News Items

September - October 2001

 

 

Oct 31: Enigma is still attracting movie-goers in the UK and has earned £4,141,000 to date.

Box Office for weekend ending Oct 28:

1 American Pie 2 £1,626,000

2 Legally Blonde £1,453,000

3 Jeepers Creepers £1,139,000

4 Atlantis £1,116,000

5 America’s Sweethearts £962,000

6 Moulin Rouge £473,000

7 The Man Who Wasn’t There £420,000

8 Amelie £273,000

9 Asoka £235,000

10 Enigma £230,000

 

Oct 30: There's a mention of 'Enigma' in the Evening Standard:

[Article excerpts] The 1997 Finance Act provided new rules for writing off the product and acquisition expenses of British films costing less than £15m to make. The all-important Section 48 allows 100% write-off of costs in the year the film is completed and such relief has now been extended until at least 2005.

Today, quite a few companies are offering sale and leaseback deals, but claiming leadership is Future Film Group. It says it is the only film organisation in the UK with a combined offering of finance, distribution and postproduction facilities.

Its most high-profile project is Enigma, starring Titanic rose Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott from Mission: Impossible. The film has achieved critical acclaim and box office success. Set in Bletchley Park, the military base 40 miles north of London, it is about the men and women boffins, who cracked the Nazis' codes, which helped to secure victory in the Second World War. Future Film raised almost 10% of the budget using Section 48 relief schemes.

 

Oct 27: Enigma is #6 on the UK Times list of the top 10 films in release:

6: Enigma (15) -- Dougray Scott is a Second World War code-breaker and Kate Winslet an intrepid sleuth in Michael Apted’s entertaining thriller.

 

Oct 28: Enigma comes in at #5 on John Millar’s Top Ten Movies for The Sunday Mail:

5. Enigma (15)

Gorgeous Kate Winslet and dashing Dougray Scott in World War 2 thriller. Well made and well acted. Dougray manages to keep his Fife accent under wraps.

 

enigmavarietyoct.jpg (120849 bytes)Oct 25: Miramax took out a nice, full-page ad in Weekly Variety (Oct 15-21), congratulating those involved in the production on the film's successful opening.

 

Oct 25: I have added two new reviews to the Reviews page. Excerpt:

Although Winslet is very much a supporting player she has a great scene that should remind people just how good an actress she is. It’s a scene that's returned to several times in the movie and shows her watching Claire dancing in her bedroom. She watches from the doorframe both appalled and fascinated as Claire, wearing only her negligee, jiggles in front her record player. You can see in her face that she’s shocked yet deeply envious as Claire is as wild and free as she is sensible and cautious. When Claire spies her, she doesn’t laugh at her but pulls her into the room and dances with her (very awkwardly in Hester’s case) in a scene that beautifully shows why Hester is prepared to take enormous risks for someone that you’d imagine she would disapprove of terribly.

 

Oct 24: Hoyts Cinemas (Australia) is holding a contest for Enigma goodies:

Crack the code for your chance to win!

You could be in the draw to win 1 of 20 amazing Enigma Prize Packs containing:
* Enigma Double In-season Pass.
* The International No.1 Bestselling Novel ‘Enigma’ by Robert Harris.
* The Soundtrack by renown English composer, John Barry.
* An Enigma Poster.
How to Enter -- For your chance to win, simply Crack The Code by answering the 2 questions listed in the entry form below correctly.
This competition is for CMOVIES members only. Please Register or Login.
Enigma releases into Hoyts Cinemas 25/10/2001
Promotion ends: 01/11/2001.
Go HERE, then click on the Enigma link in the ‘competitions’ column.

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for the tip on the contest.

 

Oct 24: Reminder -- The British Independent Film Awards ceremony will be held this evening. Enigma has received three nominations: Best Actress (Kate), Best Director (Michael Apted), and Best Technical Achievement (John Beard, Production Design). The ceremony, hosted by Dermot O’Leary, takes place at 7 pm at the Park Lane Hotel.

 

Oct 23 (Afternoon Update): Enigma stays in the top 10 on the UK box office charts for the weekend ending Oct 21:

1 American Pie 2 -- £2,824,000

2 America’s Sweethearts -- £1,720,000

3 Jeepers Creepers -- £1,533,000

4 Atlantis: The Lost Empire -- £1,282,000

5 Moulin Rouge -- £690,000

6 Amelie -- £415,000

7 Enigma -- £367,000 (£3,665,000 total b.o.)

8 A.I. -- £255,000

9 Mike Bassett: England Manager -- £219,000

10 Cats and Dogs -- £159,000

 

Oct 22: A columnist for the Irish Times comments on the efforts of marketing professionals to connect us with a product:

enigmabookcvr.jpg (67569 bytes)Astute marketing means we enter the world of a book, film or video game long before it is released... In today's sophisticated marketing landscape, we've already started reading many a book well before we get to its once-upon-a-time line. Think of how much advance knowledge and experience of a film, television series or video game you have before encountering the real thing. You've already made a connection through the promotional trailers and posters, as well as the media previews and reviews that feed off and meld into each other, in what the literary theorist Gerard Genette referred to as paratextuality.

...Tie-ins offer additional beginnings. Compare an original book cover with that of the edition published to coincide with the release of a film or television adaptation. The reissue of Enigma, Robert Harris's 1995 novel about code-breakers, inevitably relies on images of the film's stars, who include Kate Winslet and Saffron Burrows.

Personally, I quite enjoy all the tie-ins.

 

Oct 21: Reminder -- Enigma is screened today during the final day of the Hamptons throct16.jpg (85151 bytes)Film Fest. The film fest org took out an ad in The Hollywood Reporter (Oct 16-22 issue) which features a small pic of Kate and Dougray.

Enigma has been awarded The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize in Science and Technology at the festival. From the Hamptons fest site:

We are proud to enter the second year of a unique partnership with The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, presenting a $25,000 cash prize to a filmmaker who succeeds in conveying a dramatically compelling story about science and technology that challenges existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit institution focused on science, technology, and economic progress. It was established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr., then President and Chief Executive of General Motors Corporation, who observed that, "too often we fail to pay tribute to the creative spirit." For three years, The Hamptons International Film Festival will serve as an exhibition platform for filmmakers who defy stereotypes and realistically depict science and technology themes with originality and insight.

We frequently lose sight of the complex human individuals and their personal struggles – as well as their professional challenges – that lie at the heart of scientific and technological advancement. By encouraging and rewarding filmmakers for turning their talents to this realm, The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Hamptons International Film Festival hope to encourage the search for the deeper truth so central to the spirit of artistic and scientific discovery.

This year, we honor Michael Apted’s ENIGMA, a wartime thriller set in England’s top-secret Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain gathered to crack the German code. With a screenplay by Tom Stoppard, this literate film provides an unusually incisive portrait of a brilliant young mathematician whose romantic passions clash – and then ultimately combine – with his passion for codebreaking. In its historically accurate depiction of the Enigma coding machine, and the extraordinary challenges of deciphering it, the film also pays homage to many unsung heroes – mathematicians, linguists, electrical engineers – whose innovations helped shorten the war, and also accelerated the development of computers.

 

Oct 21: There are three mini-reviews of Enigma at Urban Cinefile, which I've posted on the 'Enigma Reviews' page. Excerpts:

Apted...crafts an engaging, nay, riveting film, built on character but propelled by love and courage. Of course, it’s all done with the restraint of English understatement, which carries quite a wallop when it has to. The entire cast give him all they’ve got, working the slightest nuance, the smallest glance, into a web of personality. It’s smart, dynamic and yet handled with a light touch to also make it graceful. You won’t regret spending your time and money here.

You will have to look twice to recognise the wonderful Kate Winslet behind her owl glasses, dark hair and flat shoes. Her no-nonsense Hester is so real we can touch her.

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for the find.

 

Oct 18: Michael C. reports from Australia that he saw an ad for Enigma in today’s Age newspaper, promoting the opening of the film on Oct 25. Thanks, Michael.

 

Oct 17: More on the UK box office the past weekend:

UK Welcomes Second Helping of Pie

Robert Mitchell in London

American Pie 2, the sequel to 1999’s hit gross-out comedy, took the UK box office by storm at the weekend taking a massive $8m (£5.5m) from 420 sites, including previews of $1,111,103 (£765,550) from 376 sites, for an impressive site average of $19,036... Also opening well was Warner Bros limited release of The Pledge. Directed by Sean Penn and starring Jack Nicholson, who also took the lead in Penn’s last directorial effort, 1995’s The Crossing Guard, the film took a very strong $206,241 (£142,100) from just 34 sites. Showing a resounding $6,066 site average The Pledge claimed the number 11 position in the chart. Also making the chart, at number 13, was BVI’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire despite having only opened on 40 sites in Scotland. The animated film's three-day take of $115,668, alongside the $437,392 from 400 sites it took in previews nationwide, suggests it should perform well when it opens across the country on Friday 19 Oct.

Still fairly unshakeable 20th Century Fox’s musical hit Moulin Rouge passed the $20m mark in the UK at the weekend while dropping a paltry 19% from the previous weekend. Now in its sixth week on release Baz Luhrmann’s film placed second and shows little sign of waning so far.

Also maintaining a strong performance was Momentum Pictures' much talked about French release Amelie. Holding fifth position in its second weekend, the romantic comedy dropped off just 7% from its opening three-day figure, 15% from the opening including previews. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest has recorded a 10-day total of $2m (£1.4m) making it the fifth most successful foreign-language release of all-time in the territory.

