What makes a british film? "In Bruges" Lizii Ridout

Eligibility of “In Bruges”

Story and Plot; the story is about too hit men In Bruges. The plot is that they have run away from England to hide out, only to find out that the main character has been set up and they are In Bruges so his fellow hit man can assonate him, in the end he doesn’t do it, because he can’t. He realises that he enjoys the company of Colin Farrell’s character. However the plot thickens. It turns out that he (Brendan Gleeson) then commits suicide after having fought with the control man at the top of the tower In Bruges.

This plot is not neccesssarily British, the characters are British and one of two of the settings is in England

Actors;
All the main actors in this film are British: -
Colin Farrell (Irish)
Brendan Gleeson (Irish)
Ralph Fiennes (English)

Filmography

Colin Farrell: There are no fairly recent films that Colin has been in apart from “In Bruges” that are considered to be British films.

Brendan Gleeson:
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (filming)
“Into the Storm”
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire”
“Kingdom of Heaven”
“Six shooter”
“Country of my Skull”
Etc. More can be found at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322407/

Brendan Gleeson is Irish which is not necessarily British, however he does play mostly in British films and as mostly a British character. But having said that he does have several roles in US Movies.

Ralph Fiennes:
“The Duchess”
“Land of the Blind”
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
“The White Countess”
“Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit”
“The Constant Gardener”
“Chromophobia”
Etc. More can be found at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000146/

Ralph Fiennes is British and plays British characters in British films. Therefore adding to the 'Britishness' of the film.

Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson seem to be a common duo when it comes to casting of films; this is common in a lot of films. For example Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn star in almost every film together.

Director; Martin McDonagh is the director of “In Bruges” he is a British film director, having directed films such as “Six Shooter”. He is also a well known script writer. He wrote for both
“In Bruges” and “Six Shooter”.

"In Bruges" is one of two films which Martin McDonagh has directed, both of which are British films. All of his other work is also British and with him being British adds to the 'Britishness'

Style; This is a moody; cynical, serious, action thriller film with black humour.

It is hard from the style to say wether it is a British film. But it does have characteristics of a US film.

Genre; “In Bruges” is a dramatic thriller, similar to other films such as “Ronin” but other than this it is a fairly unique film. Comedy Crime Drama Thriller (Imbd.com)

"Ronin" is also considered a British movie but has several different nationality characters. Being unique could mean it is British but also i could suggest it is a US film.

Production Company; Blue Print Pictures produced “In Bruges”, Film4 funded “In Bruges”. All production companies and financiers are British.
Blue Print Pictures
Film4
Focus Features
Scion Films

The financiors of "In Bruges" and the production companies are also British therefore making it a British movie.

Distribution;
Focus Features (2008) (theatrical)
Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (theatrical)
BFD (2009) (theatrical)
Distribution Company (2008) (theatrical)
Gativideo (2009) (DVD)
Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2008) (theatrical)
Odeon (2008) (theatrical)
Paradise Group (2008) (all media)
Paris Filmes (2008) (theatrical)
Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (all media)
Shaw Organisation (2008) (theatrical)
TOBIS Film (2008) (theatrical)
Universal Home Entertainment (2008) (DVD)
Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (DVD)
Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (theatrical)
Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (theatrical)
Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (DVD)
Universum Film (UFA) (2009) (DVD)

Obviously distribution will be several nationalities, "In Bruges" was distributed initally by British distributers.

Exhibition;
Release Date:

17th January 2008 (USA)
18th April 2008 (UK)

Release Strategy: Cinema Exhibition - DVD

Suprisingly "In Bruges" was actually released in the US first a few months before the UK, why i dont know as yet but this i think is one massive give away (usually) as to wether a film is British or not.

Lizii......xxx

slumdog millionaire

1. A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.
2. mainly the actors in this film are from Indian and actually from the slums, the main actor Dev Patel is English actor featuring in the well known TV series ‘skins’, he will draw an English audience to watch the film because they will know him form the TV series, one of the other main characters, the host of the TV show ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ is a well know bollywood actor called Anil kapoor, he will bring an Indian audience to watch the film because they will of seen him in films in India
3. Director-English-Danny Boyle, Co-Director- Indian-loveteen tandan
4. emotional
5. the genre we feel is, crime, drama, romance and bollywood
6. The production company is film 4 and fox searchlight.
7. distributors: pathé- international and Warner independent pictures-America
8. Released November 12 2008 but was going to be put straight on DVD.

BY @lex and friends

In Bruges (Josh, Lizzi & Beth)

Slumdog Millionaire

Introduction: What is a British Film?

Task 1

Man on wire
hunger
mamma mia
slumdog millionaire
in bruges


Task 2


What makes it British?

Director: Danny Boyle is a British director and film producer, best known for his work on films such as Trainspotting, Sunshine and 28 days later.
The film was funded and first viewed in England. The movie was financed in England and received funding from the British Film Council.
Even the distribution was mainly British and the main actor has, even though he is Indian, played in British TV dramas before (Skins) so is known in England.
The main reason why it is called a British movie is then, that apart from the filming, setting and the cast nearly everything is done in England.

What is different?

