Brain candy – ‘Lucy’ Review

By Simon Miraudo August 1, 2014 God is a woman. Well, she is now anyway. In Luc Besson‘s Lucy, Scarlett Johansson goes from doe-eyed mafia pawn to all-powerful superbeing, and all it took was accidentally absorbing the intellect-enhancing drug placed beside her abdomen by a Korean cartel. The rest of us, meanwhile, have to choke […]

Continue reading →

The Costner of living – 3 Days to Kill review

By Richard Haridy June 24, 2014 3 Days to Kill is an extraordinarily compelling film; unfortunately, in all the wrong ways. Several times over its strung-out two hours I stared at the screen, mouth agape, wondering what the hell I was watching. Directed by McG and co-written by Luc Besson, this is alternately a bombastic […]

Continue reading →

Here’s Scarlett Johansson as another superhero in ‘Lucy’

Entertainment Weekly offers up the first official picture of Scarlett Johansson in Luc Besson’s Lucy. In the flick, Johansson plays the title character, a drug mule who accidentally absorbs her cargo and develops superhero-esque powers. Hopefully those powers are slightly more impressive than those belonging to Johansson’s Marvel hero, Black Widow, which largely comprises of owning two […]

Continue reading →

Liam Neeson looking at $20 million payday for Taken 3

Here’s one reason to star in another sequel to your played-out franchise. Well, twenty million reasons, actually… Liam Neeson is looking at a $20 million payday for Taken 3, Deadline reports. Producer Luc Besson and 20th Century Fox are eager to produce a new instalment to this surprise blockbuster series (the first two have collected […]

Continue reading →

Scarlett Johansson to play Luc Besson’s Lucy

Scarlett Johansson is in final negotiations to star in the latest thriller off the Luc Besson production line, titled Lucy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film concerns a female drug mule who is transformed into an “ass-kicking machine” after she accidentally ingests her cargo. The drug gives Lucy the ability to “absorb knowledge instantaneously” and […]

Continue reading →

Interview: Maïwenn (Polisse)

Interview: Maïwenn (Polisse). By Simon Miraudo. Mononymous French filmmaker Maïwenn is one of Europe’s most promising directors thanks to her recent effort Polisse; a sprawling, ensemble drama about the men and women of France’s Child Protection Unit, and the endless stream of depressing cases they face each day. She’s perhaps best known for her work in front of the camera; as baby-blue […]

Continue reading →

Trailer Debut: Taken 2

The trailer for Liam Neeson‘s surprise smash-hit Taken – aptly titled Taken 2 – has arrived online. But this time, it’s not just his daughter in trouble; his wife is taken too (taken too; geddit?). You really don’t need to know all that much more, except to say Famke Jansson and Maggie Grace are back as Neeson’s wife and daughter respectively. […]

Continue reading →

Interview: Maïwenn (Polisse)

Interview: Maïwenn (Polisse). By Simon Miraudo. Mononymous French filmmaker Maïwenn is one of Europe’s most promising directors thanks to her recent effort Polisse; a sprawling, ensemble drama about the men and women of France’s Child Protection Unit, and the endless stream of depressing cases they face each day. She’s perhaps best known for her work […]

Continue reading →

Melbourne International Film Festival reveals Next Gen titles

The Melbourne International Film Festival recently announced their Next Gen program for 2012, and it looks great. The Next Gen portion of MIFF’s program is designed to appeal to burgeoning cinephiles and school groups from upper primary to upper secondary levels, with many films having accompanying study guides for teachers to work with. Newly appointed […]

Continue reading →

Woman of peace – The Lady review

The Lady – Starring Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis. Directed by Luc Besson. Rated MA. By Simon Miraudo. Luc Besson’s first collaboration with Michelle Yeoh isn’t a no-nonsense martial-arts spectacular, despite The Lady being a quietly chilling title for such a feature. It wouldn’t even be the least descriptive appellation from his oeuvre, what with the […]

Continue reading →