Rounding out the top five were Enigma, holding third place with $768,832 and dropping just 25% from the previous weekend, and A.I. Artificial Intelligence at four with $748,557.

Source: Screen Daily

 

Oct 16: The film held on to the #3 slot on the UK box office chart this past weekend!

1 American Pie 2 - £5,509,000 (first weekend in release)

2 Moulin Rouge - £864,000

3 Enigma - £530,000 (£2,988,000 after 3rd weekend)

4 A.I. - £516,000

5 Amelie - £478,000

6 Mike Bassett: England Manager - £402,000

7 The Score - £336,000

8 The Fast And The Furious - £271,000

9 A Knight’s Tale - £167,000

10 Cats And Dogs - £146,000

Source: BBC

 

Oct 16: More on the Hamptons Int’l Film Fest:

Hamptons ready for fest battle with war pics
NEW YORK -- Sandwiched between the Toronto International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the IFP Market on one side and the London Screenings and MIFED on the other, the Hamptons International Film Festival, which takes place Wednesday-Sunday, might be a tough sell to an industry whose calendar is already crowded with big-name fests. But the festival, which is in its ninth year and takes place in East Hampton, Sag Harbor and Westhampton Beach, N.Y., continues to grow, according to executive director Denise Kasell. "With 16,000 tickets sold last year, we feel we're doing well," she said. This year's event -- which kicks off with Yurek Bogayvevicz's "Edges of the Lord," a Miramax Films release that tells a coming-of-age story set in wartime Poland and starring Haley Joel Osment and Willem Dafoe -- features 11 world premieres, three U.S. premieres, 14 East Coast premieres and nine New York premieres. The program is bracketed by another film set during World War II, Michael Apted's "Enigma," a thriller from Manhattan Pictures starring Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam and Saffron Burrows, which will serve as the closing-night feature.
(Jeffrey R. Sipe)

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

 

Oct 14: I have posted an article from the Sun-Herald (Australia) on the 'Enigma Features' page that contains interesting comments from Kate about her role of Hester.  "There has been no nudity and no water ... I'm happy!"

 

Oct 14: A writer for the Observer notes his experience at an Enigma screening:

My wife comes home and tries to calm me down but I am so delirious with patriotic fervour that she is eventually obliged to bundle me off to the cinema to see Enigma, which is famously the story of how a dour but brainy Yorkshireman wins the war for England, even though many of his thought processes are conducted via his reproductive organs. I buy a giant hotdog and am in my seat with more time than a man needs to get ketchup down himself and muse on whether Coke at cinemas costs so much because of all the effort of taking the fizz out of it. But some days later the film starts and the British admiral is soon loudly explaining the ins and outs of codebreaking for the benefit of anybody in the audience with no direct experience of wartime intelligence-gathering.

Luckily, not only have I read the book but I have precisely the kind of mind willing to struggle with crosswords of marriage-wrecking complexity and would have almost certainly been snapped up for this kind of work, which consists of sitting up all night in damp tweeds, smoking pipes and having angular hair. And even though I am stuck in the front row with a pregnant Kate Winslet right on top of me I find my natural inventor's mind turning on special cinema spectacles that make everything smaller for people who arrive late. What a plucky, inventive island race we are!

The Greeks probably have a word for us. I bet the Germans do, too.

-- Phil Hogan

 

Oct 14: Reminder -- Enigma will be screened at the Hamptons Film Festival later this month. The NY Post carried this item today about the fest:

It's showtime in the Hamptons. No, not the Lizzie Grubman trial. We're talking about the Hamptons International Film Festival.

It kicks off Wednesday with Yurek Bogayevicz's "Edges of the Lord," featuring Haley Joel Osment and set in 1943 Poland, and wraps Oct. 21 with Michael Apted's World War II thriller "Enigma," starring Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam and Saffron Burrows.

In between will be a varied mix of films and videos... The Hamptons festival takes place at the United Artists theater and the Guild Hall, both in East Hampton, as well as the Westhampton Beach Performing Art Center and the Sag Harbor Theater. For more information, visit www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.

 

Oct 13: The UK Times ranks Enigma the #8 film in release:

Enigma (15): Dougray Scott is a Second World War code-breaker and Kate Winslet an intrepid sleuth in Michael Apted’s entertaining thriller.

 

Oct 13: The Daily Telegraph also has a nice item on Enigma in today’s edition:

Enigma (15): If you're in the mood for an old-fashioned spy thriller, this is for you. Adapted by Tom Stoppard from Robert Harris's novel, and starring Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet and Saffron Burrows, it tells the story of a broken-hearted codebreaker at Bletchley Park, and how he gets caught up in the attempts of the British Secret Service to hide information that might interfere with the war effort. Michael Apted, fresh from directing the last James Bond movie, is in charge, and he brings some of that experience to bear on this Forties setting. The period detail is good, and the performances are convincing. It's a very talkative movie and sometimes believability is surrendered to melodrama. But it's fairly sound entertainment none the less.

 

Oct 12: Nice words for Kate’s performance in Enigma in today’s Reading Evening Post:

Kate Winslet, heavily pregnant during the filming of this Second World War whodunnit, is excellent as the dowdy Hester Wallace who helps cryptanalyst Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott) crack the secret German code, and get to the bottom of a possible murder mystery Jericho has become renowned for breaking Nazi encrypted messages using the ingenious Enigma code-breaking machine recovered during the war.
So, it is no surprise when he is called in from his enforced leave of absence to help crack the latest Enigma code. Time is of the essence as he must complete the task before the German U-boats can attack their cargo of essential supplies.
Hester assists as Tom attempts to weed out a suspected spy and solve the mystery of a girl’s disappearance – a girl, Claire (Saffron Burrows) with whom Tom has had a steamy affair.
The complexity increases as they eventually uncover a governmental conspiracy and a growing attraction for each other.
This Michael Apted-directed drama has Hitchcockian overtones reminiscent of the masterpiece Vertigo. Mystery is created around the alluring character of Claire. Apted’s use of flashback allows us only fleeting glimpses of Claire through the eyes of both Tom and Hester, lending her a vital mysterious, or ‘Enigmatic’ air.
With a screenplay by Tom Stoppard, you might think the film cannot fail, but many of the scenes seem better suited to the stage.
Enigma is the latest in a series of love stories set during the Second World War. The focus on love against a backdrop of war seems to draw out its significance; feeling and emotion are heightened allowing the director to stress the importance of love.
Enigma is a puzzle in itself, playing out like an extended episode of Poirot, and while it’s good to see a film about the Second World War that doesn’t suggest the Americans won it single-handedly, I have to say, you might find it hits your boredom threshold.

 

Oct 11: Times critic James Christopher puts Enigma in the #1 slot on his list of 'five favorite films from the current crop on release':

1. Enigma -- Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott crunch impossible odds in this spellbinding period thriller lucidly stitched together by director Michael Apted and writer Tom Stoppard. A brilliant piece of storytelling.

 

Oct 11: Here’s a mention of the 'habitually stunning Winslet' in an article about Enigma co-star Saffron Burrows:

'Smouldering Saffron,' By Stephanie Young

Cinema-goers currently flocking to see World War II spy-romp 'Enigma' with the expectation of finding the gorgeous Kate Winslet lighting up their screens will be disappointed. The habitually stunning Winslet is virtually unrecognisable, wearing browns and mouldy greens, sporting milkbottle-thick glasses and looking every inch the frump. But the film does not want for glamour - sexy and smouldering in Kate's stead is another homegrown star.

Twenty-seven-year-old Saffron Burrows, (soon to be seen alongside Salma Hayek in 'Kahlo', a film about the controversial painter) shares Winslet's reputation for hard work and, like Winslet, has cannily carved a distinctive career path, mixing roles in small, critically acclaimed art-house films, with mega-budget blockbusters. But there end the similarities for although Winslet is now a huge celebrity whose every move is catalogued and analysed, Burrows' star shines more modestly.

Despite her impressive curriculum vitae - she boasts 15 film credits and several major tv roles to her name - she remains a relative unknown to the British public.

So who is Saffron Burrows?

Read the rest of the article about Saffron HERE.

 

Oct 10: Screen Daily reports today on the UK box office figures for last weekend and notes that attendance for Enigma was down only 11%.

Audacious Australian musical Moulin Rouge reclaimed the top of the UK chart this week from two-week champ A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Now in its fifth week on release Baz Luhrmann’s film dropped off just 20% from its previous weekend, its largest fall so far, taking a three-day gross of $1.6m (£1.1m) from 397 sites. The film has already amassed $18.4m (£12.5m) at the UK box office and looks to keep going strong for some time although its ability to retain the top spot will no doubt be compromised by the release of UIP’s American Pie 2 on Friday and Julia Roberts/John Cusack comedy America’s Sweethearts on October 19. In comparison A.I. fell 41% in its third weekend, grossing $1.4m (£920,267) from 436 sites, with total gross standing at $9.4m (£6.4m).

Also swapping places from last week were UK productions Enigma and Mike Bassett: England Manager. The strong reception for Entertainment’s Mike Bassett last weekend was slightly diminished in its second weekend as the soccer comedy dropped 30% to record a three-day figure of $865,867 from 265 sites for fourth place. Meanwhile Enigma, which took the third position held by Bassett last week, held strong, taking $1.04m from 276 sites, a drop of just 11%.

 

Oct 9: The film continues to play to large audiences. Opening at #4 in its first weekend in release in the UK, it was #3 in UK box office receipts this past weekend!