The main difference is, that the story plays in India and is all about India and Indian subject matters. It tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire? The The film portays the poverty in india and the problems children in the slum have and so does not relate to England. Another thing is, that the co-director is indian,
Loveleen Tandan has only directed indian movies. Apart from Dev Patel who plays in Skins but is still born and raised in Mumbai, all the characters are fully indian and haven’t played in british TV Dramas or movies before. Even the style is very unusual for a british movie, as it shows the Indian poverty in a cruel light. I would not say that the genre is British either, as it is about the raise of a slumchild. It is a Drama, but that does not make it either british or Indian.















Marie Bertsch

What is a British Film?


Task 1

Nominations for Outstanding British Film:

Hunger
In Bruges
Man on wire
Mamma Mia
Slumdog millionaire

Task 2

Hunger

The story plot is about Bobby Sands, the Provisional Irish Republican Army member who led the 1981 Irish hunger strike and participated in the no wash protest in which Republican prisoners tried to win political status. It dramatises events in the Maze prison in the six weeks prior to Sands death.
The plot is related to the British subject matter as is about the IRA and Irish hunger strike.

Actors:

Those are the two main actors:
-Michael Fassbender (Bobby Sands) – he is born in Germany
-Stuart Graham (Ray Lohan) - born in 1967 in Northern Ireland, UK.

There aren’t any big stars used in this film.

Director:

Steve McQueen- an English artist and director of Hunger (2008) is born in 1969 in UK and is mainly known for his films. Steve McQueen is the winner of Turner Prize and BFATA. He grew up in London and went to Drayton Manor High School.
McQueen's films, which are typically projected onto one or more walls of an enclosed space in an art gallery, are often in black and white and minimalist.
His first major work was `` Bear`` in 1993. He is also the director of `` Deadpan`` in 1997. These films are both black and white and are also both silent.

Style :
The film ``Hunger`` is representing the frightening look at the life Maze prison during the IRA protests in 1981. The scenes represent a dark film which involves a lot of violence and gives a good representation of this painful period. It is a very emotional and serious film.


Genre: The film belongs to Drama/Historic genre.

Production Companies:
Channel 4 films, Broadcasting commission of Ireland.


Distribution:
It is distributed by Icon Entertainment and Pathe Distribution (UK)

Exhibition :
The film premiered at Cannes and it was released in the UK on 31st of October 2008.

Gergana

Are you Hungry?

Richard and Andrea

Hunger - Richard M-J, Andrea T

Story and plot:
This film is british because it's subject is the IRA and the war between ireland and britain, which is an important part of british history.

The final months of Bobby Sands, the Irish Republican Army activist who protested his treatment at the hands of British prison guards with a hunger strike, are chronicled in this historical drama, the first feature film from artist turned filmmaker Steve McQueen. Davey Gillen (Brian Milligan) is an IRA volunteer who is sentenced to Belfast's infamous Maze prison, where he shares a cell with fellow IRA member Gerry Campbell (Liam McMahon). Like most of the IRA volunteers behind bars, Gillen and Campbell are subjected to frequent violence by the guards, who in turn live with the constant threat of assassination at the hands of Republicans during their off hours. Campbell and Gillen are taking part in a protest in which they and their fellow IRA inmates are refusing to wear standard prison-issue uniforms as a protest against Ireland's refusal to recognize them as political prisoners, a move that is complicating their efforts to pass information among the other prisoners. As the protest fails to get results, one IRA member behind bars, Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), decides to take a different tack and begins a hunger strike, refusing to eat until Irish officials are willing to acknowledge the IRA as a legitimate political organization. However, while Sands' protest gains the attention both inside prison walls and in the international news, not everyone believes what he's doing is right, and Sands finds himself verbally sparring with a priest (Liam Cunningham) who questions the ethics and effectiveness of the strike. Hunger received its world premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the Un Certain Regard program.

Actors:
• Michael Fassbender .... Bobby Sands
• Liam Cunningham .... Priest
• Stuart Graham .... Ray Lohan
• Liam McMahon .... Gerry
• Lalor Roddy .... William
• Laine Megaw .... Mrs. Lohan
• Helena Bereen .... Ray's mother
• Aaron Goldring .... young Bobby

These all have an irish or English family connection

Director:
It is written by Enda Walsh and Steve McQueen, who also directed. Steve Mcqueen was born and raised in London. His first major work was Bear (1993), in which two naked men (one of them McQueen) exchange a series of glances which might be taken to be flirtatious or threatening. One of his best known works, Deadpan (1997), is a restaging of a Buster Keaton stunt in which a house collapses around McQueen who is left unscathed because he is standing where there is a missing window.

As well as being in black and white, both these films are silent. The first of McQueen's films to use sound was also the first to use multiple images: Drumroll (1998).

Style:

We would describe this film as emotional, serious, striking, controversial.

Genre:
Political drama/thriller

It was made by Blast! Films and commissioned by Channel 4 and Film4. It premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, winning the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for first-time filmmakers.It went on to win the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival, best picture by the Evening Standard British Film Awards, and received 2 BAFTA nominations, winning one. The film was also nominated for 4 awards at the 2009 IFTA's winning 2 at the event.