Up In The Air
The London Film Festival got underway last night and it was great to see so many big names, mainly George Clooney, gracing the red carpet in Leicester Square.
This year there are over 300 films from almost 50 countries boasting 15 world premieres and 146 UK premieres.
So here at FemaleFirst we take a look at some of the movies that you should be keeping your eye on while the London Film Festival is in town.
And George Clooney may have been on the red carpet last night but the Oscar winning actor is in for a busy few days as two more of his movies are showing during the event, both of which have caused a stir so far on the festival circuit.
Up In The Air is already surrounded in Oscar whispers no wonder as it is directed by Jason Reitman, the man who brought us Juno in 2007.
Based on Walter Kirn's novel the film follows Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveller woman of his dreams.
The Men Who Stare At Goats is also on show in London and sees Clooney lead an all star cast of Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
On the festival circuit in recent weeks there are two British movies that have been causing quite a stir and An Education, which stars Carey Mulligan and Peter Saarsgard, is the first under the FemaleFirst spotlight.
The 1960s were a time of change. So is life when you are 16. That combination propels An Education, set in London in 1961, and makes it an unforgettable coming-of-age story.
Attractive, bright, 16-year-old Jenny is stifled by the tedium of adolescent routine; she can’t wait for adult life to begin.
One rainy day her suburban existence is upended by the arrival of a much older suitor, David. Urbane and witty, David instantly charms Jenny and introduces her to a glittering new world of classical concerts, art auctions, smoky bars, and late-night suppers with his attractive friends.
He replaces Jenny’s traditional education with his own more-dangerous version. Just as the family’s long-held dream of getting their brilliant daughter into Oxford has seemed within reach, Jenny is tempted by another kind of life. Will David be the making of Jenny, or her undoing?
The other British movie that is well worth trying to catch is Bright Star with Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw.
The movie is based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats' untimely death at age 25.
The White Ribbon was the toast of the Cannes Film Festival back in May and Michael Haneke's latest picture looks set to cause quite a stir here in London.
Strange events happen at a rural school in the north of Germany during the year 1913, which seem to be ritual punishment. Does this affect the school system, and how does the school have an influence on fascism?
Other movies that are well worth catching is Nowhere Boy, which is closing the festival on 29th, which looks at John Lennon's childhood.
Also being screened include possible Oscar contenders in the form of The Informant, starring Matt Damon, and The Road with Viggo Mortensen.
The London Film Festival runs from the 14th - 29th October.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in BFI