Helena Bonham Carter's costume from A Room with a View, designed by Jenny Beavan and John Bright. Images courtesy Kerry Taylor Auctions
In Conversation with Kerry Taylor,
Director/Owner, Kerry Taylor Auctions
by Chad Kennerk
Last year, Bafta & Academy-award winning costumier and designer John Bright invited Kerry Taylor to visit the renowned Cosprop store in London to select costumes for a special charity auction in aid of The Bright Foundation. Cosprop has been owned and managed by Bright since its founding in 1965. The company is known for providing the entertainment industry with authentic, highly-detailed period costumes. Bright and fellow collaborator Jenny Beavan have been nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, winning for A Room with a View, for which they also received a Bafta award.
The 69 lots chosen in Lights, Camera, Auction - Live Cosprop Sale represent iconic roles, actors, and moments from the last 50 years of film history.
In Conversation with Kerry Taylor,
Director/Owner, Kerry Taylor Auctions
by Chad Kennerk
Last year, Bafta & Academy-award winning costumier and designer John Bright invited Kerry Taylor to visit the renowned Cosprop store in London to select costumes for a special charity auction in aid of The Bright Foundation. Cosprop has been owned and managed by Bright since its founding in 1965. The company is known for providing the entertainment industry with authentic, highly-detailed period costumes. Bright and fellow collaborator Jenny Beavan have been nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, winning for A Room with a View, for which they also received a Bafta award.
The 69 lots chosen in Lights, Camera, Auction - Live Cosprop Sale represent iconic roles, actors, and moments from the last 50 years of film history.
- 2/28/2024
- by Chad Kennerk
- Film Review Daily
In development since 2007 and nurtured for at least 20 years by curator Deborah Nadoolman Landis since her days as president of the Costume Designers’ Guild (Cdg), the exhibition ‘Hollywood Costume’ finally opens at the V&A museum. This is the costume exhibition to end all costume exhibitions; everything from Judy Garland’s gingham pinafore and ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, to Keira Knightley’s burgundy silk gown from Anna Karenina, to Robert De Niro’s ‘King Kong Company’ jacket, check shirt, jeans and even boots from Taxi Driver. Hollywood Costume is a rush; an awe-inspiring journey through the meaning and history of contemporary, period and mo-cap costume design utilising projections, interviews, lectures from A-list actors, installations and even a specially commissioned score.
So what to expect when you finally beat the queues and stroll in the front doors? We shall not give too much away because surprise is part of the enjoyment,...
So what to expect when you finally beat the queues and stroll in the front doors? We shall not give too much away because surprise is part of the enjoyment,...
- 10/26/2012
- by Chris Laverty
- Clothes on Film
Abi Morgan nominated for The Iron Lady and Bridget O'Connor posthumously for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
On Sunday, the flashbulbs will pop at Brad and George; the pundits shall scrap over the relative merits of Hugo and The Help. And, away from the limelight, Bafta will be quietly making history. For the first time, British women are in contention to win both the best adapted and best original screenplay.
In the former, Bridget O'Connor is up for the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy script she co-wrote with her husband, Peter Straughan. And in the latter, Abi Morgan, the woman behind The Iron Lady, is battling Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, whose Bridesmaids screenplay is current frontrunner. This year, an unprecedented number of women are vying for writing trophies.
Sadly, O'Connor is also the second woman to be Bafta-nominated posthumously (the first was the costume designer Marit Allen who won for La Vie en Rose...
On Sunday, the flashbulbs will pop at Brad and George; the pundits shall scrap over the relative merits of Hugo and The Help. And, away from the limelight, Bafta will be quietly making history. For the first time, British women are in contention to win both the best adapted and best original screenplay.
In the former, Bridget O'Connor is up for the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy script she co-wrote with her husband, Peter Straughan. And in the latter, Abi Morgan, the woman behind The Iron Lady, is battling Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, whose Bridesmaids screenplay is current frontrunner. This year, an unprecedented number of women are vying for writing trophies.
