This week brings the closing chapters of one of the rarest things in cinema — a consistently strong trilogy — in the shape of the latest installment of one of the most beloved series in recent memory. Not “The Hangover,” but “Before Midnight,” the closing (?) chapter to Richard Linklater‘s tale of romance. While it’s bittersweet, we’re also hopeful that one other perfect trilogy will be coming along before summer’s out, in the shape of Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg‘s Cornetto trilogy, begun with “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” A new trailer for the third installment “The World’s End” is coming tomorrow, but just arriving before that is a new British quad poster, which highlights some of the supporting cast, including Rosamund Pike, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan. Check it out above.
In other poster news, there’s a new one for Woody Allen‘s fourty-ninth movie, “Blue Jasmine.” Whether Allen’s quality matches his quantity these days is an open question, but after a string of movies set in different European cities, most notably and successfully “Midnight in Paris,” Allen has returned to America to film “Blue Jasmine” in San Francisco and his old stomping grounds of New York, bringing along an impressive cast (the 77-year old Allen himself is not appearing, suggesting that his appearance in last year’s “To Rome With Love” might be his last). True to form, not much has been released about the plot, but we do know Cate Blanchett stars and is backed up by an excellent supporting cast, including Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay (really?). Our interest is particularly piqued by Allen and Louis C.K. crossing professional paths.
Over the page, we’ve also got one-sheets for “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints“
Next is the bold 70s-inflected poster for Justin Chadwick‘s upcoming Nelson Mandela biopic, “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,” with Idris Elba in the title role and Naomie Harris as wife Winnie Mandela. Last time we saw Mandela onscreen, he was played by Morgan Freeman in Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus,” which focused on the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In contrast, ‘Mandela’ will be a full biopic, following the anti-apartheid hero from his childhood through his activism and imprisonment and up to his election as President of South Africa. It’s an intimidating role, but Elba seems like a good fit for it. With a largely South African supporting cast, the film should be well-rooted. Expect Oscars, or at least heavy awards campaigning, if the glimpse we got at Cannes is anything to go by. [Yahoo]
Lastly, and most interestingly, a beautifully painted poster for “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”, following the gorgeous footage recently released. Excitement, generated at Sundance and now at Cannes too, continues to build for the film, David Lowery‘s directorial debut. Comparisons with Malick abound, perhaps because of star Rooney Mara‘s upcoming appearance in a Malick movie. There’s also a smoky outlaw hint of Casey Affleck‘s masterful turn in “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford”. With the earthy, tactile poster art, “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” continues to shape up to be one of the year’s most interesting titles. Check out our Sundance review here. [The Film Stage]
