The Imitation Game
The BFI London Film Festival is almost upon us once again, and another great line-up of movies has been brought together for us to enjoy.
Some big named British and Hollywood stars are set to grace the red carpet, while we will be introduced to actors and filmmakers from around the world.
Public booking for London Film Festival tickets opens today, and we take a look at some of the highlights of the festival.
- The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game is set to kick off the festival in fine style as Benedict Cumberbatch teams up with Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, and Charles Dance; there really is plenty of homegrown talent to get the festival off with a bang.
The Imitation Game is a movie that is already surrounded in excitement, having won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival at over the weekend.
Cumberbatch will take on the central role of Alan Turing, one of the world’s greatest innovators and pioneer of modern-day computing, who is credited with cracking the German Enigma code.
The Imitation Game is a movie that is already surrounded in Oscar hype, while Cumberbatch's central performance has been winning over the critics. This is a movie that I have been looking forward to for a while, and is an absolute must-see at the festival this year.
- Foxcatcher
Another movie that I cannot wait to see comes in the form of Foxcatcher, which marks the return of Bennett Miller to the director's chair.
Miller has brought us movies such as Capote and Moneyball, but Foxcatcher is promising to be his best movie yet. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews, and is already being tipped as a potential Oscar contender.
Based on a true story, the movie follows the tragic relationship between an eccentric millionaire and two wrestling champions, Mark and David Schultz.
Steve Carell will star as John du Pont, while Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo will play Mark and David Schultz. Carell's performance in particular is already winning over the critics.
The movie will receive its UK premiere when it is screen on Thursday 16th October at Odeon Leicester Square.
- '71
Starred was a movie that really put Jack O'Connell on the map this year, and it was a film was screened at the festival in 2013. Now he is back with his brand new film '71.
'71 sees O'Connell team up with director Yann Demange for the first time as he plays a British soldier who is accidentally left behind following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971.
The movie is part of the First Feature Competition as Demange is making is directorial debut with this project. There some great films in the First Feature category this year, but '71 really is the one that I am looking forward to the most.
O'Connell is one of the young acting stars who is really on the rise; with '71 and Unbroken; he is set to finish 2014 with a big bang.
Sam Reid, Sean Harris, and Paul Anderson are also on board another great homegrown movie.
- A Little Chaos
Alan Rickman made his directorial debut back in 1998 with The Winter Guest, now he is back with his second film A Little Chaos.
A Little Chaos will receive its European Premiere in London, as it plays as part of the Love section of the festival.
As well as being in the director's chair, Rickman is also on the cast list alongside Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Ehle, and Helen McCrory.
The movie follows a female landscape gardener who is given the task of constructing the grand gardens at Versaillers for King Louis XIV.
It is always exciting to see an actor in the director's chair and it has been some time since we have seen Rickman at the helm.
- Mommy
Mommy is playing as part of the Dare section in the festival and sees Xavier Dolan back in the director's chair for the first time since Tom at the Farm.
Dolan has also penned the screenplay for Mommy, which jointly
won the Jury Prize in Cannes earlier this year.
Mommy follows a widowed single mother who is raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbour inserts herself into their household.
Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément star in what is set to be one of the highlights of the Dare series of movies.
- Rosewater
The Debate section of the festival is designed to show off movies that have something to say and tackle some of today's stormiest and most pressing issue.
Rosewater is one of the movies to watch out for as we see Jon Stewart making his directorial debut with the project.
Gael García Bernal takes on the central role of journalist Maziar Bahari, who is detained in Iran for more than 100 days and brutally interrogated in prison.
Rosewater looks set to be one of those movies that will get everyone talking and I can't wait to see how Stewart tackles this as a first time filmmaker.
- Whiplash
Whiplash is a movie that I have been talking about all year after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews.
Sadly, UK audiences are going to have to wait until January to see the film, but I am pleased to say that it is playing at the London Film Festival.
Miles Teller is another actor who is well and truly on the rise, and he will take on the central role of Andrew Neyman, who is struggling to make it as a jazz drummer. Things are made even worse when he is faced with a bullying bandmaster.
J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, and Paul Reiser are some of the other names on board, while Damien Chazelle is in the director's chair and has penned the screenplay.
- Fury
Fury is the movie that has the honour of closed the 2014 BFI London Film Festival, as Brad Pitt returns to a lead role and David Ayer to the director's chair.
Fury marks the first time that Pitt and Ayer have worked together as they explore the Second World War with this new film.
Pitt takes on the role of Wardaddy, a battle-hardened army
sergeant who commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines.
Ayer has brought together an all-star cast as Pitt is joined by Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena, and Jon Bernthal in what promises to be one of the best war dramas that we have seen for some time.
The BFI London Film Festival runs from 8th - 19th October.
Tagged in London Film Festival