Puffball (film)

Last updated

Puffball
Puffball (film).jpg
UK theatrical release poster
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Screenplay byDan Weldon
Based on Puffball
by Fay Weldon
Produced by
  • Julie Baines
  • Dan Weldon
  • Ben Woolford
  • Paul Donovan
  • Michael Garland
  • Peter Measroch
  • Martin Paul-Hus
Starring
CinematographyNigel Willoughby
Edited byTony Palmer
Music by
Distributed byYume Pictures (2008) (UK)
Release dates
  • 3 June 2007 (2007-06-03)(TIFF)
  • 28 October 2007 (2007-10-28)(Canada)
  • 29 February 2008 (2008-02-29)(U.S.)
Running time
120 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget£7,000,000 (estimated)

Puffball is a 2007 supernatural drama film directed by Nicolas Roeg, his final feature before his death in 2018. The script was adapted from Fay Weldon's 1980 novel of the same name by her son, Dan Weldon. [1] The film was partially funded through the UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund.

Contents

The film had its premiere at the Transilvania International Film Festival on 3 June 2007. The film was later released in Canada on 28 October 2007, and saw a limited release in the United States on 29 February 2008.

Plot

Liffey, an ambitious young architect, moves to an isolated and eerie Irish valley to build a modern piece of architecture. The ruined cottage and land that she will use are a gift from her fiancé Richard, and is the former home of Molly, the elderly matriarch of a farming family living on the other side of the woods. Molly's daughter is Mabs, herself mother of three girls and wife to farmer Tucker. Now in her forties, Mabs wants another baby, a boy to inherit the farm – or perhaps she just wants to be pregnant again.

Mabs and Molly use black magic to give Mabs a baby boy. But Liffey becomes pregnant after sleeping with both Richard and Tucker, causing everybody to believe that her baby is Tucker's. Mabs seeks Molly's help again to kill Liffey's baby with magic, making it look like a miscarriage. Mabs's elder daughter helps Liffey successfully fight the spell. In the end, Mabs is finally pregnant with her own child, a boy.

Cast

Production

Although the novel upon which it was based was set in rural England, the film was filmed and set in Monaghan, Ireland. In a 2008 interview, Roeg says of the location, "We shot in Ireland and without wishing to lean towards pretension or cliché there is a mysticism associated with the place... The atmosphere and the locations were very important and yes, as with my other films, it does become something of a character in its own right." [2]

Reception

The Guardian reviewer Philip French wrote of the film, "A curious mixture of Cold Comfort Farm , Straw Dogs and Rosemary's Baby , Puffball is certainly watchable." [1] Blogcritics's Tony Dayoub was somewhat critical, writing "Puffball peters out at the end. There is a lot of build-up, but no payoff to the frightening imagery which the movie employs," but adding "There is enough to recommend a viewing of the film if you are a fan of Roeg's work." [3]

Not Coming to a Theater Near You's Jason W was more negative, calling it, "a confused film which reminds us that Roeg’s best work will always remain his sexy masterpieces of the 1970s. Hints of Roeg’s brilliance are in short supply..." [4] The Toronto Star's Geoff Pevere was also highly critical, writing that the film is "Hysterical when it's not merely ridiculous, and shot through with such signature Roegian distractions... Puffball might well be titled for the hypothetical drug one might need to take in order to take it seriously." [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Pitt</span> American actor (born 1963)

William Bradley Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. As a public figure, Pitt has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential people in the American entertainment industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Roeg</span> English film director and cinematographer (1928–2018)

Nicolas Jack Roeg was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing Performance (1970), Walkabout (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Bad Timing (1980) and The Witches (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Ringwald</span> American actress (born 1968)

Molly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, writer, and translator. She began her career as a child actress on the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life before being nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the drama film Tempest (1982). Ringwald became a teen idol following her appearances in filmmaker John Hughes' teen films Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986). These films led to the media referring to her as a member of the "Brat Pack." Her final teen roles were in For Keeps and Fresh Horses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roddy Doyle</span> Irish author and screenwriter

Roddy Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, eight books for children, seven plays and screenplays, and dozens of short stories. Several of his books have been made into films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991. Doyle's work is set primarily in Ireland, especially working-class Dublin, and is notable for its heavy use of dialogue written in slang and Irish English dialect. Doyle was awarded the Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

<i>Walkabout</i> (film) 1971 survival film by Nicolas Roeg

Walkabout is a 1971 adventure survival film directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, and David Gulpilil. Edward Bond wrote the screenplay, which is loosely based on the 1959 novel by James Vance Marshall. It centres on two white schoolchildren who are left to fend for themselves in the Australian Outback and who come across a teenage Aboriginal boy who helps them to survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fay Weldon</span> English author, essayist and playwright (1931–2023)

Fay Weldon was an English author, essayist and playwright.

<i>Merlin</i> (miniseries) 1998 British-American television miniseries

Merlin is a 1998 two-part television miniseries starring Sam Neill as Merlin, recounting the wizard's life in the mythic history of Britain. Loosely adapted from the legendary tales of Camelot, the plot adds the antagonistic Queen Mab and expands Merlin's backstory before the birth of King Arthur.

