I'm putting Paddy Considine's feature film debut at the top of next year's list of film's from actor-turned-directors. Tyrannosaur, which I imagine will begin lensing sometime this year, is a continuation and expansion of the characters found in his 2008 BAFTA-winning short Dog Altogether. The short film told the story of Joseph (Peter Mullan), a man who is plagued by a violence and rage that is driving him to self destruction.
Always a good sign when your sophomore project gets picked up at the midway point of production, as is the case for Ol Parker's London-shot Now Is Good. Bought by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, this could possibly follow other pick-ups to be packaged as a Sony Pictures Classics project later down the line. The tear-jerker drama is comprised of Dakota Fanning in the lead, with supporting perfs from Jeremy Irvine, Paddy Considine, Olivia Williams and Kaya Scodelario, who we look forward in seeing in Andrea Arnold's upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
They collected a handful from Cannes, including the Camera D'or winning film (Leap Year) and the Palme d'or winning film (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) and now they've picked up one of the better offerings from Sundance in Paddy Considine’s feature directing debut. Tyrannosaur looks destined for a release within the next six months and should be a title that brings in some acting accolades.
What holds the film together beyond any of the loose character development is the acting. When you walk into a film written and directed by Paddy Considine, even if you don’t know the cast, you expect dynamic performances and these actors are all as good as they come. Mullan brings the intensity of previous film roles dating back to his work with Ken Loach and more recently, with the Red Riding trilogy. Here he adds another layer of tenderness.
Oddly aggressive therapy tactics are the antagonist forces in a coming-of-ager drama that looks at a particular mental health disorder that is steeped in...