Saturday 31 January 2015

Free Meet the Author - Jennifer Klinec - event at Elland Library, 12 February 2015

Thanks to Louise Marr of Calderdale Libraries for the following event information:


February event


 

Meet the Author- Jennifer Klinec
Thursday 12th February 2015
7pm Elland Library, Coronation Street, Elland HX5 0DF

Come and meet author Jennifer Klinec and hear about her book 'The Temporary Bride', a memoir of love and food in Iran. Moving, fascinating and full of the sights, smells and tastes of Iran, this is a heart-warming tale of love against the odds. With chai for you to try!

FREE- call Elland Library on (01422) 374472 or email elland.library@calderdale.gov.uk to reserve your place.

The author's website can be found here:
http://www.jenniferklinec.com/
Copyright © 2015 Calderdale MBC, All rights reserved.
       

Our mailing address is:
Calderdale MBC
Halifax Central Library
Northgate House
Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 1UN
United Kingdom

       

Friday 30 January 2015

Cleckheaton Literature Festival

I am pleased to announce to my followers that the Cleckheaton Writers Group is in the process of organising a Cleckheaton Literature Festival for this year (as publicised in the Spenborough Guardian newspaper today).  We plan to hold the event over the weekend of 8-10 May at the Cleckheaton Library, West End Park and possibly one other venue.

We currently have four writers confirmed as attending, one being local poet and novelist John Irving Clarke, and expect more to be announced soon.  The Literature Festival will be a mix of workshops, seminars, author talks and readings for both children, young adults and adults taking in literature from many genres for adults, YA and children, including screenwriting, poetry, short-story and travel writing.  With a mixture of well-known and first time writers both locally and internationally, we hope that the Cleckheaton Literature Festival will bring creative opportunities for learning and engagement with the arts.

At the moment we are seeking funding, more writers and volunteers for the Festival, but it is very exciting and a steep learning curve for the Cleckheaton Writers Group.

I will post further details as the events get confirmed, so watch this space.

Thursday 29 January 2015

Developing Your Novel workshop 28 March, Birmingham and One Story competition, deadline 31 May

Thanks to my fellow blogger Sally Jenkins for the following workshop and competition information:


·         Romantic comedy novelist, Alison May, is running a Developing Your Novel workshop in Birmingham city centre on 28th March. I've been on a similar event tutored by Alison and it was very helpful. It costs £44, including lunch and refreshments, and there's a discount if you book before the end of January. So, if you live in the Midlands there's no excuse for not getting your novel off the ground in 2015!

·         Modern literary magazine One Story has opened its annual reading period and, until 31st May 2015, is accepting submissions of high-quality literary fiction from outside contributors. They pay $500 and full submission details are here.

Wednesday 28 January 2015

English PEN prison writing awards, 25 February, London

For those of my followers who live in or around London, English PEN prison writing awards event is coming up and here are full details:


English PEN Bulletin

Meg Rosoff keynote speaker at English PEN prison writing awards

Wednesday 25 February, 6.30pm
Free Word Centre, London EC1R 3GA
£4/Free

Book tickets


Join English PEN to celebrate the launch of the 2015 edition of our annual prison writing collection with Meg Rosoff, judge of this year's writing competition and the prize-winning author of young adult fiction titles How I Live NowJust In CaseWhat I Was and The Bride’s Farewell. All guests will receive a complimentary copy of the collection, In A Parallel Universe and other voices, which features the winning and commended entries from the writing competition.
 
There will be performances of the prize-winning entries, free copies of the collection and a panel discussion around the importance of learning in prison, access to books and the transformative power of words with Meg Rosoff, Jackie Wood (librarian at HMP Durham, who co-ordinated Kate Tempest's recent author visit), John Podmore (former prisons inspector and governor) and Rod Clark (CEO of Prisoners' Education Trust).

The panel will be chaired by BBC Broadcaster Harriett Gilbert (Presenter of the World Book Club, BBC World Service and A Good Read, BBC R4).

English PEN runs workshops with prisoners offering access to literature and creative expression. It also successfully ran a campaign in 2014 with the Howard League for Penal Reform overturning restrictions on sending books to prisoners. Read more about the campaign here.

Free for English PEN members. Email rebekah@englishpen.org for the discount code.