Sadly, O'Connor is also the second woman to be Bafta-nominated posthumously (the first was the costume designer Marit Allen who won for La Vie en Rose...
- 2/11/2012
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Anyone who has seen Nicolas Roeg's 1973 film Don't Look Now will remember that little red coat. Peter Bradshaw on the pity and terror it still evokes
It is red: red as a wound, or some mutant traffic signal without an amber or a green – the red plastic mac worn by a dead little girl. In director Nicolas Roeg's 1973 movie classic of the English supernatural, Don't Look Now trailer, based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier, this mac is what she is wearing when she drowns in the pond of her parents' English country home. Her art historian father, John, later takes his grieving wife Laura away for a healing trip to Venice (of all the ironic waterlogged places), having accepted a commission to restore a church building.
There, two strange, elderly ladies persuade his wife that their daughter, Christine, is speaking to them from beyond the grave,...
It is red: red as a wound, or some mutant traffic signal without an amber or a green – the red plastic mac worn by a dead little girl. In director Nicolas Roeg's 1973 movie classic of the English supernatural, Don't Look Now trailer, based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier, this mac is what she is wearing when she drowns in the pond of her parents' English country home. Her art historian father, John, later takes his grieving wife Laura away for a healing trip to Venice (of all the ironic waterlogged places), having accepted a commission to restore a church building.
There, two strange, elderly ladies persuade his wife that their daughter, Christine, is speaking to them from beyond the grave,...
- 1/20/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
- My living room can only fit less than a baker’s dozen, so this year my Oscar party was upgraded to cinema-size status. Ioncinema.com teamed with Montreal premiere’s destination for repertoire and art-house cinema Cinema Du Parc for a huge Oscar party with accompanying prizes and animation (thanks to our sponsors for making this event into an Event). So while my Oscar blogging isn’t Live per se, I’m here soaking up the stars, the night’s festivities and sitting within one of the two almost packed screens of patrons. Below is my full transcript of the ceremonies, my usual quirks and comments on the winners and losers. 8:30: Animated sequence historical timeline. No goose bumps. Jon Stewart here to give us his politically correct banter with some obvious reference to the writer’s strike and politics. So far very harmless with only a little
- 2/25/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
- Michael Clayton and Juno might not have 8 nominations like my favorite two pictures of the year each have (No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood) but Jason Reitman and Tony Gilroy are the true winners with today's announcements becoming the dark horse selections to beat out The Diving Bell and the Butterfly among others. Completing the fivesome is the depleted Atonement - a film that comes in with less clout than it had with the Golden Globes. Here is the complete list below.....: Best Picture: Best ACTRESSCate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"Julie Christie, "Away From Her" Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose" Laura Linney, "The Savages" Ellen Page, "Juno" Best ACTORGeorge Clooney, "Michael Clayton" Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood" Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd" Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises" Tommy Lee Jones, "In the Valley of Elah" Best Supporting ACTRESSCate Blanchett, "I'm Not There" Ruby Dee,
- 1/22/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Love in the Time of Cholera".SAN FRANCISCO -- "Love in the Time of Cholera", Mike Newell's handsomely appointed but disappointing adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's complicated, sprawling novel retains the essential flavor of the book. Audiences are likely to split into two camps: Fans will mourn what's left out; and those unfamiliar with the book might find the film mannered and slowgoing.
The filmmakers, Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist") and Newell aim for a lush romantic fantasy about enduring love spanning 50 years in late-19th century Colombia. Instead, they create an overheated melodrama with abundant complications and hammy acting.
Taken on its own terms, the film would have been well served if the veteran team behind it had been ruthless in jettisoning material. The film's prestigious literary pedigree, international cast and Oprah's Book Club imprimatur will help make it a solid draw for the Art House crowd.
