Hollywood Stars Light Up The BFI Film Festival

22nd October 2011

Some of the big hitters from the world of movies are currently causing a stir at the annual British Film Institute (BFI) Film Festival in London and showcasing critically-acclaimed new films like We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Ides of March.

The 55^th annual BFI Film Festival has already seen the likes of Woody Harrelson, Jade Law, Seth Rogen, Ralph Fiennes and Joseph Gordon-Levitt hit the red carpet to attend a series of special screenings and meet and greet fans of all ages.

It was Law who had the honour of getting the two-week movie extravaganza under way when he premiered his new film 360 in the heart of central London. The romantic drama features 10 love stories that are all linked together in one way or another. It’s not exactly an original concept, which probably explains why it has received a lukewarm reception from the critics.

The same cannot be said, though, for 50/50, which stars Rogen and Gordon-Levitt in a brilliantly poignant film that many people appear to be labeling a rip-roaring ‘cancer comedy’. It tells the story of one guy’s battle against a rare form of cancer and is as inspirational as it is fantastically funny. The critics seem be tipping 50/50 for big, big things, with rumours rife that it could well be in the reckoning for success at the Golden Globes and Oscars. Whether that proves to be the case remains to be seen at this early stage, but there’s no doubting that 50/50 is a cracking watch.

John C Reilly stars in not one, but two films enjoying plenty of coverage at the BFI Film Festival. And the two roles couldn’t be any different. He joins Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin, which focuses on a fractious relationship between a son and his parents. The Step Brothers star turns in an equally impressive performance in Roman Polanski’s Carnage, a comedy about two sets of conflicting parents that also features Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz of Inglourious Basterds fame.

George Clooney can always be relied upon to bring a touch of class and sophistication to proceedings and he doesn’t disappoint in The Ides of March, a political thriller he directed and features in. Unsurprisingly, the anticipation surrounding the screenings of The Ides of March and We Need to Talk About Kevin is high, especially as the latter is being hailed as the one to watch when the BFI London Film Festival Awards on October 26.

Lynne Ramsay’s adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s novel is one of nine movies shortlisted for the best movie award. The other nominees include360, The Artist and Shame from British director Steve McQueen.

The Fly director David Cronenberg and Harry Potter actor Ralph Fiennes will also be in attendance at the star-studded bash to collect the BFI Fellowship, which celebrates and recognizes outstanding service to the film industry.

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