For more information
 

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Fury film review


Went to see this film today with my friend Aj at the Leeds/Bradford Odeon.

IMDB says:  April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and his five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

Jon Bernthal at event of Fury (2014)

Fury (2014)

Still of Michael Peña in Fury (2014)

Brad Pitt (Se7en, Fight Club) plays Don 'Wardaddy' Collier the commander of the five-man crew, Boyd 'Bible' Swan (Shia LaBeouf: Transformers, Lawless), Trini 'Gordo' Garcia (Michael Pena: American Hustle, Million Dollar Baby), Grady 'Coon-Ass' Travis (Jon Bernthal: The Ghost, The Wolf of Wall Street) and new guy Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman: Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief, The Perks of Being a Wallflower).  Other actors who pop up as fellow American soldiers are Jim Parrack (True Blood, Battle Los Angeles) as Sergeant Binkowski, Brad William Henke (Pacific Rim, Jobs) as Sergeant Davis, Kevin Vance (Sabotage, End of Watch) as Sergeant Peterson, Xavier Samuel (Anonymous, The Loved Ones) as Lieutenant Parker, Scott Eastwood (son of Clint, Gran Tourino, Flags of our Fathers) as Sergeant Miles, Laurence Spellman (The Libertine, Small Island) as Sergeant Dillard and the fabulous Jason Isaacs (The Patriot and Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) as Captain Waggoner.



The acting is superb and though there is not an obvious plot, the film beautifully underscores the horrors and pointlessness of war, including how it can turn on luck or suck all of the little joys of life, so maybe this was the point, and it was great that this film did not fall back on the usual unnecessary gore that accompanies most war films.

Trivia:  Many of the outfits in the film were based on real exhibits acquired from Museums around the World and the 'Fury' tank, a genuine Tiger I tank 'Tiger 131' M4A2E8 (76)W HVSS Sherman tank (formerly 'Ron/Harry'), from the Bovington Tank Museum in the United Kingdom.  Reportedly, Shia LaBeouf pulled out his own tooth, cut his own face and did not shower during filming to add another layer of realism to his performance, all the cast (including Pitt, aged 50) underwent a rigorous month-long course of boot camp including a combat exercise manning a tank and despite this film being about Nazi oppression, the producers used security men with Rottweiler dogs to intimidate members of the public into not taking photographs of filming from perfectly legal public footpaths.

Other Sherman tanks used in the movie were:

'Lucy Sue', an M4A2 Sherman from Tay Restorations,
'Matador' is M4E8 (76)W HVSS Sherman from Jeep Sud Est,
'Murder, Inc.' is an M4A4 Sherman from Adrian Barrell,
'Old Phyllis' is an M4A1 (76)W Sherman.



Tagline: War never ends quietly.                                           7/10

#Fury  #BradPitt  #LoganLerman  #ShiaLeBeouf   #JasonIsaacs  #Odeon

Monday 26 January 2015

'The Grand Tour' at Finborough Theatre on now until 21 February

For those of my followers who live in or near London, I thought you may be interested to see the following:

headerGTGTGTGT
France, 1940. Jacobowsky, a Polish Jewish intellectual, has been one step ahead of the Nazis for years. Stjerbinsky, an aristocrat, anti semitic Polish colonel, is desperately trying to get to England. Jacobowsky has purchased a car he doesn’t know how to drive. The Colonel knows how to drive, but has no car. When the two meet at a Paris hotel, they agree to join forces in order to escape the approaching Nazis. Together with the Colonel’s girlfriend, Marianne, they begin their perilous, challenging and adventurous journey on the road to freedom.
Featuring one of Jerry Herman's most engrossing and heartfelt scores, The Grand Tour finds beauty, light and humour in one of history's darkest hours.
Opening on Broadway in 1979, The Grand Tour marked Herman’s return to Broadway after almost a decade away, and it finally makes its European première at the Finborough Theatre.
“Though you may admire what other mighty men have done, You top them all when you do one extraordinary thing”
Director Thom Southerland
Choreographer Cressida Carré
Musical Director Joanna Cichonska
Set Designer Phil Lindley
Costume Designer Sophia Simensky
Lighting Designer Derek Anderson
Sound Designer Max Pappenheim
Producer & Casting Director Danielle Tarento