When teenager Florentino (Unax Ugalde), a clerk with ghostly pallor and a knack for writing ardent love letters, spies Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), it's love at first sight. That passion will remain unrequited until the two are in the final chapter of their lives. Fermina's Father John Leguizamo in a broad performance) disapproves and whisks her away to the countryside. He plans to marry his daughter up. He succeeds when she catches the eye of Juvenal (Benjamin Bratt), a worldly doctor whom Fermina marries after rejecting Florentino's overtures.
Playing a pretentious lout, Leguizamo, chomping on a cigar, utters the film's worst, anachronistic dialogue. Bratt, whose accent is more Pepe Le Pew than cultivated aristocrat, has the second-worst batch of lines in a scene where he promises his sexually inexperienced wife "a lesson in love."
Meanwhile, Florentino (played as an adult by Javier Bardem) rises to the top of his uncle's shipping company. He carries the torch for Fermina over the next half-century and consoles himself with hundreds of sexual conquests, dutifully recorded a la Casanova. Years later, Juvenal dies, and Florentino declares his love to the grieving Fermina on the day of the funeral. The film starts with Juvenal's death, flashes back and then forward again -- shifts adeptly handled by Harwood and editor Mick Audsley.
In a touching section toward the end, Fermina relents, and the pair finally consummate their love. "Cholera" is at its most sage and romantic in its portrayal of mature marriage, older love and sexuality.
Shot on location in vibrant Cartagena, the film's strong suit is aesthetic. Cinematographer Alfonso Beato, designer Wolf Kroeger and costume designer Marit Allen evoke aged exotic locales, rugged rural settings and dimly lit period interiors. A closing, aerial image has a breathtaking, spiritual beauty.
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
New Line
Stone Village Pictures
Credits:
Director: Mike Newell
Screenwriter: Ronald Harwood
Producer: Scott Steindorff
Executive producers: Danny Greenspun, Robin Greenspun, Andrew Molaski, Chris Law, Michael Nozik, Dylan Russell, Scott LaStaiti
Director of photography: Alfonso Beato
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: Antonio Pinto, Shakira
Co-producer: Brantley M. Dunaway
Costume designer: Marit Allen
Editor: Mick Audsley
Cast:
Florentino: Javier Bardem
Teenage Florentino: Unax Ugalde
Fermina: Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Juvenal: Benjamin Bratt
Hildebranda: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Uncle Leo: Hector Elizondo
Lotario: Liev Schreiber: Transito: Fernanda Montenegro
Sara: Laura Harring
Lorenzo: John Leguizamo
Running time -- 139 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The filmmakers, Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist") and Newell aim for a lush romantic fantasy about enduring love spanning 50 years in late-19th century Colombia. Instead, they create an overheated melodrama with abundant complications and hammy acting.
Taken on its own terms, the film would have been well served if the veteran team behind it had been ruthless in jettisoning material. The film's prestigious literary pedigree, international cast and Oprah's Book Club imprimatur will help make it a solid draw for the Art House crowd.
When teenager Florentino (Unax Ugalde), a clerk with ghostly pallor and a knack for writing ardent love letters, spies Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), it's love at first sight. That passion will remain unrequited until the two are in the final chapter of their lives. Fermina's Father John Leguizamo in a broad performance) disapproves and whisks her away to the countryside. He plans to marry his daughter up. He succeeds when she catches the eye of Juvenal (Benjamin Bratt), a worldly doctor whom Fermina marries after rejecting Florentino's overtures.
Playing a pretentious lout, Leguizamo, chomping on a cigar, utters the film's worst, anachronistic dialogue. Bratt, whose accent is more Pepe Le Pew than cultivated aristocrat, has the second-worst batch of lines in a scene where he promises his sexually inexperienced wife "a lesson in love."
