Latest news with #PhilipSeymourHoffman
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Channel 4 streaming 'superb' hidden gem spy thriller starring three Hollywood legends
A Most Wanted Man hit cinema screens back in 2014 and is now available to stream for free on Channel 4 - the spy thriller has been dubbed 'superb' by fans A forgotten spy thriller from 2014, featuring two of Hollywood's biggest stars, is now available to stream for free on Channel 4. The spy thriller has been hailed as 'superb' by fans. The cast includes the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, known for his role in The Hunger Games series, Rachel McAdams, who gained fame with films like Mean Girls and The Notebook, and Willem Dafoe, who has starred in Spider-Man, Nosferatu and Poor Things. A Most Wanted Man has an IMDB rating of 6.7/10 and has won three awards. The plot of the film centres around a refugee arriving in Hamburg, causing a stir within the security services. The Channel 4 description queries whether he is a genuine asylum-seeker or a terrorist? Despite its star-studded cast and strong source material, A Most Wanted Man went unnoticed by many viewers upon its initial release, possibly overshadowed by more high-profile spy franchises like James Bond or Bourne. However, the critically acclaimed film did win three awards, reports the Express. The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers a stellar performance in what would be one of his last roles before his death in 2014. If you're looking for a thought-provoking drama that stays with you long after the credits have rolled, this overlooked gem is well worth your time. One fan said: "A very well made thriller filled with terrific performances. Phillip Hoffman in one of his last roles gives a brilliant performance." Meanwhile, another added: "In the world of espionage, the line between terrorist and turn-coat is very hard to deduce! As Russian spy Gunther Bachmann attempts to recruit informants for terrorist group, the emergence of an enigmatic refugee spurs multiple agencies to find him, he attempts to find him first so that he can go after the bigger fish." Another said: "A timely story of the paranoia in a world of secrets and lies, as things are not always as they appear!" by another enthusiast. One fan praised Seymour Hoffman's acting skills: "Superb, Seymour Hoffman is simply outstanding in his role as a grizzled German spy here." Another highlighted the film's subtlety, stating it is: "An understated, but intelligently engaging thriller, which boasts fine performances from the lovely Rachel McAdams, and the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman." The film is available for viewing on Channel 4 right now.
The National
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Mission: Impossible ranked from worst to best – how does Final Reckoning stack up?
There's no bad Mission: Impossible ranking. In part, that's because there's no bad Mission: Impossible film. Which one you pick as your favourite depends on which ingredient you value highest. Want character development and emotionality? Watch Ethan Hunt become a desperate husband trying to save the woman he loves in Mission: Impossible 3. Want awe-inspiring thrills? See him scale Dubai's Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Beautiful images? Director John Woo's Mission: Impossible 2 is for you. Want shocking twists and turns? Throw on the first one. Since that initial instalment made its debut in 1996, producer/star Tom Cruise has willed his big-screen adaptation of a '60s TV show into a body of work that has justifiably come to define him as both an actor and a man. And in an era in which classic big-screen action filmmaking increasingly like a relic of another era, the Mission: Impossible films are a haven for those who still chase the surprise and delight that can only be found in the shared theatrical experience. With the release of the latest and possibly final instalment coming to cinemas on May 21 across the Middle East, here's how alll films – including Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning – stack up. It's hard to place any of these films at the bottom. And Mission: Impossible 3, directed by JJ Abrams, lands here despite boasting the best villain in the series (played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the most emotions. It turns Ethan from a hero largely without a singular identity into a loving husband pulled back into a deadly world against his will – who will stop at nothing to keep his wife safe. The Keri Russell cameo sequence is the best thing to be found here, and her final line is the most haunting in the entire franchise. While Tom Cruise dangling inches above a white floor in the first film will remain the definitive image of the series, no image will define Cruise's own legacy more than him hanging atop the Burj Khalifa in the fourth instalment . But while the action in Ghost Protocol, directed by Brad Bird, is often gorgeous, jaw-dropping and balletic, it's also the thinnest, least affecting story in the franchise. And because it almost completely lacks emotion, it loses nearly all momentum after the still-thrilling UAE sequence. If this is indeed the end, it's a worthy one. The action is the most tense Cruise and company have produced to date, and it's surprisingly emotional. Here, Cruise has pushed both the form and themselves to their absolute limits. But it's bogged down by too much exposition, particularly in the first hour, to pass its predecessors. There