Dates

1st January -
21st February 2015

Tuesday - Saturday @ 7.30pm Saturday and Sunday matinees @ 3pm
(no Saturday matinee on 10th January, extra Friday matinee on 20th February)

Prices:

Previews (1 - 4 January)
£14 all seats

6 - 25 January: £20, £16 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £16 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £20 all seats
27 January - 21 February: £22, £18 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £18 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £22 all seats
£10 tickets for under 30’s for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only
£12 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Saturday 10 January when booked online only

Box office:

In person: one hour before each performance
By phone: 0844 847 1652
8am-8pm Mon-Fri
8am-6pm Sat & Sun

Online: Click Here

Venue:

Finborough Theatre
118 Finborough Road
London
SW10 9ED

header

Sunday 25 January 2015

Upcoming events at Seven Artspace, Leeds

Here are the latest upcoming events at Seven Arts Leeds:


 

 

seven artspace leeds

Fresh Look @ Seven

After seven years with our much-loved Seven website, we decided it was time to give it a fresh look and this week we have launched our new website. We hope you like it and find it simple and straightforward to use. Check it out www.sevenleeds.co.uk The events is what Seven is really about however and we've some great ones coming up over the next week.

Sunday Jazz on Sunday 25 January, 1-4pm, presents ‘Elements’. The return of Rod ‘The Roomdarkener’ Mason, whose mighty saxophone sounds are matched by the energy of his band. 'Elements' delivers high quality originals with great aplomb – an explosive mix of music and personality. £7 / £5 conc. At 8pm in the bar, don't forget the Sunday Quiz. free with raffle and prizes.

On Monday 26 January, 7.30pm, the Screen Seven movie is Jeune et Jolie. Acclaimed director François Ozon (Swimming Pool, 8 Women) helms this erotic tale of sexual awakening. After losing her virginity, 17-year-old budding beauty Isabelle takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting her older gentlemen clients for sleazy hotel room trysts. Should brighten up a cold January night! £6 / £4.50.

Café Psychologique on Tuesday 27 January, 8pm, examines, The F Word : Is feminism a dirty word, or needed more than ever?  With Elaine  McMullan & Fiona Purdie, Clinical Psychologists. At Café Psychologique conversation is driven by the participants in the Café and the areas they want to discuss based around a theme. £3.

On Wednesday 28 January, 8pm, Kill For A Seat Comedy returns with two great comedians this month, Steve Gribbin and Carl Hutchinson. Plus Rachel Fairburn.... and your effusive host, Silky. £11 / £9 conc and card-carrying CARA members. 7.30pm doors.

Seeing out what must be the grimmest month of the year on Saturday 31 January, 8pm, look forward to The Big Easy. The band is pleased to announce the release of their album 'Get Rhythm in your Feet' at Seven. It takes music from the early days of swing, classic New Orleans tunes and lively jump-jive numbers, all carefully arranged to give a new and exciting take on a much loved genre. £8 / £5 conc

Many tickets are now available from TicketSource via www.sevenleeds.co.uk  Where not sold out, tickets are always available on the door.

Every £ spent at Seven helps support high quality arts in a local setting. We look forward to seeing you at Seven very soon.

Saturday 24 January 2015

Call out for new radio talent in the North




January 2015
New radio talent wanted for Verb New Voices
Calling artists in the North
 
Verb New Voices 3 is looking for four artists based in the North of England who would like to make a new piece of work for BBC Radio.

Created by Arts Council England in partnership with the BBC and arts organisations from across the North, Verb New Voices 3 will support four artists to create innovative work for radio. We particularly encourage applications from artists with diverse perspectives.

Each artist will receive a commission from the BBC to create an eight-minute piece for Radio 3’s The Verb. Your broadcast on The Verb may be a short piece or an excerpt from a longer project. We are particularly interested in hearing from artists who want to integrate multimedia forms to enhance the audience’s experience of their work. Multimedia forms may include animation, music or sound, photography, film, interactive media, or site-specific work. Besides the opportunity for broadcast on The Verb, the partners can also support you by providing advice on showcasing your work elsewhere including on web-based platforms or in gallery and theatre spaces.

The package

Successful candidates must be available to take part in a creative development workshop over two days in March at BBC MediaCity in Salford. Sue Roberts (Editor, Audio Drama North, The Verb, Radio 3) will lead the workshop, and she along with other BBC staff will support the Verb New Voices 3 (VNV3) artists to develop their ideas.