Meanwhile, Florentino (played as an adult by Javier Bardem) rises to the top of his uncle's shipping company. He carries the torch for Fermina over the next half-century and consoles himself with hundreds of sexual conquests, dutifully recorded a la Casanova. Years later, Juvenal dies, and Florentino declares his love to the grieving Fermina on the day of the funeral. The film starts with Juvenal's death, flashes back and then forward again -- shifts adeptly handled by Harwood and editor Mick Audsley.
In a touching section toward the end, Fermina relents, and the pair finally consummate their love. "Cholera" is at its most sage and romantic in its portrayal of mature marriage, older love and sexuality.
Shot on location in vibrant Cartagena, the film's strong suit is aesthetic. Cinematographer Alfonso Beato, designer Wolf Kroeger and costume designer Marit Allen evoke aged exotic locales, rugged rural settings and dimly lit period interiors. A closing, aerial image has a breathtaking, spiritual beauty.
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
New Line
Stone Village Pictures
Credits:
Director: Mike Newell
Screenwriter: Ronald Harwood
Producer: Scott Steindorff
Executive producers: Danny Greenspun, Robin Greenspun, Andrew Molaski, Chris Law, Michael Nozik, Dylan Russell, Scott LaStaiti
Director of photography: Alfonso Beato
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: Antonio Pinto, Shakira
Co-producer: Brantley M. Dunaway
Costume designer: Marit Allen
Editor: Mick Audsley
Cast:
Florentino: Javier Bardem
Teenage Florentino: Unax Ugalde
Fermina: Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Juvenal: Benjamin Bratt
Hildebranda: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Uncle Leo: Hector Elizondo
Lotario: Liev Schreiber: Transito: Fernanda Montenegro
Sara: Laura Harring
Lorenzo: John Leguizamo
Running time -- 139 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SAN FRANCISCO -- Love in the Time of Cholera, Mike Newell's handsomely appointed but disappointing adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's complicated, sprawling novel retains the essential flavor of the book. Audiences are likely to split into two camps: Fans will mourn what's left out; and those unfamiliar with the book might find the film mannered and slowgoing.
The filmmakers, Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and Newell aim for a lush romantic fantasy about enduring love spanning 50 years in late-19th century Colombia. Instead, they create an overheated melodrama with abundant complications and hammy acting.
Taken on its own terms, the film would have been well served if the veteran team behind it had been ruthless in jettisoning material. The film's prestigious literary pedigree, international cast and Oprah's Book Club imprimatur will help make it a solid draw for the Art House crowd.
When teenager Florentino (Unax Ugalde), a clerk with ghostly pallor and a knack for writing ardent love letters, spies Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), it's love at first sight. That passion will remain unrequited until the two are in the final chapter of their lives. Fermina's Father John Leguizamo in a broad performance) disapproves and whisks her away to the countryside. He plans to marry his daughter up. He succeeds when she catches the eye of Juvenal (Benjamin Bratt), a worldly doctor whom Fermina marries after rejecting Florentino's overtures.
Playing a pretentious lout, Leguizamo, chomping on a cigar, utters the film's worst, anachronistic dialogue. Bratt, whose accent is more Pepe Le Pew than cultivated aristocrat, has the second-worst batch of lines in a scene where he promises his sexually inexperienced wife "a lesson in love."
Meanwhile, Florentino (played as an adult by Javier Bardem) rises to the top of his uncle's shipping company. He carries the torch for Fermina over the next half-century and consoles himself with hundreds of sexual conquests, dutifully recorded a la Casanova. Years later, Juvenal dies, and Florentino declares his love to the grieving Fermina on the day of the funeral. The film starts with Juvenal's death, flashes back and then forward again -- shifts adeptly handled by Harwood and editor Mick Audsley.
In a touching section toward the end, Fermina relents, and the pair finally consummate their love. Cholera is at its most sage and romantic in its portrayal of mature marriage, older love and sexuality.