1 Moulin Rouge  £1,073,000

2 A.I.  £920,000

3 Enigma  £707,000

 

Oct 7: The Sunday Times calls Enigma 'undistinguished' but Kate one of the best things about the film:

Film - The Critical List

This is a second world war spy yarn and love story about clever chaps breaking German codes and a femme fatale, Claire (Saffron Burrows), breaking the heart of the star code-cracker, Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott). Kate Winslet, as Tom's sidekick, and Jeremy Northam, as a slimy spy-hunter, are the best things about this undistinguished movie.
119 mins, 15

 

Oct 5: I have added two new, positive reviews to the Enigma Reviews page (Heat and Now magazines). I also found today a review that is mostly negative, but praises Kate’s ability:

The only real saving grace in the movie is Kate Winslet, but even she seems to be hampered somewhat with an undeveloped character. At one point, there's a hint at something a bit exotic (not saying what!) but it doesn't pay off and the movie just railroads her into more cliched and trite situations. We all know that she is a stunningly talented actress and capable of turning her hand to anything, so why stick her in a movie if you don't allow her to do just that?

 

Oct 4: Enigma author Robert Harris addressed the concerns of the Polish community in a letter-to-the-editor of the Telegraph:

SIR - The organised letter-writing campaign mounted by some members of the Polish community against the film of my novel Enigma has surprised me. My book was published in 1995, and was translated into Polish in 1996. Of approximately 1,000 letters I have received from readers since, only one has ever complained of its depiction of the Poles.

The latest attack on my supposed "error", Jozef Garlinski's letter (Oct. 3), is itself full of errors. I did not base my novel on his book Intercept. My novel does not suggest that "everyone" at Bletchley Park knew of the existence of the Enigma machine: rather the contrary. Nowhere do I claim that Ultra was "the name of the code-breaking uni": every schoolboy knows that Ultra was the code name given to the fruits of signals intelligence (and not, pace Mr Garlinski, to the worldwide network that produced it).

I was well aware when I wrote the novel that no Pole worked at Bletchley Park, which is why the character who has caused so much indignation holds a British passport, and is the son of an English mother and a Polish father.

His (fictional) situation was inspired by a real-life character who also had a foreign aspect to his background: Walter Ettinghausen, a German-born Jew who worked in the Naval Section and who, in 1943, translated a decoded intercept referring to the Final Solution.

In the novel, as in the film, my fictional Polish character also discovers the existence of a great crime in 1943, and it is this that motivates him. Far from seeking to be gratuitously offensive about the Polish contribution to the breaking of Enigma, it was partly my anger at British disregard for Polish suffering that fuelled the novel. For six years, the vast majority of readers of Enigma have clearly recognised this, and I hope that cinema-goers who approach the film with an open mind will recognise it, too.

Robert Harris

Kintbury, Berks

Background to the above item: Polish Ambassador Stanislaw Komorski decided to boycott the royal premiere. A spokesperson for Komorski told the Times:

"The ambassador didn't go because we find the film outrageous. The only Polish character in the film is a traitor, but he is fictitious. There was no traitor among the many Polish cryptoanalysts who shared their knowledge with the French and British from 1939 and worked with them to break the code. Of course, the film is not a document, but we think there is no explanation for breaking the limit of fiction. The young spectators learn history not at school but at the movies. Fiction should not make us upset."

 

Oct 4: More coverage of Enigma’s inclusion in the Hamptons Int’l Film Fest:

The Hamptons International Film Festival has unveiled its extensive program of features, docs, panels, special events and programs highlighting women in film, youth media and more taking place in the well-heeled communities of East Hampton, Sag Harbor and Westhampton on Long Island, NY (October 17 - 21).
...This year's roster features 11 World Premieres, 3 U.S. premieres, 14 East Coast premieres and 9 New York premieres including the opening night film, "Edges of the Lord" by writer/director Yurek Bogayevicz. Set in an idyllic Polish village, the Miramax release is described in a press release as "a multi-layered coming-of-age story" and stars Haley Joel Osment, who will introduce the film. This year's five Spotlight Films include the New York premiere of "No Man's Land," by Bosnian director Danis Tanovic, which won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes 2001. Closing the Festival is Michael Apted's "Enigma" described by the Festival as "a film that explores science and technology themes with originality and insight, challenging existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers."
Source: Indie Wire

 

Oct 4: The Telegraph has an article posted about a real-life code breaker upon whom the character of Hester Wallace is partially based. Excerpts:

Among the pile of fan letters Kate Winslet received this week for her performance in the film Enigma, is one that will both delight and puzzle her. It comes from Mavis Batey, an 80-year-old who lives in Bognor Regis, and it ends with a series of incomprehensible words written in capital letters. "I'm sure she can crack it," says Mavis, who has faith in Winslet as a code-breaker. And when, earlier in the letter, she says she "really identified" with Winslet in the film, it might be because Mavis was a role model for Winslet's character, Hester Wallace. It was she who told the actress about life among the code-breakers at Bletchley Park.

Batey is full of praise for Winslet's acting. "She kept her attractiveness well at bay - though perhaps she slightly overdid the dowdiness." Others, now that the true history of Bletchley in winning the war is finally emerging, are equally full of admiration for Mavis...

When she and Kate Winslet met for tea in a Holland Park hotel, there was plenty to say. "I told her about the concerts we went to and the nights at the flicks; the way we swapped clothes to go dancing and the hairdresser who charged 3/6d. We only had a couple of coats and skirts, but always looked smart. We knitted jumpers and dressed them up with pearls and earrings. Kate was very anxious about her bump showing in the film as she was pregnant, but she looked fine, if a little scruffy."

Mavis was so convinced by Kate as Hester that she talks about them as one person. Let's hope Kate does have Hester's gift for decoding. If not, she may be chewing her pencil over Mavis's letter for some time. Should she get stuck, Mavis suggests starting with the one-letter word - I or A? - and assuming that the final five-letter word is Mavis. Winslet may also like to know that another word reads "stunning".

 

Oct 3: I have posted Karen's experiences at the royal premiere of 'Enigma', along with some great pics, on a separate page  GO!  Thanks, Karen!

 

Oct 3: Enigma was the top British film in London this weekend!

British films were the toast of the town in the UK this weekend as Enigma and Mike Bassett: England Manager battled it out with holdover The Fast And The Furious and fellow opener The Score to claim top five positions. While unable to pose any threat to Steven Spielberg’s fantasy A.I. Artificial Intelligence, which held the top spot in its second weekend on release, or 20th Century Fox powerhouse Moulin Rouge, the two local titles ably proved their pulling power with Bassett taking third place and Enigma coming in at four.

The competition was tight with Enigma, based on the novel by Robert Harris and starring Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet, scored $1.18m (£794,521) from 267 sites nationwide compared with Mike Bassett’s slightly stronger $1.24m (£835,219) from one less site. In the capital the situation was very different with the World War II drama taking a massive $183,114 (£123,785) from 11 sites in London’s west end while Entertainment’s comedy grossed $49,584 (£33,519) from nine sites.

Source: Screen Daily

 

Oct 3: The Telegraph reports on the UK box office today and reports that Enigma had an 'unexpectedly strong' showing in its first weekend of release:

British films storm box office

A period of slim pickings for British films ended yesterday with Mike Bassett, England Manager and Enigma opening with unexpectedly strong takings at the box office. The football "mockumentary" took £830,000 at 230 UK cinemas at the weekend.

Both films were just ahead of The Score, starring Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro, which took £714,000, but were behind Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence, which in 10 days has taken £5 million.

Enigma, the Mick Jagger-produced £19 million movie about code crackers at Bletchley Park, made £794,521 from 267 screens.

BTW - The top 10 films in the UK last weekend were: A.I., Moulin Rouge, Mike Basett: England Manager, Enigma, The Fast And The Furious, The Score, A Knight’s Tale, Cats And Dogs, Scary Movie, Shrek.

 

Oct 2: Thanks to my pal Sylvia of  Dougray Scott in Focus for passing along the news that 'Enigma' will be screened on the closing night (Oct 21) of the Hamptons Int'l Film Festival. For schedule and ticket info, go to the official festival site.

From Variety:

‘Hamptons 'Edges' In’
Osment starrer to launch fest's 9th edition

By Charles Lyons

The ninth annual Hamptons Intl. Film Festival will unspool Oct. 17-21 in venues in East Hampton, Sag Harbor, Westhampton Beach and Gotham.

Fest's opening-night pic is Yurek Bogayevicz's "Edges of the Lord," a Miramax release starring Haley Joel Osment. Closing-night film is forthcoming Manhattan Pictures release "Enigma," a Michael Apted-helmed pic penned by Tom Stoppard from Robert Harris' WWII thriller that stars Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam and Saffron Burrows.

This year's event includes 11 world premieres and three U.S. preems, with an eclectic array of panels and special presentations.

Competing for the fest's main prize, worth over $180,000 in goods and in-kind services, are pics including "All About You," written and directed by Christine Swanson; writer-director Joseph Castelo's "American Saint"; writer-director J.P. Allen's "Coffee and Language"; "Killer Me," from writer, director, editor and composer Zachary Hansen; and Karl Slovin's "On Edge."

Five new features will be introduced in the fest's Spotlight Films program: Danis Tanovic's "No Man's Land," an upcoming MGM release; Patrick Stettner's "The Business of Strangers," starring Stockard Channing and Julia Stiles, to be released by IFC; Robert Moresco's directorial debut, "One Eyed Kings," starring Armand Assante and William Baldwin, and to be released by Manhattan Pictures; New Line's "Life as a House," helmed by Irwin Winkler and starring Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas and Hayden Christensen; and Guillermo del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone," to be released by Sony Pictures Classics.

