annette bening

Notebook Reviews: MARS ATTACKS!

Tim Burton – 1996 Mars Attacks! is a fantastic Tim Burton directed effort, which is hugely underrated. It doesn’t get enough appreciation. The cast on display here is out of this world – Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah [...]

April 19, 2021

Remembering Stephen Frears’ THE GRIFTERS

Director Stephen Frears’ The Grifters is an exceptional noir, based on Jim Thompson’s hard-boiled 1963 novel. John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening star in this stylish thriller which hits all the right notes (they might even give [...]

March 3, 2021

Notebook Reviews: AMERICAN BEAUTY

Sam Mendes – 1999 Sam Mendes’ American Beauty is a film which improves with each viewing. The satire has a great Academy Award winning performance from Kevin Spacey at the centre of it (edit: are we allowed to still say that?). The [...]

January 21, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Arie Posin’s THE FACE OF LOVE

The Face of Love is a great little film that slipped under the radar when it was released in 2013, despite its impressive cast (Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams in one of his final performances) and compelling storyline. Bening plays [...]

December 17, 2020

Hercule Poirot Is Back In The First Trailer For Kenneth Branagh’s DEATH ON THE NILE

Movies In Focus had a good time with Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 thriller Murder On The Orient Express. The all-star Agatha Christie adaptation grossed an impressive $352 million on a $55 million budget and a sequel was quickly given the green [...]

August 20, 2020

The 2020 Golden Globes Full Nominations List

It’s easy to become cynical when you write about movies. You get to see the good, the bad and the ugly and sometimes that makes you jaded. However, there’s nothing like watching quality movies succeed and when you see the list of [...]

December 9, 2019

Blu-ray & DVD Review Round-Up: The GRIFTERS, THE OLD DARK HOUSE, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI & More

This time around: Frances McDormand puts up Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, James Whale makes a visit to The Old Dark House, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law play eXistenZ, John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening are The Grifters [...]

May 29, 2018

Liverpool Celebrates FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL

Lionsgate Home Entertainment is holding a special event on Wednesday 21 March to celebrate Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool hitting home entertainment formats. Peter Turner, the man who inspired the film will be on-hand at Liverpool [...]

March 19, 2018

Movies In Focus At The 2018 BAFTA Film Awards And The Full Winners List

On 18 February 2018, the cream of the film industry once again descended on the Royal Albert Hall for the 2018 EE British Academy Film Awards (that’s the Baftas to you and me). Movies In Focus was on the red carpet to cover the event – [...]

February 19, 2018

Go Mel! Full List Of Golden Globe Nominations

The nominations for the 74th Golden Globe Awards have been announced – and Mel Gibson‘s Hacksaw Ridge has a strong showing (seven nods, same as La La Land). That’s what I call a comeback. Go Mel! A whole host of Movies In Focus [...]

December 12, 2016

Dip The Wick With The Latest Clip From Warren Beatty’s RULES DON’T APPLY

Warren Beatty’s classy looking Rules Don’t Apply hits US screens this weekend. It doesn’t arrive in the UK until january 2017 – but this clip is a little something to keep us going. An aspiring young actress (Lily Collins) [...]

November 23, 2016

RULES DON’T APPLY When You Work With Warren Beatty

Have you ever wondered what it’s like working with Warren Beatty? Then check out this new Rules Don’t Apply featurette. Early word on this is good – and it’s still a highly anticipated release for Movies In Focus. Rules [...]

November 2, 2016

Marvel Fanboys Need to Watch This Trailer For Warren Beatty’s RULES DON’T APPLY

Forget your comic book movies – the next movie to watch is Warren Beatty‘s Rules Don’t Apply. Beatty is a master filmmaker and movie star – this Howard Hughes ‘dramedy’ looks like it will deliver the goods in a [...]

September 29, 2016

Warren Beatty Is Back In The Trailer For His Long Awaited Howard Hughes Pic RULES DON’T APPLY

Leave it to Warren Beatty to deliver a cracking trailer for his long gestating Howard Hughes movie, Rules Don’t Apply. Beatty’s Hughes isn’t the central focus here, instead it’s Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich’s young lovers who are [...]

July 16, 2016

RULES DON’T APPLY To Warren Beatty’s New Howard Hughes Movie

Rules Don’t Apply – that’s the name of Warren Beatty’s long awaited Howard Hughes movie (and Movies In Focus’ must-see movie of 2016). Beatty has unveiled the movie’s title, along with new images and it’s official release date (11 [...]

May 19, 2016

Warren Beatty’s HOWARD HUGHES Reveal; Detailed Plot Description

Jeffery Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere has revealed that Warren Beatty’s untitled Howard Hughes movie will be research screened in LA at the Pasadena Arclight on Monday 18th April. That means we’ll be getting some reactions to the long gestating [...]

April 17, 2016

No Cannes Launch For Warren Beatty’s HOWARD HUGHES Movie; Distributor Found

Roger Friedman at Showbiz 411 seems to have his finger firmly on the pulse of Warren Beatty’s (as yet untitled) Howard Hughes movie. Friedman states that Beatty himself got in touch to scupper the recent rumours that his film would debut at the [...]

April 3, 2016

There’s A New Image Of Lily Collins And Annette Bening – But Where’s Warren Beatty’s HOWARD HUGHES?

Warren Beatty wrapped shooting his mysterious (and still untitled) Howard Hughes movie over a year ago and since then he’s been honing the film in the editing room. Beatty is a notorious perfectionist and he’s likely working and reworking the [...]

August 22, 2015

DVD Review: THE FACE OF LOVE With Annette Bening, Ed Harris And Robin Williams Is A Curious Romance

The Face of Love is a great little film that has slipped under the radar, despite its impressive cast (Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams in one of his final performances) and compelling storyline. Movies In Focus loves to champion little [...]

February 2, 2015

Great News: Warren Beatty’s HOWARD HUGHES Movie Starts Production

I’ve been writing about movies for a long time and I have seen a lot of long gestating passion projects come and go. However, one of the most interesting films never to be made has always been Warren Beatty’s film about Howard Hughes. Beatty has [...]

March 2, 2014