As part of that workshop, project partners New Writing North, The Writing Squad, DaDa Fest, Arvon, and Freedom Studios, the BBC, and the Arts Council will discuss with artists a package of developmental support and creative input that they can contribute in-kind or buy in. Individual projects will then be developed with appropriate support between April and November. Also included in the package is an opportunity to undertake a fully funded residential creative writing course of your choice with Arvon (subject to availability).

In November 2015, VNV3 artists will appear at BBC’s Free Thinking Festival in the North East to record the piece for BBC Radio 3’s The Verb. During the developmental period the partners will support artists to identify other public platforms for showcasing their work.
Click here for full information and application details.

Friday 23 January 2015

The Big Bookend Indie Writers Festival 21 February 2015

Following on from yesterday's blog, The Leeds Big Bookend also have an exciting Writers Festival coming in February, so thought I would share this information with my followers direct from their website so they could click on the link to get tickets should they so wish:


Announcing our Indie Writers Festival – 21st February 2015

Our Guest Authors
For the Love of Words logo
Saturday 21st February 2015
Have you got a book in you?
Then come along to our latest inspirational events for writers!
The Leeds Big Bookend is proud to present our Indie Writers’ Fest in partnership with Leeds Trinity University on Saturday 21st February 2015.  The day will offer a series of workshops, talks and panels, as well as opportunities to meet and mingle with writers, book-designers and publishers, and browse our pop-up indie bookshop.  We’ll have some writing challenges too, so pens and imaginations at the ready!
Bookings open now : http://fortheloveofwords.eventbrite.co.uk
We’re celebrating our love of words with a day full of inspiration and activity alongside input from acclaimed and best-selling self-published authors who will share their journeys with you, to help you build a personal roadmap for indie success.
You can choose to attend in person and participate in full, or follow the conference before, during and after online only with our virtual conference ticket.  Discounts for concessions.inpartnershipmysnip
We hope this event will be the start of many collaborations and writing adventures.  You are warmly invited to join us for our inaugural indie writing event.

Our line-up is subject to change but currently you can expect to see (and hear!):


Tricia Walker
started as an indie writer and made a big splash with her first book Benedict’s Brother.  It was the second biggest launch in York Borders that year, second only to JK Rowling. That same year she made it onto Publishing News’s Top Ten Books of the Year – the only indie book to feature, and is currently shooting as a feature film in Thailand.  Tricia has always had a really clear vision of her book and has a great story to share about the machinations of agents, film finances, conversion of book to scripts and her self-publishing journey.
Twitter.com/tricia_walker 
Facebook.com/benedictsbrother

Ann Victoria Roberts
is a best-selling author with experience of both “sides” of the industry – as a mainstream author publishing with Chatto and Windus, and making things happen for herself. She will talk about this and her experience of how a book is produced and how she has taken that knowledge through to her own Indie publishing. Ann was published in the UK and then taken up by the US, Australia and some countries in Europe with her first novel of a series set in Yorkshire, Louisa Elliott. Her latest book, The Masters Tale, is a Titanic ghost story.
Facebook.com/AnnVictoriaRoberts

Dee Blick
is a successful author and marketer, raised in Horsforth (Hello Dee’s Mum!), her fourth number 1 bestseller is aptly entitled The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book on a Shoestring Budget.  She is a multi award winning writer and marketer with 5 awards for her books and 10 marketing awards. Her new book just got into the Bookbag’s Top 10 Self Published Books of 2014. Dee has a wealth of knowledge of epublishing, marketing and writing for market which she shares generously.
Twitter.com/DeeBlick

Dan Ingram-Brown
is a Yorkshire based author and theatre producer involved in a wide range of work, ranging from writing for children to community theatre and contemporary performance.  Author of  The Firebird Chronicles, Rise of the Shadow Stealers,he has over 15 years’ experience of writing and directing plays and novels, and is chair of  The Leeds Big Bookend.  He will be running an imaginative workshop for us reflecting his current creative writing project – Stories from the Forests of Leeds.
Twitter.com/DanIngramBrown

