Tag: September

West Side Story

Manhattan, Upper West Side, 1957. Against the backdrop of the decaying tenements of New York, two gangs fight for supremacy. This oscar-winning reimagining of the beloved musical tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City.

Shown: 7 September 2022

Exminster Film Club Rating: 88%

BBFC Ratings Badge 12A

West Side Story Plot Synopsis

An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

Film Reviews

This is a West Side Story for both the past and present, as pleasing as the best movie musicals used to be, and as relevant as today’s headlines. It makes you feel like you are actually on the turbulent streets of New York’s west side, not a sound stage.

Rex Reed, Observer

West Side Story is contrived, certainly, a hothouse flower of musical theatre, and Spielberg quite rightly doesn’t try hiding any of those stage origins. His mastery of technique is thrilling; I gave my heart to this poignant American fairytale of doomed love.

Peter Bradshaw – The Guardian

Official Film Trailer for West Side Story

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< April 2022

October 2022 >

Harriet

The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

Shown: 1 September 2021

Exminster Film Club Rating: 87%

BBFC Ratings Badge 12A

Harriet Plot Synopsis

The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

Film Reviews

The intensity and the lyrical fervor of Kasi Lemmons’s direction lend this historical drama, about Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and her work with the Underground Railroad, the exalted energy of secular scripture.

Richard Brody, The New Yorker

This might not be the optimal film to tribute an American hero who’s long been neglected on our screens, but Erivo’s performance might very well become a definitive one, synonymous with Tubman. And that’s not a bad place to start by any measure.

Roger Ebert

Official Film Trailer for Harriet

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< December 2020

October 2021 >

Rocketman

The Exminster Film Club’s showing for April 2020 (postponed to September) is Rocketman. It is the story of Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

Shown: 9 September 2020

BBFC Ratings Badge 15

Rocketman Plot Synopsis

Young Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John and collaborates with singer-songwriter Bernie Taupin to become one of the most iconic figures in pop history. Set to his most beloved songs, it’s the epic musical story of Elton John, his breakthrough years in the 1970s and his fantastical transformation from shy piano prodigy to international superstar.

Film Reviews

Fletcher is the real star of this show, a director whose enthusiasm for musical storytelling shines through every frame, hitting all the emotional high notes.

Mark Kermode, Observer

The sheer brute force of Egerton holds it all together. And despite some darker themes, Rocketman is still quite a ride. It plays more as a musical than a standard biopic.

Mike Ryan, Uproxx

Official Film Trailer for Rocketman

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< March 2020

2020-21 Season >

Fisherman’s Friends

Fisherman’s friends was Exminster Film Club’s first screening and proved to be a great success. This film follows a ramshackle group of friendly Cornish fisherman as they are persuaded to sell their popular sea shanties to a record label.

Shown: 4 September 2019

Rated 12A by the BBFC.

Plot Synopsis

A fast-living, cynical London music executive (Danny Mays) heads to a remote Cornish village on a stag weekend where he’s pranked by his boss (Noel Clarke) into trying to sign a group of shanty singing fishermen (led by James Purefoy). He becomes the ultimate ‘fish out of water’ as he struggles to gain the respect or enthusiasm of the unlikely boy band and their families (including Tuppence Middleton) who value friendship and community over fame and fortune. As he’s drawn deeper into the traditional way of life he’s forced to re-evaluate his own integrity and ultimately question what success really means.

From The EFC Committee

Our first screening of Fisherman’s Friends proved very successful. In total 69 people attended the film based on a group of local fisherman from Port Isaac, Cornwall who specialise in singing Sea Shanties. The story line provided plenty of material including comedy, romance, the splendour of the Cornish landscape and, of course, plenty of music. It really was ‘feel good’ entertainment and an excellent start to the season.

Films Reviews

Their singing is robustly and winningly performed, and the whole thing is heartfelt. Nice also to see Maggie Steed as the local pub’s landlady. It’s pretty goofy but fun.

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Fisherman’s Friends is a somewhat tone-deaf comedy drama. With its by-the-numbers story line of a jaded London music industry exec (Daniel Mays) who finds romance and true meaning in his life in addition to an acapella group, plus a subplot about a village pub under threat from an out of town property developer, the film is wearisomely predictable and parochial in its outlook.

Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

Official Film Trailer

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October 2019 >