War Book

Last updated

War Book
War Book film poster.jpg
UK film poster
Directed by Tom Harper
Written by Jack Thorne
Produced by Lauren Dark
Tom Harper
Starring
CinematographyZac Nicholson
Edited byMark Eckersley
Music byJack C. Arnold
Production
companies
Sixteen Films
Archer's Mark
Distributed byK5 International
Release dates
  • 13 October 2014 (2014-10-13)(LFF)
  • 7 August 2015 (2015-08-07)(UK)
Running time
92 minutes [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

War Book is a 2014 British political drama film directed by Tom Harper and written by Jack Thorne. The film features an ensemble cast, consisting of Adeel Akhtar, Nicholas Burns, Ben Chaplin, Shaun Evans, Kerry Fox, Phoebe Fox, Sophie Okonedo, Antony Sher (In his final film role before his death in 2021), and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.

Contents

Plot

Over the course of three days, eight government officials, a Member of Parliament, and a political appointee participate in a war-game which has taken place regularly among British civil servants since the 1960s, as a way to help them formulate government procedure in the event of nuclear war. [2] In the depicted meetings, set in 2014, the group discusses possible UK policy in the fictional event of a nuclear detonation in Mumbai, India by a Pakistani organisation. [3]

Cast

Premiere and reception

The film was first shown on 13 October 2014, during the London Film Festival, saw a limited cinema release on 7 August 2015, and premiered on BBC Four only four days later, on 11 August 2015. [4]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 7.67/10. [5] Variety's Charles Gant found the film's dialogue somewhat theatrical and compared it to Roger Donaldson’s Thirteen Days , which proved that "a talkathon rooted in a historical moment of genuine peril can be far more gripping than any invented drama, and many audiences may find the final act of "War Book" to be risibly paranoid by comparison." [3] The Guardian 's Mike McCahill felt that "theatricality looms, but the variation of voices and viewpoints among the expert cast generates a rat-a-tat momentum." [6] The List 's Nikki Baughan was much more enthusiastic, comparing it to Sidney Lumet's 1957 classic Twelve Angry Men , stating that "Jack Thorne's remarkable script is a masterclass in slow-burn tension, combining black-and-white facts with the murky greys of human emotion to drive home the fragility of social order in the face of incoming warheads." [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chaplin</i> (film) 1992 film by Richard Attenborough

Chaplin is a 1992 American biographical comedy-drama film about the life of British comedian Charlie Chaplin. It was produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Dan Aykroyd, Penelope Ann Miller and Kevin Kline. It also features Charlie Chaplin's own daughter, Geraldine Chaplin, in the role of his mother, Hannah Chaplin.

Vivica A. Fox American actress and producer

Vivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress, producer, and television host. Fox began her career on Soul Train (1983–1984). She eventually continued her career with roles on the daytime television soap operas Days of Our Lives (1988) and Generations (1989–1991), subsequently shifting to the prime-time slot, starring opposite Patti LaBelle, in the NBC sitcom Out All Night (1992–1993). Fox's breakthrough came in 1996, with roles in two box-office hit films, Roland Emmerich's Independence Day and F. Gary Gray's Set It Off.

<i>Teen Wolf</i> 1985 American fantasy comedy film

Teen Wolf is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is changed when he discovers that he is a werewolf. James Hampton, Scott Paulin, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine, Matt Adler, and Jay Tarses appear in supporting roles. Filming took place from November to December 1984.

<i>Going Upriver</i> 2004 American film

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry is a documentary film on U.S. Senator John Kerry's military service during the Vietnam War and his subsequent participation in the peace movement. There is significant emphasis on Kerry's famous speech before a Senate committee, historical footage from the Winter Soldier Investigations, and coverage of the Dewey Canyon III anti-war demonstrations in Washington, D.C. The majority of the film is composed of archival footage, with much of it in the original black-and-white format.

<i>Dreamscape</i> (1984 film) 1984 film

Dreamscape is a 1984 American dark science-fiction adventure film directed by Joseph Ruben and written by David Loughery, with Chuck Russell and Ruben co-writing. It stars Dennis Quaid, Kate Capshaw, Max von Sydow, and Christopher Plummer.

<i>The War Within</i> (film) 2005 film directed by Joseph Castelo

The War Within is a 2005 American political drama film directed by Joseph Castelo, who wrote the screenplay with Ayad Akhtar and Tom Glynn. The film stars Akhtar as Hassan, a Pakistani engineering student who is apprehended by Western intelligence services for suspected terrorist activities. It also stars Nandana Sen, Firdous Bamji, Sarita Choudhury, and Charles Daniel Sandoval.