Shot on location in vibrant Cartagena, the film's strong suit is aesthetic. Cinematographer Alfonso Beato, designer Wolf Kroeger and costume designer Marit Allen evoke aged exotic locales, rugged rural settings and dimly lit period interiors. A closing, aerial image has a breathtaking, spiritual beauty.
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
New Line
Stone Village Pictures
Credits:
Director: Mike Newell
Screenwriter: Ronald Harwood
Producer: Scott Steindorff
Executive producers: Danny Greenspun, Robin Greenspun, Andrew Molaski, Chris Law, Michael Nozik, Dylan Russell, Scott LaStaiti
Director of photography: Alfonso Beato
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: Antonio Pinto, Shakira
Co-producer: Brantley M. Dunaway
Costume designer: Marit Allen
Editor: Mick Audsley
Cast:
Florentino: Javier Bardem
Teenage Florentino: Unax Ugalde
Fermina: Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Juvenal: Benjamin Bratt
Hildebranda: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Uncle Leo: Hector Elizondo
Lotario: Liev Schreiber: Transito: Fernanda Montenegro
Sara: Laura Harring
Lorenzo: John Leguizamo
Running time -- 139 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The filmmakers, Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and Newell aim for a lush romantic fantasy about enduring love spanning 50 years in late-19th century Colombia. Instead, they create an overheated melodrama with abundant complications and hammy acting.
Taken on its own terms, the film would have been well served if the veteran team behind it had been ruthless in jettisoning material. The film's prestigious literary pedigree, international cast and Oprah's Book Club imprimatur will help make it a solid draw for the Art House crowd.
When teenager Florentino (Unax Ugalde), a clerk with ghostly pallor and a knack for writing ardent love letters, spies Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), it's love at first sight. That passion will remain unrequited until the two are in the final chapter of their lives. Fermina's Father John Leguizamo in a broad performance) disapproves and whisks her away to the countryside. He plans to marry his daughter up. He succeeds when she catches the eye of Juvenal (Benjamin Bratt), a worldly doctor whom Fermina marries after rejecting Florentino's overtures.
Playing a pretentious lout, Leguizamo, chomping on a cigar, utters the film's worst, anachronistic dialogue. Bratt, whose accent is more Pepe Le Pew than cultivated aristocrat, has the second-worst batch of lines in a scene where he promises his sexually inexperienced wife "a lesson in love."
Meanwhile, Florentino (played as an adult by Javier Bardem) rises to the top of his uncle's shipping company. He carries the torch for Fermina over the next half-century and consoles himself with hundreds of sexual conquests, dutifully recorded a la Casanova. Years later, Juvenal dies, and Florentino declares his love to the grieving Fermina on the day of the funeral. The film starts with Juvenal's death, flashes back and then forward again -- shifts adeptly handled by Harwood and editor Mick Audsley.
In a touching section toward the end, Fermina relents, and the pair finally consummate their love. Cholera is at its most sage and romantic in its portrayal of mature marriage, older love and sexuality.
Shot on location in vibrant Cartagena, the film's strong suit is aesthetic. Cinematographer Alfonso Beato, designer Wolf Kroeger and costume designer Marit Allen evoke aged exotic locales, rugged rural settings and dimly lit period interiors. A closing, aerial image has a breathtaking, spiritual beauty.