Focus on filmmakers

Among the fest's events are a special presentation of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane," with film critic Roger Ebert on hand to conduct a master class on the pic, to be released this fall on DVD; and a "Conversation With ... ," an evening with a filmmaker to be announced, hosted by New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell.

Fest's doc division features five pics competing for a Golden Starfish prize: "E Dreams," Wonsuk Chin's look at the rise and fall of a dot-com; Stephen Earnhart's directorial debut, "Mule Skinner Blues"; Justine Shapiro, B.Z. Goldberg and Carlos Bolado's "Promises," about the Middle East conflict as seen through the eyes of Palestinian and Israeli children; Max Raab's "Strut!"; and Gotham-based choreographer Tamar Rogoff and Daisy Wright's "Summer in Ivye."

World Cinema section features "The Artistry of Cuba," a selection of pics from that country, celebrating a legacy of Cuban arts and ideas.

 

October 2: The film was #4 at the UK box office this past weekend:

AI is still the number one film in the UK.

Moulin Rouge is in second place, followed by Mike Bassett: England Manager.

Kate Winslet's new film Enigma completes the UK box office top four.

Ricky Tomlinson's Mike Bassett made £830,000 in its first weekend of release, compared to Enigma's £795,000.

Steven Spielberg's AI, starring Jude Law, made nearly £1.5 million in its second week in UK cinemas.

The Score, which stars Edward Norton and Robert De Niro, reached number six in the UK top ten with £676,000.

Source: Ananova

From Yahoo! News:

In its world premiere, "Enigma," the Michael Apted-helmed spy thriller toplining Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet, snared a sterling $1.1 million in the U.K. (the picture is slated for the U.S. in January via Manhattan Pictures). It came in fractionally below fellow rookie "Mike Bassett: England Manager," football mockumentary featuring local TV identity Ricky Tomlinson.

From My Movies:

Although there were three new entries in the UK box office top ten this weekend the top two films stayed the same. Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick’s "A.I." held on to the top spot for a second week – something it was unable to do in the U.S. – and musical fantasy "Moulin Rouge" remained at number two. The highest new entry was "Mike Bassett: England Manager" at number three, with "Enigma" just behind at number four. The Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando and Edward Norton thriller "The Score" failed to debut in the top five coming in at number six, one spot below "The Fast And The Furious."

 

October 2: Tamara attended the royal premiere of the film and has scanned the pages of the program - go HERE to view. Thanks, Tamara!

 

October 2: My Movies has published interviews with Enigma stars Dougray Scott, Jeremy Northam and director Michael Apted that were done at the recent London premiere. Apted was asked about Kate’s contributions to the film:

Apted: 'We were lucky to get her. We got her because she was pregnant and couldn’t then do the film she was supposed to. She had always known about this film, I had asked her to be in it from the beginning but she had this other commitment. Its our loss - and a little hers - that’s she not here but we can understand that. But she made a massive contribution.'

 

Oct 1 (Evening Update): Enigma apparently did well at the UK box office this past weekend, but was not #1:

Mike Bassett tops the league

Ricky Tomlinson's football comedy Mike Bassett: England Manager has outsold Kate Winslet and Robert De Niro's latest films at the UK box office.

The spoof documentary came in at No 1 and took £830,000 at the weekend. It beat off competition from Winslet's WWII drama Enigma and The Score, starring De Niro and Marlon Brando.

The film follows a Division 1 soccer boss who becomes the national team's manager when no-one wants the job.

As soon as the box office figures are available, I'll post them here!

 

Oct 1: The Observer chose Enigma producer Mick Jagger as the Mogul of the Week:

Mick Jagger embraced the film world anew last week, gracing the premiere of his own Enigma picture (unlike its star Kate Winslet) on Monday and arriving late chez Monsieur l'Ambassadeur on Tuesday. Trailer Trash asked the proud head of Jagged Films what he thought made him qualified to become a film producer at the age of 58. With a winning smile he said: 'I got lots of money, haven't I?'

 

Sept 30: Enigma is a 'classy period spy-thriller', according to Sunday People:

THIS WEEK'S MOVIES

ENIGMA

This is a timely reminder that, despite Hollywood myth, the US didn't win WW2 all on their own.

This classy period spy-thriller based on Robert Harris's bestseller and directed by Michael Apted, spotlights Britain's secret army of code-breakers whose chief weapon against German U Boats was the Enigma machine that looked liked a cheap typewriter.

Shot on location at Bletchley Park's former Station X, it stars Dougray Scott as maths genius Tom Jericho, returning to duty after a nervous breakdown. There's another mystery too surrounding the disppearance of his ex-lover Claire (Saffron Burrows).

But the real draw-card is Kate Winslet frumping for England as Jericho's brainy and bespectacled sidekick Hester. And keep your eyes peeled for a cameo from producer Mick Jagger.

They just don't make wars like this any more.

 

Sept 30: Kate is on the cover of the UK Sunday Times’ Culture magazine! culture930.jpg (76328 bytes)Included in the Enigma feature section is a an article written by Robert Harris (author of the EnigmaI novel) about the making of the film. The article is posted on the Enigma Features page.

 

Sept 28: Watch two great video features about the making of Enigma! They include on-the-set interviews with Kate, Dougray, and Saffron, as well as many clips from the film! From My Movies:

Take a look behind the scenes -- In our two part 'behind-the-scenes' feature director Michael Apted and the stars of "Enigma" - including Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet - talk about making the film, and the amazing true story that inspired it which was kept secret for thirty years.

 

Sept 28: BBC News wants the opinions of viewers who have seen Enigma:

The World War II thriller Enigma has taken six years to reach the screen. Kate Winslet heads a cast of British stars who face a race against time to crack Germany's wartime codes. James Bond director Michael Apted takes the reins with a screenplay adapted by Tom Stoppard from the Robert Harris best seller.

BBC News Online's Ian Youngs says "It does not fall into the common trap among British films of feeling like it was made for a Sunday night slot on BBC Two."

But what do you think? Are there enough thrills? Does it capture the tension of the period?

Post your comments HERE.

 

Sept 28: I have found several new reviews of Enigma that have been published today and will work on getting them all posted this weekend. Here are excerpts from a great Femail review:

Kate Winslet is delightful as a plain but indefatigable young woman pleasantly surprised at any man taking a romantic interest in her. It's also good to see a thoroughly middle-class, competent British heroine, the sort you might actually meet in real life. This is a startlingly clever performance - truthful, funny and touching.

...It's consistently gripping and enjoyable. Add the wit of Stoppard's dialogue, and a stirring, melodic score by John Barry, and this movie is well worth experiencing.

 

Sept 28: According to the Daily Record, Enigma is a ‘movie must’:

An atmospheric World War II drama starring Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Scots hunk Dougray Scott. With intrigue, suspicion and sabotage around every corner, this mystery of codes and code breaking, love and betrayal, Enigma packed with plenty of unexpected twists to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

 

Sept 28: On UK TV tonight:

ITV1 Scottish - 10.30 Moviejuice -- Including a report on Enigma, starring Kate Winslet. Presented by Sarah Heaney and Grant Lauchlan.

 

Sept 28: Ten copies of a special edition of the Enigma novel are up for grabs. Go to the BBC Films site to enter the competition. Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for the link.

 

Sept 27: Today on BBC 1 - Film 2001 with Jonathan Ross; includes a review of Enigma with Kate Winslet.

 

Sept 26: Three British Independent Film Awards nominations for Enigma!

Everything To Play For
The nominations for the British Independent Film Awards were announced today, with no one film taking an early lead. Sexy Beast, Jump Tomorrow and SW9 all garnered five nominations each, with Bread and Roses, Late Night Shopping, Warrior and Enigma taking on three nominations.

The awards are the first of the season and take place in London on 24 October 2001 at the Park Lane Hotel.

Michael Apted received a Best Director nod. Sadly, Dougray did not receive a Best Actor nom.

More from Ananova Entertainment News:

Nominees announced for British Independent Film Awards

Kate Winslet, Ben Kingsley and Timothy Spall are among the nominees for this year's British Independent Film Awards.

Winslet is nominated in the Best Actress category for Enigma.

Sexy Beast has the most nominations, followed by Jump Tomorrow which has yet to be released in UK cinemas.

Samantha Morton is nominated for Best Actress for Pandaemonium, along with Kate Ashfield for Late Night Shopping, and Susan Lynch for Beautiful Creatures.

For the Best Actor award, Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley are both nominated for Sexy Beast, Timothy Spall for Lucky Break, and Ian Hart for Liam.

Bread And Roses, Sexy Beast, South West Nine and Jump Tomorrow are the nominees for Best British Independent Film.

Other awards include The Lifetime Achievement Award and the UK Personality Award.

The winners will be announced on October 24.

 

Sept 25: BBC has a clip from Enigma - It’s a great 2 1/2 minute scene with Kate and Dougray. Real Player required. Watch clip!

BBC News also has a video report from the premiere - I agree with the BBC reporter’s comment at that end of the report that if Kate had attended, her private life would have overshadowed the event.

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for the BBC video links.

 

Sept 25: Empire Online has a gallery of pics from the premiere up today and this report (I love Saffron’s comments):

As star after star strolled down the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square last night, one person in particular was conspicuous by her absence. Leading lady Kate Winslet dropped out of the event at the last minute, apparently unwilling to face awkward questions from the press. "I am very sorry not to be there to celebrate the premiere of Enigma, of which I’m very proud," said an official statement from the actress. "In light of recent personal events I feel that for the sake of myself and my family, a short time out of the spotlight would be beneficial."

