Projects in genres: Literary Adaptation

Synopsis

From Fernando Meirelles, the Academy Award-nominated director of City of God, comes a gripping new film that sweeps audiences along one man’s emotional and global journey to uncover the truth behind a personal loss and a worldwide conspiracy. In a remote area of Northern Kenya, the region’s most dedicated activist, the brilliant and passionate Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz), has been found brutally murdered. Tessa’s travelling companion, a local doctor, appears to have fled the scene, and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Sandy Woodrow (Danny Huston), Sir Bernard Pellegrin (Bill Nighy), and the other members of the British High Commission assume that Tessa’s widower, their mild-mannered and unambitious colleague Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), will leave the matter to their discretion, but against their advice, Justin takes matters into his own hands to find his wife’s killers and avenge her untimely death. Two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz head the cast of the romantic thriller The Constant Gardener, adapted by Jeffrey Caine from the novel of the same name by John le Carré and filmed on location in Berlin, London, and Nairobi and numerous other parts of Kenya.

Synopsis

A story of vengeance and betrayal, of two enemies who try to exact horrific punishments from each other, but most of all, a story of two communities who simply do not understand one another.

Synopsis

In the great tradition of child fantasy stories such as The Wizard of Oz  and Alice in Wonderland , Terry Gilliam takes us on a wild adventure with his adaptation of Mitch Cullin's cult classic novel.   Welcome to the world of Jeliza-Rose, the young heroine and narrator of Tideland.   What has brought Jeliza-Rose from Los Angeles to a rural Texan farmhouse? And why is her former rockabilly guitarist father not talking to her anymore? And who is making all that noise in the attic?   Jeliza-Rose drifts from the harsh reality of her childhood and escapes into the fantasies of her own active imagination. This is a fantasy world to rival all others; here fireflies have names, bog-men awaken at dusk, monster sharks swim down railroad tracks, and disembodied Barbie heads share in her adventures.   Tideland  is as optimistic as it is surreal, as humourous as it is suspenseful - a celebration of the power of a child's imagination.

Synopsis

Flipping back and forth between the 18th century and the hapless efforts of the 21st century filmakers, Tristram Shandy is the making of a movie adapted from the notoriously unfilmable English literature masterpiece, The Life and Opinons of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, written by Laurence Sterne.   The story begins with Tristram Shandy (Steve Coogan) narrating his life story as he sees it. Crammed with literary jokes and dark humour, Shandy's warped childhood tales are constantly interrupted by his family and household, inadvertently revealing far more about himself than any conventional autobiography.   At the dramatic moment of Tristram's birth, the 1st Assistant Director calls cut, marking the end of a filming day on the set of Tristram Shandy. We then see Steve Coogan, the other actors and crew through the course of a chaotic evening on set. Steve Coogan's wife arrives with their six month old baby, a journalist is chasing him about a scandalous story, his agent has arrived with a load of Hollywood scripts and the film financiers are threatening to pull the plug.   A clever, post-modern take on the construction of a film, from an intricate, hilariously complex autobiographical novel.

Synopsis

Shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, Viola finds herself in the midst of a fairytale. Shot entirely on location in the Greek islands, this jazz-age take on Shakespeare is a laugh-out-loud portrayal of romance at its most chaotic. It follows Viola’s strange and often hilarious encounters with the inhabitants of Illyria, and her struggle to survive in an unknown and bewildering country. An unrepentant dreamer, she finds happiness by retreating into her imagination – only to discover that, in Illyria, fantasy can turn into reality overnight. But if everyone’s dreams can change the world, then you’d better hope that no-one starts dreaming about you – especially not Illyria’s love-struck Countess, who’s hell-bent on getting her happy ending - A tribute to imagination, friendship, and imaginary friends, Twelfth Night’s laughter is tempered with a touch of melancholy, and another of wonder. ‘Just for once, you should believe the hype’ (BBC Radio). Dream on.