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
New Line
Stone Village Pictures
Credits:
Director: Mike Newell
Screenwriter: Ronald Harwood
Producer: Scott Steindorff
Executive producers: Danny Greenspun, Robin Greenspun, Andrew Molaski, Chris Law, Michael Nozik, Dylan Russell, Scott LaStaiti
Director of photography: Alfonso Beato
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: Antonio Pinto, Shakira
Co-producer: Brantley M. Dunaway
Costume designer: Marit Allen
Editor: Mick Audsley
Cast:
Florentino: Javier Bardem
Teenage Florentino: Unax Ugalde
Fermina: Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Juvenal: Benjamin Bratt
Hildebranda: Catalina Sandino Moreno
Uncle Leo: Hector Elizondo
Lotario: Liev Schreiber: Transito: Fernanda Montenegro
Sara: Laura Harring
Lorenzo: John Leguizamo
Running time -- 139 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shirts worn by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain are being auctioned off on website eBay.com for charity. The two men's shirts were originally selected by the film's costume designer Marit Allen and director Ang Lee and are a key prop in the closing minutes of the film. The auction ends on February 20 and will benefit Variety - The Children's Charity of Southern California and can be accessed at www.ebay.com/varietyskids. The seller writes, "The 2 (two) shirts are worn early in the film by Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), in the portion of the story set in 1963, and then are seen again as the epic love story nears closure many years later. Everyone who has watched this movie - knows the emotional significance and impact of these shirts in this unforgettable film."...
- 2/13/2006
- WENN
LONDON -- It looked like a dubious enterprise trying to turn a clunky 1960s television puppet show about a family of daredevils and their fantastic vehicles and equipment into a live-action movie.
Thunderbirds was a cult hit in the United Kingdom, but its stilted action and quaintly old-fashioned derring-do didn't help it travel far. Full marks, then, to director Jonathan Frakes and his crew for coming up with a piece of whiz-bang children's entertainment that could appeal to the family market far and wide.
Smartly written by William Osborne and Michael McCullers, Thunderbirds expertly targets kids. Yet parents won't be entirely bored if they have any nostalgia for Saturday matinee serials and early TV adventure shows.
Thunderbirds may be the prettiest movie all year, rendered in high style and brilliant colors. The combined efforts of production designer John Beard, costumer Marit Allen and cinematographer Brendan Galvin give the film instant impact with gorgeous sets and locations.
International Rescue is run by billionaire Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) and his sons, who man a space station in order to monitor events on Earth. That way, they're ready to ride their jet-propelled vehicles and always-applicable machinery to save people and property threatened by anything from earthquake to flood to typhoon.
When the space station goes mysteriously haywire with only one of the sons, John (Lex Shrapnel), on board, the rest of the family naturally rockets to the rescue. Of course, it's a ploy to get the Tracys away from their paradise island headquarters.
A villain known only as the Hood (Ben Kingsley) and his cohorts smoothly take over at HQ so they can use the splendid array of supertoys to rob the world's banks and ruin the Tracys' reputation.
Little does the Hood know, however, that one Tracy has eluded him. That is young Alan Brady Corbett), who with his nerdy pal Fermat (Soren Fulton) and their island buddy Tintin Vanessa Anne Hudgens) know just what to do to save the day. This is the kind of kids' adventure in which the young heroes may be daydreaming dunces in school but have an innate ability to handle ultra-complex vehicles and machine tools when it comes to saving the world.
While the Hood goes about doing his best to keep the Tracy family in outer space as he steals their vehicles to break into the Bank of London, the three kids take on his cohorts in adventures that make full use of the island's vistas.
Also on hand to help the good guys is the glamorous and fearless Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, who even in puppet form set male adolescent pulses racing in the '60s. Here she is mischievously brought to life by the beautiful Sophia Myles. Pretty in pink, Lady Penelope is a fluffy juvenile version of Mrs. Peel from The Avengers, and with her estimable manservant Parker (Ron Cook) makes a formidable ally for the International Rescue team.
The kids are all appealing, and Paxton clearly knows what is required, delivering a flawlessly deadpan performance as papa Tracy. Kingsley, too, spurns the temptation to chew the scenery and uses the lightest of touches for his villainy. Former "ER" star Anthony Edwards makes an appearance, having fun in a goofy kind of way as Brains, the Tracys' boffin.