<i>The Wisdom of Crocodiles</i> 1998 film

The Wisdom of Crocodiles is a 1998 British romantic thriller film directed by Po-Chih Leong and starring Jude Law. It is based on the book of the same name by Paul Hoffman.

<i>B. Monkey</i> 1998 film directed by Michael Radford

B. Monkey is a British-American 1998 crime drama film directed by Michael Radford. Originally, Michael Caton-Jones was attached to direct the adaptation of the homonymous 1992 book by Andrew Davies, but left over creative differences. Asia Argento was allegedly sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein during the production of this film.

<i>Burning Man</i> (film) 2011 film

Burning Man is a 2011 Australian drama film written and directed by Jonathan Teplitzky.

<i>The Fitzgerald Family Christmas</i> 2012 American film

The Fitzgerald Family Christmas is a 2012 comedy-drama film starring Edward Burns and Connie Britton. The film, written, directed, and produced by Burns was premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. It has met with positive reviews from critics with 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Tom Harper (director) English film director

Tom Harper is a British film and television director, producer and writer. He is best known for his work on The Aeronauts,Wild Rose, Peaky Blinders, and the BBC TV mini-series War & Peace.

<i>Jimi: All Is by My Side</i> 2013 film

Jimi: All Is by My Side is a 2013 internationally co-produced biographical drama film about Jimi Hendrix, written and directed by John Ridley. The film tells the story of Hendrix's career beginnings, through his arrival in London, the creation of The Jimi Hendrix Experience and the beginning of his fame prior to his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. It was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and at the South by Southwest film festival and was released in the UK on 8 August 2014. The film screened at the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) on 26 July 2014.

<i>The Crimson Field</i>

The Crimson Field is a British period drama television series that was broadcast beginning on BBC One on 6 April 2014. The series shows the lives of medics and the patients at a fictional field hospital in France during the First World War.

<i>Taboo</i> (2017 TV series) British television drama series

Taboo is a BBC television drama series produced by Scott Free London and Hardy Son & Baker. It aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom, on 7 January 2017 and on FX in the United States, on 10 January 2017.

Doctor Thorne is a 2016 three-part television drama adaptation of the 1858 Anthony Trollope novel Doctor Thorne scripted by Julian Fellowes for ITV. Mary Thorne, penniless and with undisclosed parentage, grows up under the guardianship of her uncle Doctor Thorne. She spends much of her formative years in the company of the Gresham family at Greshamsbury Park estate. As they close on the world of adult cares and responsibilities, the past starts to impinge and the financial woes of the Gresham family threaten to tear relationships apart.

<i>Victoria & Abdul</i> 2017 film by Stephen Frears

Victoria & Abdul is a 2017 British biographical historical drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Lee Hall. The film is based on the book of the same name by Shrabani Basu, about the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim. It stars Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith, and Adeel Akhtar. The film had its world premiere at the 74th Venice Film Festival, and was theatrically released on 15 September 2017 in the United Kingdom. It has grossed over $65 million worldwide.

<i>Les Misérables</i> (British TV series) 2018 BBC TV series

Les Misérables is a British television series based on the 1862 French historical novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. Adapted by Andrew Davies and directed by Tom Shankland, it stars Dominic West, David Oyelowo, and Lily Collins.

Swimming with Men is a 2018 British sports comedy-drama film starring Rob Brydon, Jane Horrocks, Rupert Graves, Daniel Mays, Thomas Turgoose, Jim Carter, Adeel Akhtar and Charlotte Riley. It was directed by Oliver Parker.

<i>Back to Life</i> (TV series) British television series

Back to Life is a British dark comedy-drama co-written by Laura Solon and Daisy Haggard and starring Haggard and Adeel Akhtar that premiered on BBC One on 15 April 2019. On 10 November 2019, the series premiered in the United States on Showtime. The first series received critical acclaim with many reviews highly praising the performance and writing of Haggard. On 19 November 2019, Back to Life was renewed for a second series which later premiered on 31 August 2021 to similar positive reviews.

Ali & Ava is a 2021 British drama film, written and directed by Clio Barnard. The film stars Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook.

References

  1. BBFC: War Book Retrieved 5 August 2015
  2. "War Book" . Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 Variety, 15 October 2014: London Film Review: ‘War Book’ Linked 2015-08-13
  4. BBC Four: War Book Linked 2015-08-13
  5. "War Book (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 5 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. The Guardian, 6 August 2015: War Book review – sober speculation goes nuclear Linked 2015-08-13
  7. The List, 3 August 2015: War Book - Provocative and essential nuclear war-themed drama from Tom Harper Linked 2015-08-13