Synopsis

Based on the Oscar Wilde play entitled Lady Windermere's Fan, A Good Woman is a scandalous but comic drama set in New York and the Amalfi coast during the 1930s. Mrs Erlynne is an audacious and well known woman of a certain age with a reputation for entertaining wealthy, married men. Leaving her problems and unpaid bills in New York, she sets sail for the Amalfi Coast to pursue Meg and Robert Windermere, one of the most high profile couples in 1930s New York society. Once in Europe, she becomes embroiled in a family scandal which becomes an intriguing story of betrayal, and, ultimately, surprising loyalty.

Synopsis

In the late 1950s, when her husband Max (Hugh Bonneville) takes up his post as deputy director of a remote psychiatric hospital, Stella Raphael (Natasha Richardson) and her young son, Charlie (Augustus Jeremiah Lewis) are brought to live on the grounds of the asylum.  Stella is soon drawn to charismatic inmate Edgar Stark (Marton Csokas). Undeterred by the warnings from her husband's colleague, Dr Cleave (Ian McKellen), Stella is prepared to risk everything to be with Edgar. Their passionate affair escalates as obsession begins to threaten Stella's love, her sanity and her very life.

Synopsis

Julia Lambert is a celebrated and glamorous actress, famous throughout England and happily married for years to her agent, Michael. But underneath the artifice, she is tortured by her fading looks, her philandering husband and her estranged son. When she meets Tom, a young American fan, she is swept off her feet, and embarks on a secret and passionate affair which threatens to create a social scandal that could destroy her career and marriage; until she discovers he has had an ulterior motive all along. There is no way that Julia Lambert is going to be taken for a fool, and she plans her revenge, the ultimate act of a woman scorned.

Synopsis

When a wedding comes to a small town in the Indian countryside, it's a good opportunity for Mrs Bakshi to find eligible mates for her four daughters, but the smart and headstrong Lalita is determined to marry for love. Sparks fly when she meets the handsome American Will Darcy, but is it love or hate?   Gurinder Chadha directs this Bollywood-style re-telling of Jane Austen's classic tale of marriage and manners, transplanted to modern-day India, England and America, and complete with lavish musical spectacle.

Synopsis

In Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, we find Bridget (Renee Zellweger) where we left her - in the arms of gorgeous human rights lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). But what happens after the happy ending?

Synopsis

Set against a primitive and unforgiving landscape, Cold Mountain tells the story of Inman (Jude Law), a wounded Confederate soldier who is on a perilious journey home to his mountain community, hoping to reunite with his pre-war sweetheart Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman). In his absence, Ada struggles to survive and revive her father's farm with the help of an intrepid young drifter Ruby Thewes (Renee Zellweger).   Directed by Anthony Minghella from a screenplay he wrote based on Charles Frazier's National Book Award winning Civil War novel of the same name, Cold Mountain stars Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Ray Winstone, Donald Sutherland, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giovanni Ribisi, Natalie Portman, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, Eileen Atkins, Charlie Hunman, Jack White, Jena Malone, Lucas Black, Ethan Suplee.

Synopsis

On a beautiful cloudless day a young couple celebrate their reunion with a picnic. Joe Rose and his girlfriend Claire are about to open a bottle of champagne when a cry interrupts them. A hot-air balloon with a child in the basket and an adult being dragged behind it has been ripped from its moorings. Joe immediately joins in with an effort to bring the balloon to safety, but in the ensuing rescue attempt a man is killed.   Witness to this tragic accident is bystander, Jed Parry. Joe and Jed exchange a passing glance - a glance which carries devastating consequences and which indelibly burns an obsession into Jed's soul. Delusional and dangerous, Jed's fixation gradually uproots Joe's life; testing the lmits of his beloved rationalism, threatening the love of Claire and driving him to the brink of murder and madness.   Based on Ian McEwan's best-selling novel of the same name, Enduring Love is a story of love, faith and suspense, and how life can change in an instant.