THUNDERBIRDS
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures and StudioCanal present a Working Title production
Credits:
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Screenwriters: William Osborne, Michael McCullers
Story: Peter Hewitt, William Osborne
Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Mark Huffam
Executive producers: Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin
Director of photography: Brendan Galvin
Production designer: John Beard
Editor: Martin Walsh
Costume designer: Marit Allen
Composer: Hans Zimmer. Cast: Jeff Tracy: Bill Paxton
Brains: Anthony Edwards
Lady Penelope: Sophia Myles
Parker: Ron Cook
The Hood: Ben Kingsley
Alan Tracy: Brady Corbet
Fermat: Soren Fulton
Tintin: Vanessa Anne Hudgens
John Tracy: Lex Shrapnel
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 87 minutes...
Thunderbirds was a cult hit in the United Kingdom, but its stilted action and quaintly old-fashioned derring-do didn't help it travel far. Full marks, then, to director Jonathan Frakes and his crew for coming up with a piece of whiz-bang children's entertainment that could appeal to the family market far and wide.
Smartly written by William Osborne and Michael McCullers, Thunderbirds expertly targets kids. Yet parents won't be entirely bored if they have any nostalgia for Saturday matinee serials and early TV adventure shows.
Thunderbirds may be the prettiest movie all year, rendered in high style and brilliant colors. The combined efforts of production designer John Beard, costumer Marit Allen and cinematographer Brendan Galvin give the film instant impact with gorgeous sets and locations.
International Rescue is run by billionaire Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) and his sons, who man a space station in order to monitor events on Earth. That way, they're ready to ride their jet-propelled vehicles and always-applicable machinery to save people and property threatened by anything from earthquake to flood to typhoon.
When the space station goes mysteriously haywire with only one of the sons, John (Lex Shrapnel), on board, the rest of the family naturally rockets to the rescue. Of course, it's a ploy to get the Tracys away from their paradise island headquarters.
A villain known only as the Hood (Ben Kingsley) and his cohorts smoothly take over at HQ so they can use the splendid array of supertoys to rob the world's banks and ruin the Tracys' reputation.
Little does the Hood know, however, that one Tracy has eluded him. That is young Alan Brady Corbett), who with his nerdy pal Fermat (Soren Fulton) and their island buddy Tintin Vanessa Anne Hudgens) know just what to do to save the day. This is the kind of kids' adventure in which the young heroes may be daydreaming dunces in school but have an innate ability to handle ultra-complex vehicles and machine tools when it comes to saving the world.
While the Hood goes about doing his best to keep the Tracy family in outer space as he steals their vehicles to break into the Bank of London, the three kids take on his cohorts in adventures that make full use of the island's vistas.
Also on hand to help the good guys is the glamorous and fearless Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, who even in puppet form set male adolescent pulses racing in the '60s. Here she is mischievously brought to life by the beautiful Sophia Myles. Pretty in pink, Lady Penelope is a fluffy juvenile version of Mrs. Peel from The Avengers, and with her estimable manservant Parker (Ron Cook) makes a formidable ally for the International Rescue team.
The kids are all appealing, and Paxton clearly knows what is required, delivering a flawlessly deadpan performance as papa Tracy. Kingsley, too, spurns the temptation to chew the scenery and uses the lightest of touches for his villainy. Former "ER" star Anthony Edwards makes an appearance, having fun in a goofy kind of way as Brains, the Tracys' boffin.
THUNDERBIRDS
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures and StudioCanal present a Working Title production
Credits:
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Screenwriters: William Osborne, Michael McCullers
Story: Peter Hewitt, William Osborne
Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Mark Huffam
Executive producers: Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin
Director of photography: Brendan Galvin
Production designer: John Beard
Editor: Martin Walsh
Costume designer: Marit Allen
Composer: Hans Zimmer. Cast: Jeff Tracy: Bill Paxton
Brains: Anthony Edwards
Lady Penelope: Sophia Myles
Parker: Ron Cook
The Hood: Ben Kingsley
Alan Tracy: Brady Corbet
Fermat: Soren Fulton
Tintin: Vanessa Anne Hudgens
John Tracy: Lex Shrapnel
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 87 minutes...
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