Martyn Bedford
is the author of five novels for adults and two for teenagers and young adults, including Flip (Walker Books, 2011), which was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award. Between them, his books have been translated into fifteen languages. He has also written numerous short stories, several of which have been included in anthologies by the Manchester-based independent publisher Comma Press. He is currently working on a solo collection for Comma. He is a senior lecturer in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University. You can attend his popular workshop – Stepping into Character – as part of the festival.  <NEWS FLASH> Martyn’s latest book Never Ending has been shortlisted for the teen section of the James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Awards 2015, following in the footsteps of Flip in 2012.
Martyn Bedford’s Blog
Books in a row
Ned Hoste is a York-based designer with extensive experience in design for book publishing including cover design, book design, print buying, project management, publicity, advertising and point-of-sale.  He has designed in excess of 100 complete books and 2,500 book covers. He will be running a workshop on how to establish your brand identity as an author, and make all the right impressions.  He is co-founder of the Big Ideas Collective, and an all-round nice guy.
Twitter.com/Ned Hoste
Breaking out of the English Department at Trinity University are writing-partnership Paul Hardwick and Amina Alyal who will be setting us this year’s on-the-spot writing challenge.  I’ll give you a clue, it’s not haiku.  Their first co-authored book is Close as Second Skins and will be published by Indigo Dreams Publishing in the Spring of 2015.  Oz Hardwick is a York-based writer, photographer and musician, who has been published extensively worldwide, and has read everywhere from Glastonbury Festival to New York, via countless back rooms of pubs. His latest poetry collection (his fifth) is The Ringmaster’s Apprentice (Valley Press, 2014).   Amina has published widely in journals and anthologies and her first collection, The Ordinariness of Parrots, will be out with Stairwell Books in 2015.  She specialises in Creative Writing and Renaissance Literature at LTU.
Our conference extends online, and we are hoping to have some special guests create some useful resources for indie authors through our online community – as well as opportunities for you to showcase your own work – so stay tuned!:
You can book online.

TICKET PRICES:

£45 Day pass: includes lunch, all materials, and workshops, all online resources and access to our online community
£30 Concessions: retired, unemployed & students (as above)
£15 Virtual pass: includes all online resources and access to our online community

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A STALL OR TO SELL YOUR BOOK

£10 Pedlars license – with your latest book featured in our pop-up indie bookshop and online – or have a stall of your own.
Pay and book online – it’s easy.

Thursday 22 January 2015

The Leeds Big Bookend Meet the Agent with Shelley Instone event 11 February 2015

 

Meet the Agent with Shelley Instone

The Leeds Big Bookend

Wednesday, 11 February 2015 from 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT)

Leeds, United Kingdom

Outlaws Yacht Club 38 New York Street Leeds
LS2 7DY

United Kingdom
      
Wednesday, 11 February 2015 from 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT)

Event Details
                           
Calling Northern writers! We are offering you a fantastic opportunity to meet a literary agent right here in Leeds. Shelley Instone is a very experienced editor and has recently set up The Shelley Instone Literary Agency. Although London-based, she is originally from Leeds and would like to meet the writing community here in her home town. Shelley says, " I'm very aware that the North is still rather neglected in the publishing world. I'm keen to put that right and tap into this rich talent pool."
 
Shelley will be introduced by one of her début authors, Leeds writer June Taylor. She will then talk about the business of editing and getting your work published. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and then do some mingling in the bar afterwards.
Shelley is open to submissions and is actively searching for new writing talent specifically for literary and commercial fiction. This includes children’s and adult fiction alongside non– fiction (memoir, biography and cookery). She does not represent poetry, plays or picture books.
 
Find out more about the Shelley Instone Literary Agency here but better still come along and hear what she has to say.

Tickets are £5.00 + Eventbrite booking fee. We anticipate that this event will be very popular so please book your place in advance.

Do you have questions about Meet the Agent with Shelley Instone? Contact The Leeds Big Bookend
 
To book this event via Eventbrite:   http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-agent-with-shelley-instone-tickets-15015307188                               

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Kingsman: The Secret Service preview film review



Went to see this preview screening at Leeds/Bradford Odeon with my husband and two friends J and L.

IMDB says: A veteran secret agent takes a young upstart under his wing.



In this Matthew Vaughn (Snatch, Kick Ass) directed and screenplay written along with Jane Goldman (Stardust, Kick Ass), Mark Millar (The Secret Service) and Dave Gibbons (The Secret Service) film, Colin Firth (The King's Speech, Bridget Jones's Diary) plays Harry Hart (codename Galahad) the agent who takes Eggsy/Gary Unwin (Taron Egerton The Smoke, Testament of Youth) under his wing against the advice of his boss Arthur (Michael Caine, The Italian Job, Batman Begins) following the death of fellow agent Lancelot (Jack Daveport, Pirates of the Carribean, The Talented Mr Ripley) as he feels he owes Eggsy's late father a debt. 

Once under training with Merlin (Mark Strong, Kick Ass, Stardust) along with his fellow potential agents including Gazelle (Sofia Boutella, Dance Challenge, Azur & Asmar: The Prince's Quest), Hugo (Tom Prior, The Theory of Everything, Alex was a friend of mine) and Roxy (Sophie Cookson, Moonfleet) Eggsy's street skills start to stand him in good stead, even if it does give the 'silver spoon' candidates a reason to try and belittle him.  Only one can replace Lancelot and it needs to be soon as billionaire activist Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained) has kidnapped leading scientist James Arnold (Luke Skywalker himself, i.e, Mark Hamill) and seems to have a dastardly scheme to take over the world.

 Still of Michael Caine and Taron Egerton in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Still of Colin Firth and Mark Hamill in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Taron Egerton at event of Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

I absolutely loved this movie, from the suave Colin Firth as the gentleman agent paired with the 'chav with a heart' Eggsy, to the hilarious over-the-top megalomaniac bad guy Jackson (the speech impediment was just the right touch).  It had lovely nods to modern society, class values and action with unashamed violence and swearing, topped off with spot-on music choices.  What a ride, this film may just make it into my top ten of all time.

Kick Ass meets classic Bond meets Men in Black.                                                  10/10



#Kingsman  @KingsmanMovie   #ShowFilmFirst  #ColinFirth  #SamuelLJackson  #MichaelCaine  #MarkStrong  #Odeon

Tuesday 20 January 2015

The Rewrite film review



Went to see this film today at the Leeds/Bradford Odeon with my friend Aj and did not know what to expect at all.

IMDB says: An Oscar-winning writer in a slump leaves Hollywood to teach screenwriting at a college on the East Coast, where he falls for a single mom taking classes there.



In this Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality, Music and Lyrics) written and directed film, Hugh Grant (Love Actually, About A Boy) plays Keith Michaels, the down-on-his luck screenwriter who moves to Binghamton to teach when his agent can no longer get him writing work. 

He does not make a great first impression, starting an affair with one of his students Karen (played by a spot-on Bella Heathcote, Dark Shadows, In Time) before he even starts teaching and offending the 'big cheese' on the faculty Mary (the ever brilliant at acerbic roles Allison Janney, Juno, The West Wing) at his first teaching-related social event, following this up with a lackadaisical attitude to his job.  But he does make friends with his fellow teacher and neighbour Jim (Chris Elliott, Groundhog Day, There's Something About Mary) and gets on well with his boss, the appropriately named Dr Lerner (J. K. Simmons, Juno, Spiderman), plus he got to hand pick his class with mainly hot female students that are easy on the eye, even if one mature student Holly, played by the joyous Marisa Tomei (The Lincoln Lawyer, What Women Want) manages to worm her way in to the class too.

Still of Hugh Grant in The Rewrite (2014)

Grant is excellent as a down-trodden ex-Hollywood player and this is where the script most resonates in reality and as Lawrence wrote Miss Congeniality, a big hit from a number of years ago, it does leave the viewer wondering how autobiographical the one-hit-wonder script is.  It is well written and directed and Grant is perfect for the lecherous, sexist and cynical divorced man who likes a drink rather too much and it is a lovely surprise when, rather than getting away with this attitude, he is made an example of because of it.

There are no huge surprises in this somewhat predictable rom-com, but it is a pleasant watch nonetheless.

Still of Hugh Grant in The Rewrite (2014)

Trivia:  This is the fourth film that teams Lawrence and Grant as director and lead actor and the scene in which Grant watches the clip on the internet, it is him accepting the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical for 'Four Weddings and A Funeral.'

A pleasant, if predictable, rom-com.                                                  6/10

Still of Hugh Grant in The Rewrite (2014)

#TheRewrite  #HughGrant  #MarisaTomei  #Odeon