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Simon Rose

The Business of Film: Imaginary, Spaceman & the Oscars

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: Imaginary, Spaceman & the Oscars
James Cameron-Wilson reports on box office down 29% with Dune 2 now up to £19.3m at #1. At #5 is horror film Imaginary, which James found boring, bloated, clichéd and not particularly scary. He hoped for better from the philosophical sci-fi drama Spaceman on Netflix. However, despite Paul Dano and Carey Mulligan, it proved one of the weirdest films he had seen for a long time and suffered from the miscasting of Adam Sandler in the main role. He was far happier with the Oscars, which he felt were wonderfully hosted and both entertaining and compelling, even if he did – for once – get one of his main predictions wrong.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: Dune 2, Mea Culpa, the SAG Awards & looking ahead to the Oscars

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: Dune 2, Mea Culpa, the SAG Awards & looking ahead to the Oscars
James Cameron-Wilson assesses Dune: Part Two at #1, which boosted the UK box office by taking £9.3m with almost £13,000 per screen. While critics love it and James was impressed by it visually, he found the film confusing and ponderous and admired it rather than enjoyed it. He looks ahead to the Oscars which, for the first time in 20 years, can be seen on terrestrial TV. He gives his predictions for the main prizes and discusses the recent star-studded luvviefest, the SAG Awards, watchable on Netflix. He regrets watching Tyler Perry's film, Mea Culpa, on Netflix. A thriller about an artist accused of murdering his girlfriend, the ludicrous film is every bit as bad as the main character's art.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: Wicked Little Letters, NT Live - Vanya & Paths of Glory

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: Wicked Little Letters, NT Live - Vanya & Paths of Glory
James Cameron-Wilson on the UK cinema scene, still dominated by Bob Marley: One Love at #1 with a total of £11.3m in 2 weeks. He was disappointed by Wicked Little Letters at #2. Set in a 20s village, it sees the like of Olivia Colman and Timothy Spall overacting and overswearing in a piece of annoying whimsy. At #6 is the NT Live production of Vanya, with Andrew Scott playing multiple characters. Without boning up beforehand, James found it somewhat baffling. He loved the beautifully-restored home video disc of Stanley Kubrick's 1957 anti-war film Paths of Glory, starring Kirk Douglas. As powerful as ever, it comes with some fantastic bonus material.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: Bob Marley One Love, Madame Web, Players & the BAFTAs

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: Bob Marley One Love, Madame Web, Players & the BAFTAs
James Cameron-Wilson celebrates UK box office up 89% with Bob Marley: One Love #1 racking up £6.9m. But James was disappointed, finding the biopic a hagiography, a series of vignettes rather than a gripping story. He much preferred Madame Web at #3 with Dakota Johnson in a well-engineered and much more believable and human superhero story than we've been used to of late. Despite other critics, James couldn't recommend it more. Not so Players, an unoriginal romcom on Netflix about playing the field, which he found exasperating and populated with characters with unlimited money and time. He also mentions the BAFTAs praising host David Tennant.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: The Iron Claw, Upgraded & How To Have Sex

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: The Iron Claw, Upgraded & How To Have Sex
James Cameron-Wilson reports that 2023's box office was up 9% at £978m. This week, though, it's down 25% with no new big films. True-life wrestling pic The Iron Claw, with Zac Efron, made only £750,000 at #3 but nothing rings true and James found it dull. With no other new releases other than Peppa's Cinema Party, James turned to Amazon Prime for the romcom Upgraded which, while hardly a true original, he found smart, savvy and very funny. The dialogue zings and he was left with a stupid smile on his face. Not so with How To Have Sex, out for home viewing. This Cannes prizewinner about Brits holidaying in Crete was disturbing, sometimes shocking but authentic and skilfully directed. He was surprised, however, at the 15 certificate.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: Migration, Argylle, The Zone of Interest & American Fiction

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: Migration, Argylle, The Zone of Interest & American Fiction
While UK box office rose 25%, James Cameron-Wilson found the animated Migration, #1, as processed as American cheese. #2 spy spoof Argylle from Matthew Vaughn he found over-familiar, over-long, unbelievable and lazy filmmaking. #5 is The Zone of Interest which, despite its 5 Oscar nominations, can be hard to see in cinemas. James, however, heartily recommends American Fiction at #10, also garnering 5 Oscar nominations, with Jeffrey Wright as a multi-faceted writer trying to break down stereotypes.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: All Of Us Strangers, The Color Purple & Peeping Tom

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: All Of Us Strangers, The Color Purple & Peeping Tom
James Cameron-Wilson says UK box office is down another 21%. While Mean Girls is #1 but fading, garlanded UK low-budget 4-hander All Of Us Strangers from Andrew Haigh is #2 with £1.1m. Andrew Scott is outstanding in a mesmerising, original film about a gay writer. He was less complimentary about the musical version of The Color Purple at #8, with the showstopping tunes at odds with the dark underlying material. Restored for home video, 1960's Peeping Tom, a voyeuristic film from Michael Powell about a killer, might have destroyed his reputation but, thanks to Martin Scorsese, it's now recognised as a misunderstood classic and quite playful and witty at times. The bonus material is terrific.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: Mean Girls, Poor Things, The Holdovers, The Beekeeper, The Boys in the Boat & the Oscars

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: Mean Girls, Poor Things, The Holdovers, The Beekeeper, The Boys in the Boat & the Oscars
In a bumper box office week, James Cameron-Wilson finds the musical reboot of 2004's Mean Girls (#1), dull and lacking fizz, despite Tina Fey's script. Like Simon Rose, he adores Poor Things (#3) from The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos, with Emma Stone getting one of 11 Oscar nominations. It's odd, extraordinarily original and visually and aurally glorious. Simon praised The Holdovers, with Paul Giamatti one of 5 nominees, at #6 from Sideways director. #7 is so-bad-it's-good thriller The Beekeeper with Jason Statham, while George Clooney's The Boys In The Boat has sunk to #14. A true Depression-era sporting tale, Simon and James both loved it. James also gave a round-up of the Oscar nominations and who he expects to triumph on the night.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published:
David Ricardo-Pearce

The Business of Theatre: Share Drama - 'As You Like It', with Natalie Grady

David Ricardo-Pearce
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Theatre: Share Drama - 'As You Like It', with Natalie Grady
Actor Natalie Grady explores the ingredients that make a good story become a timeless classic with David Ricardo Pearce, who is now on stage in the West End as Harry Potter. This programme was originally broadcast on 12 February 2015.
Guest:

Natalie Grady


Published:
Simon Rose

The Business of Film: One Life, Priscilla & Good Grief

Simon Rose
Original Broadcast:

The Business Of Film

The Business of Film: One Life, Priscilla & Good Grief
James Cameron-Wilson marvels that Wonka is still #1 after 5 weeks, with total of £53m at the UK box office. Anthony Hopkins stars in One Life, the true story of stockbroker Nicholas Winton's extraordinary wartime rescue of hundreds of Jewish children. James found it beautifully realised and hugely affecting. He was less impressed with Priscilla, about the spouse of Elvis Presley. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, which he found unimaginative. He admired the decor and scenery more than the plot in Netflix's drama about grief and friendship, Good Grief, written and directed by Dan Levy.
Guest:

James Cameron-Wilson


Published: