Warner Brothers Pictures Winter's Tale Starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay and Russell Crowe Recommended by Whom You Know In theaters this Valentine's Day February 14, 2014 Our Coverage Sponsored by Paul Mayer Attitudes
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The right Valentine's movie would have an innovative script, brilliant casting, stellar directing and would be by the best studio around. Winter's Tale is all this and more. Based on a novel by Mark Helprin, Winter's Tale will wow you with its unpredictable script that will put you in a trance wondering what will evolve, and do bring your imagination. And the best casting decision of all is Colin Farrell as Peter Lake.
Every female with a beating heart would want him as her Valentine and he'll start by stealing your heart, but pay attention to how the story evolves because that verb does not end there. Farrell says: "If you ask me what makes a good love story, I think it's people getting lost in each other, and thereby finding themselves for the first time ever, finding the best aspects of themselves in the presence of the other person. "
As you know we absolutely love Downton Abbey (will there be a Kemal Pamuk moment in Winter's Tale?) and if Lady Sybil comes back to life, she deserves to be cast with Colin Farrell. She's alive and kicking so to speak although not well.
Jessica Brown Finday is a singular sensation as Beverly Penn. Though you'll be entirely jealous of her throughout (suffering with consumption is made bearable when you've got Peter Lake), be a sport and live vicariously through her. The chemistry between Findlay and Farrell is undeniable and is the ideal foundation for making the storyline absolutely convincing. Is it possible to love someone so completely they can't die? Valentine's Day is a good time to find out, by seeing Winter's Tale!
We particularly love the role of the White Horse, and Farrell also has great chemistry with the animal. Beyond the visual eye candy and Farrell accent to-die-for, there is a sweet, heartfelt storyline in Winter's Tale that speaks to miracles, and this movie may leave you philosophical and searching for the miracles in your life.
We loved how Beverly packs to go away for a few days to go to her country house in Coheeries. Maybe she has a shoe collection like us.
Though the magic and pixie dust punctuates much of the story, there is the added drama of antagonists and Russell Crowe excels at evil in playing Pearly Soames. Note that Crowe worked with Winter's Tale Director Akiva Goldsman previously on "A Beautiful Mind" and "Cinderella Man." We found Crowe to be quite Anthony Hopkinsesque for the duration of the film, and Will Smith also plays a role in creating trouble for Peter Lake.
Enthusiasts of New York Landmarks (like our friends at the Conservancy) will especially appreciate the starring role played by Grand Central Station throughout the ages and note that if you were at their mural event at Christie's this week, the exact mural discussed on the ceiling of Grand Central is discussed in Winter's Tale. Reciting constellations to control a fever is a technique we'll have to remember. The Brooklyn Bridge is also cast in Winter's Tale. Lyndhurt's Castle in Tarrytown, New York , Coe Hall in Old Westbury and other notable landmarks added the perfect touch to the film.
This is a fairy tale for grownups, and if you are a resident of Manhattan, also known as City of Justice, you will see quite a lot in the movie that you recognize though the time period varies.
Our restaurant readers are not going to like the behavior of a certain someone above!
From a technical aspect, the aerial shots are majestic including staircases, angles of Grand Central, and more. The lighting throughout the movie was quite well done, especially when the contrast of good versus evil was called for. When Winter's Tale began filming, Sandy (the storm) hit Manhattan...that must have been quite the challenge which they brilliantly overcame.
Complete with a Princess Bed (though not the bed pictured above), Winter's Tale has every element of romance that your little heart would desire minus the saccharine. Will he take her dancing on New Year's Eve? What will her father think of him?
What's going to happen after they have a spot of tea? We hope it was Barry's.
Willa might know. She's got incredibly intuition for someone so young.
And remember, nothing happens that isn't supposed to.
Only time will tell. And may we chime in that it is fantastic that Jennifer Connelly plays a food journalist! Romantic scenes with microfiche, we'll take that.
Destiny, destiny, destiny...Oh, to ride on white horseback through Central Park on a lovely Winter's Day with Colin Farrell...it's not going to happen to you in reality this year because of our snow up to here, but you can see it on the big screen thanks to the talents of Warner Brothers!
Remember, everything happens for a reason.
In this Winter Olympic season, you don't need to tell us to believe in Miracles, and it's fantastic to encounter a film that celebrates them.
Winter's Tale is Recommended by Whom You Know!
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This is not a true story, it’s a love story.
Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, “Winter’s Tale” is about miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil. The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), and stars Colin Farrell (“Saving Mr. Banks”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”).
Peter Lake (Farrell) is a master thief, who never expected to have his own heart stolen by the beautiful Beverly Penn (Brown Findlay). But their love is star-crossed: she burns with a deadly form of consumption, and Peter has been marked for a much more violent death by his one-time mentor, the demonic Pearly Soames (Crowe). Peter desperately tries to save his one true love, across time, against the forces of darkness, even as Pearly does everything in his power to take him down—winner take all and loser be damned. What Peter needs is a miracle, but only time will tell if he can find one.
The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), who also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin.
Goldsman is also producing the film with Marc Platt (“Drive”), Michael Tadross (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Tony Allard (Showtime’s “The Baby Dance”). The executive producers are Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman. The behind-the-scenes creative team includes five-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Passion of the Christ,” “The Patriot”), production designer Naomi Shohan (“Constantine,” “I Am Legend”), costume designer Michael Kaplan (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Star Trek”) and editors Wayne Wahrman (“I Am Legend”) and Oscar® nominee Tim Squyres (“Life of Pi,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). The music is composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King,” “Inception,” “Man of Steel”) and Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Grown Ups 2”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Weed Road/Marc Platt Production, “Winter’s Tale.” The film opens February 14, 2014, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
“Winter’s Tale” has been rated PG-13 for violence and some sensuality.