Her co-stars in the film were, however, highly supportive of Winslet’s decision not to attend. "I think she just has some problems, at the moment, with being in the limelight," said the film’s executive producer, Mick Jagger. "I’m not at all surprised," added Jeremy Northam. "But then you’re asking somebody who’s dragged kicking and screaming to these things."

Saffron Burrows was particularly outspoken in Winslet’s defence, saying of reporters who had condemned the actress’s decision: "I think they should just give her some respect. I think it’s disgusting. At a time like this one would think they’d have some relativity."

The film’s remaining stars were nevertheless enthusiastic to be out promoting the film, even in light of the recent tragic events in the US. "It’s a very strange time doing something like this. It’s very odd trying to get a handle on what one feels about anything at the moment," said Northam. "But there is a very good reason for doing this tonight which is the Prince’s Trust and I hope we raise a lot of money for that."

Dougray Scott was positively gushing with praise for the film and most of all for director Michael Apted. "It’s quite daunting coming out here in front of everybody. I do love the film and I’m very proud of it. Mike’s an extraordinary director and I’m more inclined to go out and promote a film like this because I had a real experience working with Michael Apted and I’ll cherish that the rest of my life. I’d always wanted to do a film about the second world war because it was a turning point in English history," Apted explained. "And I found in the script, and in Robert Harris’ book, something that had never been done about it. It wasn’t the same old stuff with trenches and air battles and all that."

The evening’s royal guest appeared last of all, sweeping into the cinema to talk with the stars before being seated for the screening. After the performance, Prince Charles and the other guests where whisked off for a formal sit-down dinner at ultra-swanky venue, The Banqueting Halls in Whitehall.

 

Sept 25: I found a video report about the Enigma premiere, and, of course, the focus of the report is on Kate’s absence. Watch the video (Real Player). Transcript:

Reporter Brett Allen: It was the film’s producer Mick Jagger who took center stage at the royal line-up last night and not the leading lady, Kate Winslet. The other cast members of the film Enigma, a war-time thriller, were left to talk about the absent star.

Reporter: Pity Kate Winslet can’t be here tonight.

Northam: Pity, it's a shame, but I totally understand.

Burrows: I saw Kate, and she’s done a brilliant job in the film, and she should be really proud of it. She’s very... she’s fantastic.

BA: It’s three weeks since the twenty-five-year-old actress made the surprise announcement she was splitting from her husband, Jim Threapleton. Tonight she issued a statement saying she was sorry she couldn’t be at the premiere. [Clip from film] Her new film, Enigma, tells the story of the famous code-breakers based at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. The subject was a passion for the film’s producer, who put in a cameo appearance, too.

Jagger: It’s really a bright movie, very intelligent and it’s very British, and enjoy it.

Reporter: And what about your cameo appearance?

Jagger: It’s very small (laughing).

BA: Nevertheless, he made the screening a real family outing. His dad was with him, and his daughter, too. So, even though Kate Winslet wasn’t there last night to share in the customary first night glamour, it certainly won’t harm the film’s publicity. Brett Allen, ITN.

 

Sept 25: Femail has a few pics up from the Enigma premiere - Go HERE (click on ‘stars turn out for the London premiere of the new movie Enigma’ link at top right of page).

 

Sept 25: People News reported on the celebs who attended the premiere:

It was a case of 'Where's Winslet?' at last night's royal premiere of Enigma, with the star’s disappearing act indicating that perhaps she took the film title a tad seriously. Kate's co-star Dougray Scott arrived with his wife Sarah Trevis firmly attached to his arm. 'It's none of my business,' he said of Winslet's no-show, not a little defensively. The film's producer, a gurning Mick Jagger, stepped into the breach to become the evening's starlet, and guest of honour Prince Charles contented himself by talking to an array stars, including Saffron Burrows, Tom Stoppard, Ray Winstone, Sting, Stephen Daldry, Jeremy Northam and Mariella Frostrup. Leicester Square became ageing rock star central for the night, with the Stones clans out in force. Mick's brother Chris, dad Joe, and nephew Dimitri showed up to support Mick and daughter Elizabeth, who also brought boyfriend Damian van Zyl along to witness her small role in the film. Jagger Sr said he was proud of his son, but would wait to see the film before saying whether Mick's cameo was any good. Leah Wood also has a part, so parents Ronnie and Jo turned up. And because they don't like to miss a party, Bill and Suzanne Wyman attended, too. Warm fuzzies award for the night goes to Angus Deayton, who escorted his mum Susan, a former employee at Bletchley Park, where the film is set. However, it wasn't all the great and the good; Popstars rejects Liberty turned up, no doubt to promote their new single, coincidentally released the same day. There's always one, isn't there?

More from People News:

Kate pulls out of premiere
No-show for Enigma star
Kate Winslet failed to appear at the premiere of her new movie, Enigma, in Leicester Square last night. Prince Charles, who had been due to meet Winslet, attended and chatted to the rest of the cast. Co-star Saffron Burrows said, 'It's a shame Kate couldn't be here. She did a brilliant job and would have been so proud.' Dougray Scott arrived hand in hand with his casting director wife, Sarah Trevis. Despite rumours of a marital rift three weeks ago, the couple kissed and cuddled for the cameras. Scott, who grew close to Winslet during the filming, said, 'I didn't know Kate wasn't coming. I don't know why she didn't. It's none of my business. I've only spoken to her once in the last three months.' Winslet pulled out yesterday morning. 'I think she has a bit of a problem with the limelight,' said , the film's producer.

 

Sept 25: New reviews of Enigma, mostly positive, appear today in the UK Independent and Daily Mail. I have posted them on the Enigma Reviews page.

 

Sept 25: Several papers contain articles today about Kate deciding to not attend the Enigma royal premiere in London. Jagger says "she's not afraid of terrorism but she is afraid of the British press" (who wouldn’t be?!). Here are a couple of the stories:

From The Daily Mail:

"Kate Misses Royal Premiere," By Mark Reynolds

Kate Winslet last night turned her back on the old adage that the show must go on by snubbing her own royal premiere. Weeks after announcing the breakdown of her three-year marriage, the star said she felt unable to put on an act at the London screening of the film Enigma.

Her co-star in the wartime drama, meanwhile, attempted to put paid to rumours that his own marriage was on the rocks. Arriving at the screening in Leicester Square, Dougray Scott, 35, engulfed his wife Sarah Trevis in a passionate embrace - taking her somewhat by surprise and leaving her looking a decidedly less willing participant.

It had been reported that Miss Winslet and Mr Scott, who play lovers in the film, had provided each other with support after both their marriages allegedly collapsed within days of each other. But Miss Trevis, 38, who wore a striking bustier-style top, yesterday denied any separation. 'We are absolutely together. It is absolute rubbish to suggest otherwise,' she said.

Ninety minutes before the Titanic star was due to arrive at the charity event, she issued a statement announcing that 'in light of recent personal events' she would not be there. 'I feel that, for the sake of myself and my family, a short time out of the spotlight would be beneficial,' she said.

Last night Miss Winslet's estranged husband Jim Threapleton, 27, said he was surprised at her decision to disappoint her fans - and royal guest Prince Charles. 'She has been umming and aahing about going, but I didn't know she was definitely pulling out so it must have been a last-minute decision not to go,' he said. Assistant film director Mr Threapleton, who met his 25-year-old wife on the set of her film Hideous Kinky in 1998, said he was looking after their 11-month-old daughter Mia.

The film world was stunned by the end of the couple's marriage, which came weeks after the actress spoke of their happiness in interviews. When news of the split emerged, she faced the media to speak of their mutual respect and their determination to put baby Mia first.

In Miss Winslet's absence last night the glamour stakes were won by Mick Jagger's 16-year-old daughter Elizabeth. Enigma was produced by her Rolling Stone father's company, Jagged Films. Jagger was also at the premiere.

From The Melbourne Age:

Actress Kate Winslet's marriage heartache has forced her to abandon her red carpet appearance and a meeting with the Prince of Wales at the royal premiere of her new movie Enigma.

The star said she was planning to take some time "out of the spotlight" as she announced she was pulling out of the screening just hours before it was due to begin.

Winslet, 25, announced her split from film director husband Jim Threapleton three weeks ago after nearly three years of marriage. She would have come under a barrage of questions about her private life and the film's producer Mick Jagger said she wanted to stay away from the limelight.

"She's not afraid of terrorism but she is afraid of the British press," the Rolling Stones star said as he arrived at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. She's having a bit of a problem, I think, being in the limelight."

Winslet issued a statement saying she would not be attending and apologised for her absence. "In light of recent personal events I feel that, for the sake of myself and my family, a short time out of the spotlight would be beneficial," she said.

Enigma is a World War II thriller about British code-breakers.

Sept 24: More on the Enigma premiere in London:

Kate Misses Enigma Premiere

Kate Winslet's marriage heartache has forced her to abandon her appearance at the royal premiere of her new movie Enigma. The star says she is planning to take some time out of the spotlight as she announced she was pulling out of the screening just hours before it was due to begin. But producer Mick Jagger and Saffron Burrows did turn up for the premiere which the Prince of Wales attended.

Winslet, 25, announced her split from film director husband Jim Threapleton three weeks ago after nearly three years of marriage.

He co-star Dougray Scott arrived with his wife Sarah Trevis and the couple shared a kiss in the cinema foyer. He was surprised that Winslet had not turned up. "I didn't know she wasn't coming, it's none of my business," he said.

Burrows added glamour to the event. She wore a floor-length black Armani gown and spoke warmly of Jagger for bothering to turn up on set in all weathers. "The unusual thing about Mick was that he was there. Mick turned up with his mac and stood around in fields getting wet."

