its world premiere at Manchester Film Festival this month, where it won best UK feature. Bulldog has set a theatrical release for June 9 this summer, including a series of Q&a events with Gull and lead cast Niall McNamee and Shana Swash.

Love Without Walls follows an aspiring musician and his partner who, unable to pay their London rent, find themselves living on the streets.

Commission

Reese Witherspoon‘s production company Hello Sunshine, which is a part of Candle Media, has secured its first U.K. commission. Fronted by TV presenter and bestselling author Stacey Solomon, Channel 4 DIY series “Bricking It” gives viewers easy and helpful tips to makeover their homes themselves.

Hello Sunshine’s U.K. unscripted division opened last year and is headed by executive VP Sarah Lazenby. The show was commissioned by senior commissioning editor Clemency Green and head of daytime and features, Jo Street, for Channel 4. The series will be executive produced by Witherspoon, Sara Rea and Lazenby.

Solomon said: “From an early age, my dad taught me DIY and the importance of fixing things yourself where you can. I still find it so satisfying to build or repair around the house and it saves loads of money. I am beyond excited to work with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine on their first ever U.