<i>Dont Look Now</i> 1973 film by Nicolas Roeg

Don't Look Now is a 1973 English-language thriller film directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from the 1971 short story by Daphne du Maurier. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland portray Laura and John Baxter, a married couple who travel to Venice following the recent accidental death of their daughter, after John accepts a commission to restore a church. They encounter two sisters, one of whom claims to be clairvoyant and informs them that their daughter is trying to contact them and warn them of danger. John at first dismisses their claims, but starts to experience mysterious sightings himself.

<i>A Taste of Honey</i> British 1958 play by Shelagh Delaney

A Taste of Honey is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was adapted into an award-winning film of the same title in 1961.

<i>The Witches</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Nicolas Roeg

The Witches is a 1990 American dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Nicolas Roeg from a screenplay by Allan Scott, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film stars Anjelica Huston and Mai Zetterling. The plot features evil witches who masquerade as ordinary women and follows a boy and his grandmother, who must find a way to foil their plans of turning children into mice.

<i>Bare: A Pop Opera</i> Rock musical, premiered 2000

Bare, also known as Bare: A Pop Opera, is a coming-of-age rock musical with music by Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Jon Hartmere, and a book by Hartmere and Intrabartolo. The story focuses on a group of high school students and their struggles at their private Catholic boarding school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Wright</span> British film director

Joseph Wright is an English film director. His motion pictures include the literary adaptations of Pride & Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2007), Anna Karenina (2012), and Cyrano (2021), the action thriller Hanna (2011), the Peter Pan origin story Pan (2015), and the Darkest Hour (2017), a political drama following Winston Churchill during World War II nominated for Best Picture.

<i>Full Body Massage</i> 1995 American television film by Nicolas Roeg

Full Body Massage is a 1995 American television film directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring Mimi Rogers and Bryan Brown. An art dealer talks about relationships and philosophy with her masseur.

Bath Film Festival, known as FilmBath, is a film festival established in 1991, in Bath, England, by members of the Bath Film Society. The organisation has expanded in duration, venues, and titles. In 1997, it was registered as a non profit-distributing company and, in 2000, as a charitable organisation. The festival has also expanded its programme over the years to include workshops for festival-goers, live music accompaniments to silent cinema, and more recently, open-air cinema, starting in 2003 with a screening of E.T. in partnership with the Holburne Museum of Art. Since its foundation, the festival has screened over 1000 films.

<i>Juno</i> (film) 2007 American film by Jason Reitman

Juno is a 2007 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Elliot Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting her unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney and J. K. Simmons also star. Filming spanned from early February to March 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia. It premiered on September 8 at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation.

<i>Puffball</i> (novel)

Puffball is a 1980 supernatural drama novel by English author Fay Weldon.

Daniel Fitzgerald (<i>Neighbours</i>) Soap opera character

Daniel "Dan" Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brett Tucker. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 1 September 1999. Dan becomes a teacher at Erinsborough High and shares a house with fellow teacher, Tess Bell. He remained as a recurring character until 2000. Tucker returned on 30 October 2007 and became part of the regular cast. Dan re-joined the high school and he began a relationship with Libby Kennedy. In June 2009, it was announced that Tucker had quit the show and Dan departed on 1 December 2009. On 13 September 2010, Dan made a one-off appearance which was filmed prior to Tucker's departure in 2009. The character later appeared in a flashback broadcast on 4 July 2011, played by James Roach.

<i>Call Her Savage</i> 1932 film

Call Her Savage is a 1932 pre-Code drama film directed by John Francis Dillon and starring Clara Bow. The film was Bow's second-to-last film role. It is also one of the first portrayals of homosexuals on screen, including a scene in a gay bar. The film's copyright was renewed, and the film will enter the public domain in 2028.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Campbell</span> Soap opera character

Geoffrey "Geoff" Campbell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Lincoln Lewis. The actor spent two years auditioning for a role on the show, before he was offered the part of Geoff. He was surprised to get the part as he thought his audition had not been very good. Lewis relocated to Sydney for filming and he cut his long hair for the character. His casting was announced on 17 June 2007, while he made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 June 2007. After two years on the show, Lewis quit Home and Away and filmed his final scenes on 18 September 2009. The character made his screen exit on 12 February 2010.

<i>Second Coming</i> (film) 2014 British film

Second Coming is a 2014 British drama film directed by debbie tucker green. It is written in the style of magical realism and the dialogue is often unspecific and ambiguous. The narrative revolves around a woman who becomes pregnant under unusual circumstances and the drama that this creates with her family and friends. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Because of the genre and its subtlety, some reviewers expressed confusion about elements of the film.

References

  1. 1 2 French, Philip (19 July 2008). "Puffball". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. Wood, Jason (18 July 2008). "Q&A with Puffball director Nicolas Roeg". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  3. Dayoub, Tony (5 March 2008). "Movie Review: Puffball – The Devil's Eyeball". blogcritics.org/. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  4. Woloski, Jason (1 October 2007). "Puffball". notcoming.com. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  5. Pevere, Geoff (28 September 2007). "Roeg's former glory stuck in the mud". www.thestar.com. The Toronto Star. Retrieved 17 February 2017.