Jagger's daughter Elizabeth and her friend Leah Wood - daughter of Rolling Stones' band mate Ronnie - make brief appearances in the movie and put in an appearance at the screening.

Enigma, based on the best-selling book by Robert Harris, tells the story of the wartime code-breakers who were based at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.

 

Rolling Stone Meets Royalty At Enigma Premiere

LONDON (Reuters) - Kate Winslet couldn't be there but ever-young rocker Mick Jagger turned up on the night to welcome Prince Charles to the royal premiere of war drama Enigma.

Winslet, who plays the film's heroine, split from her husband earlier this month and pulled out at the last minute from Monday's premiere saying she wanted to keep herself and her family out of the spotlight.

The Prince met with Rolling Stone singer Jagger and his daughter Elizabeth before the London premiere of the film based on the best-selling novel by Richard Harris.

Jagger co-produced the film, a romantic thriller based around the British code breakers who cracked of the secret code used by the German military in World War Two.

[Source for above two articles: Ananova]

 

Sept 23: Lawrence Toppman of Charlotte.com terms Enigma ‘mostly worthwhile’:

Except for a few heavyweight American releases, most films from the 26th Toronto International Film Festival won't hit Charlotte for months. I've limited myself here to films that may arrive before they reach video, so stick this list in the back of your brain or a convenient drawer.

Enigma - Journeyman director Michael Apted, journeyman actor Dougray Scott and de-glamorized "Titanic" star Kate Winslet deliver a solid drama about brainiacs who break a World War II code and stop German U-boats.

 

Sept 23: More reviews of Enigma are being published, just prior to the film's release next week. I'll be posting them on the 'Enigma Reviews' page, so check that page periodically for updates.

Here's a nice review from News of the World's Ronay:

We all love World War II dramas and this - the first film from Mick Jagger's production company Jagged Films - is a fine example. It's like the classic thrillers of old, with a slow start that establishes all the characters and their roles, speeding up to what becomes a fascinating and engrossing race against time. Set among the huts of Bletchley Park, the heroic code-breakers spend agonising hours trying to unravel the messages sent from the Nazi U-boats on their Enigma machines.

Dougray Scott plays the sexily brooding Jericho, the brilliant code-breaker who has recently suffered a breakdown due to his obsession with Claire, played by the dazzling Saffron Burrows.

Luckily it's not all spy gobbledegook, and soon turns into a murder mystery with an unexpected dollop of romance in the shape of Kate Winslet. Despite being heavily preggers in real life, Winslet shines through in her role as Hester, Claire's dumpy flat-mate who joins Jericho - and warms to him romantically - in his search for Claire after she goes missing from the Park.

This is when it all starts to hot up. It's like Cluedo crossed with the Famous Five as we start to unravel the mysteries that connect the disappearance and the codes.

Some of the story is told through flashbacks, which are always less involving and a touch Agatha Christie. But the fascinating plot is reassuringly old-fashioned.

With a cracking score by John Barry, brilliant screenplay by Tom Stoppard, and clever direction from Michael Apted, there are many reasons to see this intriguing thriller.

It certainly kept me glued to my seat.

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for the tip on the above review.

 

Sept 23: I found articles about Enigma star Dougray Scott in the Sunday Herald and Sunday Mail. Following are excerpts relating to the film:

From the Sunday Herald:

In his new film, Enigma, Scott plays Tom Jericho, a maths genius working at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, part of a top-secret operation to crack the German U-Boat code. His success or otherwise could change the course of the war. Unfortunately Kate Winslet and Saffron Burrows are shimmying around in those chi-chi Forties styles, giving poor Jericho the horn.

The film, adapted from the novel by Robert Harris, is based in fact. Between 1939-45, thousands of men and women worked secretly at Bletchley Park, near London, trying to crack the Enigma code but unable to tell anyone about their ordinary heroism. The odds against success were 150,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1. Even when they triumphed, shortening the war by an estimated two years, the Official Secrets Act meant they could not talk about it until decades later. Churchill called them 'the geese that laid the golden eggs and never cackled'.

While preparing for Enigma, Scott met some of the Bletchley geese. His research also took him to Oxford University, where Professor Jon Chapman, an expert on codes, helped him to get his head around the idea -- crucial to playing Jericho -- that numbers can be beautiful, that in maths, truth and beauty are the same. 'There was just so much to understand,' Scott admits. 'This was the most difficult part I ever played.' And this from a man who once strutted around in leather trousers in the sequel to 9 1/2 Weeks.

'I found Dougray amazingly thorough and professional in his preparation,' says Chapman. 'He had read several books on codes and the Enigma machine before I met him, and already had quite a good understanding of it all. He quizzed me about what it was like to be a mathematician, how we think about problems, go about our research, that sort of thing. He was very interested in using me not just to find out about codes but also to find out about mathematicians.'

Chapman also taught Scott the knack of solving cryptic clues in crossword puzzles. Tom Jericho is the sort of person who completes the Times crossword between forkfuls of powdered egg, so the actor felt he needed to learn this skill. Now he claims that even after filming was finished he remained obsessive about numbers and codes. He was forever picking up papers and excitedly completing the crossword.

As it happens, I've brought a copy of the Times crossword along with me. Will he have a go at solving a couple of clues? No, he will not. 'I'd probably embarrass myself,' he says, laughing his football rattle laugh. So is Enigma going to propel Scott into the A-list? According to Mick Jagger, producer of the film, 'when we cast him we felt he was on the verge of enormous fame' but the actor himself is -- inevitably -- more reserved. 'I don't feel anything. It's hard to say the right thing because you get accused of being f**king coy. But I'm not. I enjoy acting and try to avoid all the rest of the stuff because I want to have a quiet life.'

[I’m posting this portion because it contains Dougray’s responses to recent rumors.] Doorstepped by reporters at his London home, and asked to comment on his friendship with Kate Winslet, he was quite succinct: 'Why are you asking all these questions? Go away and leave us alone. I am not talking to you.' The clipped and precise wording of a later statement could not conceal the quiet fury at its root: 'I want to make it perfectly clear that Kate Winslet and myself have never been in any kind of romantic relationship. I consider her a good friend and hope that the media will respect her privacy during this time in her life.' He may be in the big top, but he's damned if he's going to be one of the clowns.

From the Sunday Mail:

Dougray Scott’s grin is as wide as the Forth Bridge as he talks about his great passion - Hibernian Football Club. The handsome Scot hit the headlines over his relationship with wife Sarah Trevis just days after Enigma co-star Kate Winslet split with hubby Jim Threapleton. But today Dougray is concentrating on the Edinburgh team - the true love of his life. Devoted Hibee Dougray, 35, even jetted out to Athens last week, but saw his side lose 2-0 to AEK in the UEFA Cup.

The Glenrothes-born star - whose latest film Enigma receives a gala screening at this week's Scottish People's Film Festival, sponsored by the Sunday Mail and McEwan's - even puts his hopes for the Easter Road side ahead of his own career dreams. He proved that when I asked him what rates most highly among his hopes - holding aloft an Oscar, the coveted golden statue that most actors would give an arm for, or seeing Hibs win the Premier League? "Hibs winning the title. Aye, absolutely," he replied without hesitation.

...Dougray's enthusiasm for Hibs is only matched by the passion with which he discusses his craft. For instance, he is proud of Enigma, in which he stars with Kate Winslet, and very pleased that the World War II drama is to play a major role in the Scottish People's Film Festival. "Anything that promotes film-making is good," he said. "I think that Scottish film-making is in a healthy state because there are many very talented people - directors, actors, writers - out there. Sometimes people don't know where I come from because of the characters I play. But I am incredibly proud of the fact that I come from Fife and I am Scottish and that this sort of success in film is not unobtainable to people like me. That's very important. I hope that wee boys and girls with the same background should maybe take inspiration from what has happened to me. If I can do it, they can do it. The important thing to remember is that it's about being happy and really having a go."

...When Enigma director Michael Apted signed him up for this film version of Robert Harris's best- selling Second World War thriller, Dougray immersed himself in the secret world of Bletchley Park, the wartime base for the Allies' codebreakers.

Months before filming began, he read all he could find on this aspect of the war and talked with codebreakers and mathematicians. All so that he could get under the skin of his movie character.

"It was very demanding work, but one day it all just seemed to click in my head and I could see it all clearer than ever. I knew how to play this character. I suppose all that research now means I will be better at crosswords because you start to think cryptically."

For Enigma, Dougray also became even slimmer than usual - he lost more than a stone on a cabbage soup diet, to portray a character on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I ate cabbage soup one day, then the next I ate vegetables, the next day it was fruit," explained Dougray. "You feel really hungry at the beginning, but then you get used to it." And, of course, his hair was cropped to a 1940s short, back and sides style.

It resulted in a highly effective performance in a film which is best described as a combination of Brief Encounter and The 39 Steps. It's also a movie in which Dougray, with his first top-of-the-bill role, grabs his opportunity. "This is a film that I'm very proud of," he said, simply.

And you can bet that Dougray's feeling of satisfaction will be shared by the audiences who will flock to see Enigma and a performance that underlines that the talented Scot has most definitely arrived in the big time.

Scottish Peoples Film Festival: Sponsored by McEwan's and the Sunday Mail

 

Sept 22: Here’s a mention of Enigma in an Independent article about the current economic climate -  people who invested in the film may not recover their investment:

..."It's a difficult climate to judge," said Martin Coutts, of the Newcastle adviser Lowes Financial Management, "No one is sure what's going to happen. The markets might turn round and bounce right up."

