Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Thirteenth Tale

Author(s): Joshua
Location: NY


"The Thirteenth Tale"

Directed by Richard Eyre
Written by Peter Morgan
Produced by Scott Rudin
Distributed by Focus Features
Film Edting by John Bloom
Cinematography by Seamus McGarvey
Art Direction by Sarah Hauldren
Costume Design by Ruth Meyers
Original Score by Philip Glass

Main Cast

Kate Winslet - ..Margaret Lea
Vanessa Redgrave - ..Vida Winter
Alexandra Maria Lara - ..Isabelle Angelfield
Andrew Knott - Charlie Angelfield
Hugh Bonneville - ..Dr. Maudsley
Tilda Swinton - ..Helen Barrows
Jacqueline Bisset - ..The Missus
Patrick Malahide - ..John
Unknown - Younger Adeline & Emmeline March

Tagline: "Sometimes, When You Open The Door To The Past, What You Confront Is Your Destiny"

Synopsis: It was November, Although it was not yet late, the sky was dark when I turned to laundress passage. I entered the bookshop and placed the shop key in it's usual place.

There I found the letter; a letter for me from Vida Winter. I knew very little about Winter, except for the obvious. I did know that she's England's beloved writer, the world's most famous living author; and so on. Fifty six books published in fifty six years; all translated into forty nine languages; Miss Winter also has been named twenty seven times the most borrowed author from English libraries; nineteen feature films have been based on her novels, and now she wanted me, Margaret Lea, to write her own biography. The ascetic author has spent six decades detailing fasle accounts of her past life; Never has she distinguished the truth of her childhood. Now old and dying, she is ready to tell the absent truth to the world, and hopefully I can get the exclusive, but there's one problem; I'm not so assured she will be telling the truth to me.

I left home on a ordinary winter day, and for miles my train ran under a gauzy white sky. Once at Harrogate Miss Winter's driver was waiting for me. He drove me to her huge mansion. I was feeling very nervous the whole time until I finally met Vida Winter. She had a good appeareance, that of a ancient queen or goddess. I right away made her promise to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth, but as we got started I found myself so mesmerized by what she was telling me that I didn't give a damn if she was telling me the absolute truth. She talked of her real name, which was Adeline March. She also mentions her crazed mother Isabelle, her depressed uncle Charlie, and her twin sister Emmeline. For months I stayed as a resident under Vida Winter's care, but now I wonder how will her story end. She gets more fragile everyday and she refuses to tell me the end. Sometimes I think we have so much in common. As if both our lives are puzzles with missing pieces that need to found and put in it's rightful place. Together we will find those pieces. Together we confront our demons of the past. Only then will we be able to confront those of the present.

What the Press would say:

From the acclaimed novel by Diane Setterfiled and the remarkable director of "Iris" and "Notes on a Scandal' comes one of the most anticpated films of the year. "The Thirteenth Tale is a heck of a thrilling gothic drama, It will leave you wanting more", says Richard Roeper. Kate Winslet and Vanessa Redgrave are magnificent on the screen and deliver true oscar worthy performances.

Kate Winslet plays Margaret Lea, a unknown biographer who's coping with her own family issues. She just finds out that she had a dead sibling who she never knew about. She thens finds out that the most famous and mysterious writer Vida Winter wants her to do her biography. Margaret wonders why me. There are so may other worthy biographers out there, Why me?. She then gets hooked into Winter's tale while still having doubts if everything Winter is telling her is true. In the end she wonders why Vida Winter won't finish her life story, and she later realizes it ends with her death. Upon Winter's death, Lea decides not to release Vida's biography. She feels it was never her story to tell.

Opposite Winslet is the legendary Vanessa Redgrave as the reclusive Vida Winter. It was her wish to tell her true life story while nearing the end of her life. Now that time is here and she hires the unknown Margaret Lea to help her get started. Adeline March is her real name and she has a twin sister named Emmeline. Togther the two caused so much chaos when they were younger. People started to think that they were mentally ill. Redgrave delivers a tour de force perfomance as we see her character get weaker every time she is revealed.

We also have great supporting work from Tilda Swinton who plays the governess Helen Barrows hired to help the twins be more proper children. Hugh Bonneville who potrays Dr. Maudsley who along with Helen tries to help in the matter. Jacqueline Bisset and Patrick Malahide who are the caretakers at the Angelfield residence. They will be the alony thing the twins have left in the end before a devastating fire that destroys the residence. The crew is fantastic. "Atonement" cinematographer Seamus McGarvey really brings out the beauty in the film, as well as Philip Glass who's terrific scores could never be ignored. The Thirteenth Tale is one NOT to miss.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actress - Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actress - Vanessa Redgrave
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Ensemble
Best Tagline
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Original Score

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