are two main reasons why the excellent Dead Reckoning was so disappointing for so many, despite boasting so many strengths. One is that Fallout was an impossible act to follow. But more importantly, its marketing campaign, centred around a behind-the-scenes featurette, spent too much time showing audiences the central stunt that was supposedly the reason for buying a ticket. Finally seeing it in context later felt like something of an afterthought. But revisit it, and you'll find it's not only full of the franchise's trademark thrills, it's also the funniest film they've made to date. After Brian De Palma, Cruise had trouble finding a director who could capture all aspects that a masterful Mission film requires. Abrams could tell a tale on the page but wasn't capable enough as a visual storyteller. Brad Bird increased the scale of the action, but the story fell flat. Christopher McQuarrie, meanwhile, put it all together in the most cohesive film since the first. It's no wonder Cruise has kept him connected at the hip ever since. Revisiting the entire franchise in preparation for Final Reckoning, I was ready to hate Mission: Impossible 2. As a kid, it was the coolest movie I'd ever seen, but over the years I'd accepted the opinion that it had aged poorly, and now sat as a cheesy blight on the franchise. What a delight to discover that, despite a plodding first half and painful villain, the second hour is transcendent, and includes some of the best purely visual storytelling in the history of action filmmaking, let alone this franchise. John Woo may have made this his own too much for the franchise's own good, but on its own, it's a gem. The first film the series does more than just lay the groundwork for what is to come. On its own, it's among the best spy thrillers ever made, thanks to a cracking and twisty script and De Palma working at the top of his game. Even nearly 30 years on, it's still endlessly rewatchable and each time better than you remembered it being. For the sheer breadth and scale of what this series can achieve, there is no better example than Fallout. It's a flawlessly constructed film, featuring seemingly unstoppable momentum that builds to a breathtaking crescendo. The only film that comes close to its heights is Cruise's own Top Gun: Maverick.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jesse Plemons to play his former movie dad Philip Seymour Hoffman's role in 'Hunger Games' prequel
Jesse Plemons is heading to Panem. The Academy Award-nominated star has joined The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping as the younger version of a character originated by a familiar collaborator. Plemons has been cast as Plutarch Heavensbee, played by the late and great Philip Seymour Hoffman in the original film franchise. Notably, Plemons previously starred opposite Hoffman as his onscreen son in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 psychological drama The Master. 'Jesse is one of the most talented actors of his generation, with a proven record of picking his roles selectively," Erin Westerman, co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. "We are honored that he has chosen to bring his own take to one of the most fascinating figures in Panem, and feel that his previous collaboration with Philip Seymour Hoffman makes it all the more special. His Plutarch will be both a tribute to the character fans have already come to know and a portrayal he makes his own."The upcoming prequel centers on a teenage Haymitch Abernathy (originated by Woody Harrelson and to be played by Joseph Zada in this iteration) as he's reaped for the 50th Hunger Games, otherwise known as the Second Quarter Quell. Plutarch, future Head Gamemaker of the 75th Hunger Games and commander of the rebel forces, is a young Capitol cameraman in this timeline who is tasked with documenting the tributes of District 12. (And he's already got rebellion on his brain.) Hoffman, who died in February of 2014, made his final on-screen appearance in the last two films of the franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2. Franchise director Francis Lawrence, who will return to helm the upcoming prequel, did not use CGI to complete Hoffman's remaining scenes, instead opting to rewrite the script and redistributing some of his dialogue to other characters. 'He was one of the greatest actors, I think, of all time, and I just think to try to fake a Philip Seymour Hoffman performance would have been catastrophic and I would never want to do that,' Lawrence told HuffPost in late 2014. 'I just think this was the best way to be able to get around such a horrible thing.' Plemons' most recent credits include Alex Garland's unnerving dystopian feature Civil War and Yorgos Lanthimos' surrealist dramedy Kinds of Kindness, as well as the miniseries Zero Day and anthology series Black Mirror. Whitney Peak has also been cast as Lenore Dove, Haymitch's girlfriend and a Covey descendant of none other than Lucy Gray Baird from the Coriolanus Snow prequel The Ballad of Songbirds of Snakes, which was adapted into a film in 2023. Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray, while Tom Blyth played a young Coriolanus Snow, originated by the late Donald Sutherland in the original film franchise. Mckenna Grace has also joined as Maysilee Donner, Haymitch's fellow District 12 tribute and ally. Ready to return to the arena? Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in theaters Nov. 20, 2026. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