The advice is still the same. If you already hold shares, do not sell. By all means review your portfolio and dump any shares that in your heart of hearts you were already doubtful about. These might have had recovery potential a fortnight ago: now they may be candidates for going bust.

But if you do not own shares this is not the time to start. And only brave experienced shareholders should consider wading deeper into the equity market. There certainly are good bargains out there, but this early into the new situation it is very difficult to make rational choices as opposed to taking pure gambles.

In what must be a case of some of the unluckiest timing of the year, one of the backers of Enigma, the new Mick Jagger wartime film starring Kate Winslet, is asking investors for a minimum of pounds 100,000 to finance a sale and leaseback of the film's distribution rights.

Much of the return is in the form of tax relief under the 1997 Finance Act. The deal carries guarantees from WestLB, the German bank and may turn out well, but the organiser, Future Film Group, admits that investors might not recover their original investment.

 

Sept 21: While I am pleased that a writer for the Daily Record includes Enigma on its list of ‘movie musts’, I flinched at the error in this item:

Enigma

Not out until next week, but a romantic to watch out for. Kate Winslet and Jude Law star in this atmospheric drama, set in World War II, based on the international best-seller by Robert Harris which tells the tale of doomed submarine, U-571. With intrigue, suspicion and sabotage around every corner, this mystery of code-breaking, love and betrayal is packed with unexpected twists to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Well, I’m certain fans of the wonderful Mr. Dougray Scott aren’t amused.

 

Sept 21: The Peters, Fraser & Dunlop site has an item on the Enigma London premiere:

ENIGMA

The celebrity UK premiere of ENIGMA will be held on Monday evening, 24 September. Already well received at several festivals, this WW2 thriller is adapted by Tom Stoppard from the best-selling novel by Robert Harris. Michael Apted directs a cast including Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott and Saffron Burrows. The music is composed by John Barry.

 

Sept 18: Ken from Decca Records confirms that the Enigma soundtrack 'is due to be released in the UK on October 1st'.

 

Sept 17: Decca Records now has pages up on their site that are devoted to Enigma. Included are track listings, synopsis of the film, and director’s notes. Unfortunately, the links to the sound clips didn’t work for me, although they do for others. I had to right click on the link, save the file, then open it (automatically opens Real Player). Nice music! Go here --

Enigma page    Catalog page - tracks

 

Sept 15: The Radio Times is sponsoring a contest to win a pair of tickets to the premiere in London:

Enigma competition
Enigma is a tale of the fraught and risky work that won the Second World War - and won it from a hut in a quiet village in England. It’s a story of secret heroism and unacknowledged bravery that has enthralled readers since it was revealed.
Robert Harris’s novel of the story so gripped Mick Jagger that he produced the film and enlisted a great cast, including Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott, to help bring it to life. It’s been dramatised by Shakespeare in Love's Tom Stoppard to make a picture which brilliantly conveys the pressures, the releases and the minute-by-minute drive to crack a code to prevent more deaths. Find out more about Enigma at www.thefilmfactory.co.uk.

It'll be the film of the season when it opens on 28 September but you can beat the crowds and rub shoulders with the stars at a special UK premiere in London's Leicester Square on 24 September.
One lucky winner will get a pair of tickets to the gala event - which includes pre-film drinks and dinner afterwards in the company of celebrities - and what's more, we're giving away one night's accommodation and traditional English breakfast at the Thistle Selfridge to ensure the night ends in style.
Ten runners-up will each receive a copy of Robert Harris's original novel.
You haven't got long, though, so enter the new Radio Times trivia contest to get your name into the hat quickly. All you have to do is answer the question below and you could be one of the lucky few.
The closing date for this competition is 20 September 2001. Go HERE to enter the contest.

 

Sept 12: The trailer for Enigma has been added to the ‘coming soon’ page of mymovies.net. While I’ve provided in the past another link to the trailer (on Quicktime), the mymovies trailer runs on Windows Media (larger screen).

 

Sept 12: A British film site includes Enigma on this list:

British releases to look out for:

the Hollywood-style action thriller set in Liverpool '51st State' (released on December 7th and starring Samuel L. Jackson), the raw urban drama 'SW9' and the Second World War code-breaking thriller 'Enigma' (starring Kate Winslet, released September 28th and reviewed by BFG Contact).

 

Sept 12: Associated News Media Limited chooses Enigma as part of ‘the pick of the crop’ of fall films:

Coming soon: the next film hits

Autumn - season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...and top movies.

The summer is usually a lean time for good films. The studios like to keep their powder dry until people return from their holidays.

But now that the nights are drawing in there are a host of hot films headed to a screen near you. Here's our round-up of the pick of the crop.

Enigma

This is a Second World War espionage thriller in which the Brits get some of the credit for helping to win the war, for once. Starring Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, Jeremy Northam, the action centres on the code breakers stationed at Bletchley Park.
Release date - 28 September

 

Sept 10: "Veterans sneak a peek at Enigma"
Jagger is hero of Bletchley Park
Mick Jagger allowed a preview of Enigma, the film he has recently produced, to be screened at EnigmaPoster2.jpg (139690 bytes)Bletchley Park, home to the Enigma machine and the nerve centre of Britain's wartime code-breaking operations. War veterans were given a sneak preview of the film, which stars Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott, at the weekend. True to form, they kept quiet about the screening. What they did reveal, though, was the wrinkly rocker's generosity. A spokesperson revealed: 'Mick has been very supportive of our efforts here. He even donated one of his period cars for the film set.' [People News]

 

Sept 10: Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for sending me recently a scan (done by Patricia of The Jeremy Northam Group) of the Enigma poster from Empire magazine!

 

Sept 10: The Observer includes Enigma on its list of films to watch:

Screen: Autumn film round-up: Five British Films To Watch
The 51st State Hollywood-style action movie set in Liverpool stars Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle as the odd couple putting together a big drug deal. (7 Dec)

Crush Dowdy headmistress Andie McDowell (no kidding) falls in love with a much younger man and causes a stir in the village. (tbc)

South West Nine Ensemble drama set on Brixton streets takes us through the various subcultures of the lively London suburb. (12 Oct)

Enigma Second World War code-breaking thriller is the cinematic equivalent of a page-turner: smartly paced and acted by Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet and a raffish Jeremy Northam. (28 Sep)

My Brother Tom Powerful, Dogma-influenced film about the odd relationship between two abused teenagers. (Nov)

 

Sept 10: I have added a couple of lengthy articles to the Enigma Features page.

 

Sept 6: The film critic for the New York Daily News reports from the Toronto Film Festival:

"Hopes Are High Up in Toronto," By Jami Bernard

The Toronto International Film Festival begins its 10-day run tonight with a slate of prestige pictures designed to wipe out the memory of the summer's critical duds and start the Oscar debate.

Among the prospects are new movies from directors David Mamet, Mike Figgis, Richard Linklater, Michael Apted, the brothers Albert and Allen Hughes, Fred Schepisi and Mira Nair. Celebrities will also be in abundance because studios piggyback their junkets alongside artier festival offerings.

Here is the advance scoop:

"Brotherhood of the Wolf." Christophe Gans' lupine thriller sports an unexpected touch of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" along with a little "Last of the Mohicans." The movie is a satisfying blend of martial-arts action and heavy-lidded French sexuality as two men, who could be figures out of a romance novel, hunt down a seemingly supernatural wolf. Mark Dacascos plays an Iroquois kung-fu master with the best fetishistic hair since Daniel Day-Lewis' in "Mohicans," and Samuel Le Bihan is his libertine pal with the insolent sneer who juggles both Emilie Dequenne and Monica Belluci.

"Novocaine." Writer-director David Atkins twists "Double Indemnity" into an uneven black comedy with Steve Martin as an upstanding dentist drooling over vixen-patient Helena Bonham Carter. The crime thriller also stars Laura Dern as the dentist's perky fiancee. With different casting, this could have worked as a serious film noir.

"Kissing Jessica Stein." This is one of those indie comedies that promises to be a breakthrough discovery. It's certainly a sparkling showcase for actresses Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt, reprising the roles from the stage play they wrote ("Lipschtick"). Consider it the first mainstream lesbian comedy.

"Waking Life." Richard Linklater has two films in the festival. This one taps directly into the subconscious of the 30 artists who worked on it, painting over a live-action movie with computer graphics to distort the images into a surreal fantasy that reveals funny, poignant depths to the material.

"Tape." Linklater's other film pits Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard in a motor lodge where a truth is revealed.

"Enigma." This unusual, cerebral thriller about breaking the Nazi code makes math and nerds look sexy, especially when the mathematician is Dougray Scott and the nerd is Kate Winslet. Saffron Burrows also stars as a breaker of codes and hearts.

 

Sept 6: Anorak (‘keeping tabs on the tabloids’) calls Kate's performance in Enigma 'especially impressive':

"Cool Talk"

If the papers are to be believed, one of the reasons behind Kate Winslet's separation from husband Jim Threapleton was the Titanic star's blossoming career.

And Kate has certainly been a busy girl of late, starring as the eponymous heroine in Therese Raquin [not yet], lending her voice to Jimmy Murukami's animated version of A Christmas Carol and playing the part of the young Iris Murdoch in a memoir of the great author's life.

Later this month, we get to see another of her recent projects - Enigma, a film adaptation of Robert Harris's book about the men and women at Bletchley Park who helped break the Germans' unbreakable code during World War II.

The film premiered a fortnight ago at the Edinburgh Film Festival, but is only on general release from September 28. It's worth the wait, though, with Winslet especially impressive.

For those of you who bunked off history classes, Bletchley Park was a country house which was stuffed full of maths boffins and crossword freaks during the war in an attempt to crack the Germans' Enigma code.

In the film version as written by Tom Stoppard, one of them was Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott), a genius who has to battle against time to crack a new version of the code, intercept a U-boat convoy and win the heart of the woman he loves.

No prizes for guessing if he succeeds.

 

Sept 6: A writer for the Edinburgh Evening News notes that the upcoming release of Enigma in the UK has taken a back seat to news about Kate’s personal life:

"Kate fixation is an Enigma"
It’s one of the most remarkable, pivotal - yet relatively unsung - heroic tales of the war.
The Bletchley Park code-breakers - that eccentric, motley think-tank of egg-head mathmos, technos, chess boffins, crossword addicts and linguists who valiantly strove to crack the Nazi Enigma cipher against absurd odds of 150,000,000,000,000,000,000 to one. And won.
Now after six long years in the making, the film of Robert Harris’s novel Enigma, featuring The Winslet Girl and admirable Dougray Scott, is due to go on general release at the end of this month. Yet the pre-release focus of chattering-class attention has centred steadfastly not on this stirring tale belatedly told, but on Ms Winslet’s poignant marital demise and her post-natal downsizing: that bizarre sprouts-only diet and oriental facial analysis-based eating plan, which saw off four stones and now, apparently, Jim Threapleton.
Saving the free world by trimming the Nazis is all very well, but it comes a poor second to conquering the calories and retaining your man.

 

Sept 5: The folks at the Toronto Film Festival emailed me this reminder today:

Single tickets for Festival screenings go on sale today, Wednesday, Sept 5th at the Festival Box Office, Toronto Eaton Centre, Level One, Dundas Mall.  All available advance tickets are $23.55
for VIACOM Gala films and $13.00 for all other films.  Single tickets are subject to availability at the time of purchase.

 

Sept 5: My pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus has been keeping me updated with Enigma-related news while I concentrated on gathering news about Kate’s separation from Jim:

Enigma will play at the Film By The Sea Festival in Holland September 14, 15, and 16. From Variety (Sept 3 issue):

'Others' to close Dutch film fest; 'Mandolin,' 'Enigma' in competition
By Adam Dawtrey
LONDON -- Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" will close the Film By The Sea festival in Holland, just days after the pic's European premiere at the Venice Film Fest.

Now in its third year, Film By The Sea (Sep. 10-16) takes place in Vlissingen, kicking off Holland's fall movie season with a selection of commercial and arthouse pics from around the world.

"Amelie from Montmartre" and "Sexy Beast" rub shoulders with "Rush Hour 2" and "Rat Race" in the 20-pic Panorama section.

The event includes a competition devoted to movies adapted from books. The seven competing titles this year include "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," "Enigma" and "The Claim."

There will also be a section devoted to Scandinavian cinema, a tribute of British helmer Stephen Frears, and a special screening of "Apocalypse Now Redux."

 

Sept 3: The Sunday Mail is giving way tickets to see Enigma at the McEwan's Scottish People's Film Festival:

Hollywood’s Robert Duvall and a host of stars will be out in force in Scotland this month for the glittering premiere of A Shot At Glory. Today we're giving you a chance to rub shoulders with the celebs and see the long-awaited film, which brings Duvall and former Ibrox idol Ally McCoist together on the big screen. The premiere - at The Odeon, Renfield Street, Glasgow, on Saturday, September 29 - is the climax of the McEwan's Scottish People's Film Festival. We're giving away a VIP trip for two to the star-studded event, plus tickets to the Gala Ball the next night. Our prize also includes overnight accommodation in a top Glasgow hotel. But don't worry if you lose out on this fantastic first prize because we have lots of tickets for runners-up. There are five pairs for each of the other films showing at cinemas all over Scotland. They include Enigma, Women Talking Dirty, Rock Star, Ghosts of Mars and Atlantis. The festival kicks off on September 26 and closes with the premiere on September 29.

A Shot At Glory is a dream come true for Duvall, who years ago had the idea of a film about a Scottish footballer. The heart-warming story tells of a fictional village team, Kilnockie, who reach the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers. Real-life Scottish footballers and many Scots extras were used, including 25,000 posing as fans at Hampden. It's McCoist's acting debut, and he faced a big challenge - playing a washed-up former Celtic player who gets a last-ditch bid at glory. The pounds 6 million movie also stars Michael Keaton and a soundtrack by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.

Don't miss the film festival - it promises to be the biggest movie event seen in Scotland. It starts with a romantic French offering, Amelie, at UGC cinemas in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh.

To win simply tell us: Which Scot stars with Robert Duvall in A Shot At Glory? Then call the hotline on 0901 562 8722 and leave your answer, name, address and daytime telephone number. All calls cost 60p a minute and lines will close at noon on Monday, September 17. Please ask permission from the bill payer before calling. If you have any difficulties getting through, please contact your telephone company for assistance. Usual Sunday Mail rules apply. Editor's decision final.

To order tickets for any of the films, call these numbers: ... Glasgow Film Theatre - 0141 332 8128.

ENIGMA -- Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet star in this 1940s drama about cracking the riddle of the Nazis' code machine. Showing on Thu Sep 27, at Glasgow Film Theatre, 6pm.

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for the tip!

 

Sept 3: Screen Daily recently carried this report about films, such as Enigma, that receive benefit from Holland’s tax break system:

"Dutch Industry Decries Foreign Use of Tax-Breaks," By Thessa Mooij

Just one week after the European Commission approved Holland's new tax break system (valid until 2003), the Federation of Film Interests - a union made up of screenwriters, directors, producers, actors and other professionals - has called for a regulation of the system. The federation is talking to policymakers and financiers about some of its criteria, which hitherto had been based on 'agreements', rather than clearly defined rules.

The Dutch industry has become increasingly unhappy with what it perceives as foreign producers using the Dutch tax system to fill the gaps in their budget by teaming up with a token Dutch co-producer. Mick Jagger's Enigma is often quoted as an example of this practice. Until now, there had been a tacit understanding that 50% of the film's budget should be spent in Holland, but it is unclear whether this has been put in practice.

Another sore point for Dutch filmmakers is the fact that the tax system has attracted new producers to the game, rather than boost the more experienced producers' output. "In the long run, nobody benefits from adventurers and cowboys," commented filmmaker Eddy Terstall in the national press. The Federation would prefer to link the budget raised through the tax break with the producer's track record.

The most high profile 'failure' has been the $60 million Ocean Warrior, which neither of its producers, Bous de Jong and Pieter Kroonenburg managed to save from bankruptcy last month.

Although legally, extra regulations cannot be imposed, the Federation hopes that they will be observed by all parties involved. But so far, the banks involved in financing have not consented to any kind of regulation whatsoever. The European Commission is likely to be equally hesitant about excluding foreign parties from film financing.

 

Sept 2: Garth Pearce has recorded his thoughts on Enigma in a UK Sunday Times feature on producer Mick Jagger. Read the entire article on the Enigma Reviews page. Excerpt:

Although unlikely to be a blockbuster hit, it is an absorbing film, immaculately acted, and one that delivers an authentic story through the cobwebs of time. And it is clear that Jagger's commitment earned admirers. The director, Apted, says: "He has not sold this story down the river, which would have been very easy to do. As a result, I was not subjected to studio interference, along the lines of them ordering script rewrites, recasting or scenes being reshot. I could just get on with it."

 

Sept 2: From the September issue of UK Glamour magazine:

Glamourama Star Report - Manic makeovers

Want critical acclaim? Ditch the looks and do something dramatic - think Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry. Here’s the next batch of glamour queens playing against type:

Kate Winslet - Kate covers up her curves to play the frumpy, bespectacled, straight-laced Miss Hester Wallace in the forthcoming Second World War drama Enigma.

Two small pics we’ve seen before were included in the above item from the September issue: a head-and-shoulders pic of Kate at the SAG ceremony earlier this year and a pic of Kate in character as Hester, sitting with the Enigma machine.

 

Sept 2: The Toronto Journal carries a mention of Enigma in articles about the Toronto Film Festival:

"Pack your bags for Gala films," By Bruce Kirkland

The 26th Toronto International Film Festival kicks off in Canada, ends in Australia and takes a wild swing through the world in its annual Gala program.
There are stops in the killing fields of Bosnia, on the coast of California, through the fog-bound streets of Victorian London, over to Manhattan's famed Bloomingdale's department store, deep inside Britain's Nazi code-breaking spy centre and off into the wild blue yonder with Czech pilots in the RAF during WWII.
Other Galas take us into the rich tapestry of foreign cultures or plunk us down in Hollywood genres. These are the showcased films that bring out the stars. Fans line the entrance to screenings at swank Roy Thomson Hall (repeats are held at other theatres listed below). It's showtime:
Enigma
Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott anchor another strong British cast, this time in Michael Apted's WWII thriller about Nazi code breakers.
From - USA/UK
Director - Michael Apted
Time - 1:58
Screenings - Fri. Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m.; Sat. Sept. 15, 9:30 a.m. - Uptown 1

 

Sept 1: Amazon.co.uk and hmv.co.uk are taking pre-orders for the Enigma soundtrack, which will be released in the UK October 1. Info from amazon.co.uk:

Our Price: £11.99
This item will be released on 1 October, 2001. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives.
Performer(s): John Barry
Label: Decca
Catalogue Number: 4678642
Released: 1 October, 2001
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
ASIN: B00005OC0B

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for emailing me the news!

 

 

 

 

Older news can be found HERE