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CUCKOO

PRODUCTION NOTESIN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE December 17thCERT: TBC RUNNING TIME: 89 mins For further information please contact:Caroline Henshaw/Sophie Roche at Rabbit / el: 020 7299 3685 / 3686

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PRESS RELEASE

‘Cuckoo’, a creepy thriller starring Richard E. Grant, Laura Fraser (‘A Knight’s Tale’, ‘The Flying Scotsman’, ‘Titus’), Tamsin Greig (‘Love Soup’, ‘Green Wing’) and award winning jungle/drum & bass artist Adam Fenton (Adam F), will open in cinemas nationwide on December 17th.
In one of his darkest roles, Richard E. Grant plays an ageing professor obsessed with his star student, Polly (Fraser). Polly is trapped in a dead-end job working for intrusive Professor Julius Greengrass (Grant). Her relationship with boyfriend Chapman (Adam Fenton) is falling apart, and jealous sister Jimi (Antonia Bernath) rarely leaves her side. When Polly has the chance to escape, her nearest and dearest have other ideas.
Alone in her flat, Polly struggles to keep her grip on reality. Mysterious sounds surround her, voices in the darkness, whispers of deceit. Polly knows she’s not cuckoo, but why won’t the noises go away? She turns to the one person she can trust – her boss. But Julius has a dark secret of his own. He wants Polly, and he’ll do anything to get her.

Using oppressive cinematography and a haunting soundtrack from BAFTA nominee Andrew Hewitt, writer/director Richard Bracewell, whose first film was the acclaimed low-budget comedy ‘The Gigolos’, carefully builds Polly’s world, echoing her stressed and anxious state. Expertly played by Fraser, we feel Polly’s sense of isolation as events unfold around her in this darkly atmospheric and compelling story of deception and intrigue.

‘Cuckoo’ teases and provokes as it heads towards its dramatic and shocking climax, asking as many questions as it answers.
Casting was by Dan Hubbard (‘The Hobbit’, ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’, ‘The Damned United’) and sound by Emmy-winner Martin Jensen (‘Generation X’, ‘Atonement’).
”Masterly and thrilling” said Clive James at the Cambridge Film Festival premiere.

Notes to editors:

Adam F began his career as jungle/drum & bass artist, producing classics such as ‘Circles’ and award winning album, ‘Colours’. He has produced and collaborated with artists such as Jay-Z, The Prodigy, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot, David Bowie and Alicia Keys. ‘Cuckoo’ is his first major role in a feature film.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

A professor develops an unhealthy obsession with his star student.

Polly (Laura Fraser) is trapped in a dead-end life. But when she has the chance to escape, her nearest and dearest have other ideas.

Alone at night, mysterious sounds surround her. Voices in the darkness. Whispers of deceit.

Polly knows she’s not cuckoo, but why won’t the noises go away?

Polly turns to the one person she can trust – her boss, Julius (Richard E. Grant).

But Julius has a dark secret of his own. He wants Polly, and he’ll do anything to get her.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Cuckoo was filmed on location in London and the East of England in 2008.

London locations used in filming include University College London, the City of London, and Kensington, near the Albert Hall.

Two sets were built for the interiors of a fictional London hospital and an Edwardian mansion block flat in a vast disused grain warehouse in the dockyards of Great Yarmouth, a faded seaside resort on the east coast of Norfolk. In only four weeks, the warehouse was turned into a sound stage, with sets constructed by local carpenters and painters under designer, Simon Scullion. The exterior dockyard became a production village, with accommodation for cast and crew.

The producers were surprised by the cold weather and the seagulls. Arctic winter winds blew -5 degree gales through the warehouse, causing the actors’ breath to condense on screen. The only solution was to bring in giant industrial heaters, whose red glow gave the warehouse the appearance of Dante’s Inferno.

There was considerable production talent available in the East of England. When Great Yarmouth Council supplied a contact list of film personnel local to the shoot, the producers discovered that the head designer of the Portuguese National Theatre had taken a winter job in the region... plucking turkeys at a local farm!

Director Richard Bracewell wrote the script for Cuckoo during a long, hot summer when his partner was pregnant in a small flat in South London. To finance writing the script, he took a day job directing the overseas date inserts on ITV’s Blind Date.

The opening scene of the film, set in a hospital, shows a volunteer being monitored on an ECG (heart monitor, or echo-cardiogram). Director Richard Bracewell found art imitating life when he was involved in a car crash, hit by a drunk driver, on his way to set early one morning. Rushed to the local hospital, he ended up wired to an ECG, being monitored for damage to his heart, exactly as in the opening scene of the film. In the event, X-rays showed that Richard had fractured his sternum (breast-bone). The shoot couldn’t be delayed, however, and Richard was back on set later that day to direct a key sequence of the movie.

Cuckoo was shot on Super 16mm with Panavision prime lenses by Director of Photography, Mark Partridge. Mark used to be a pit lane mechanic in Formula One, before retraining at the National Film School in Beaconsfield. Director Richard Bracewell wanted to work with Mark because of the timeless, classical feel that he brings to his images. Mark describes the look of Cuckoo as “worn down”.

The writer and actors did extensive research into the medical background of Cuckoo, which features a Professor of Cardiology played by Richard E. Grant. The cast toured laboratories and met some of the leading cardiac experts in the world, including Robert Pepper, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. The medical consultant on the film was the late Hugh Phillips, President of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Casting was by Dan Hubbard. Dan’s credits include The Bourne Ultimatum, King Kong and United 93.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

My partner was pregnant during a hot summer. We rented a small flat overlooking a busy street in South London. Thousands of people living in close proximity, but never meeting. To us they were only voices.
Pregnancy made my partner sensitive not to taste, but to sound. Suddenly the harmless chat from the upstairs flat, the thundering lorry at 3am, the persistent tethered dog – all conspired to keep her from rest.
We formed the themes of a film. A woman under pressure began to lose touch with reality, explored through the shifting soundtrack of her life. Paranoia and mistrust of her friends and family would follow.

In these weeks, our kindly GP became my partner’s best friend. This gave us a new voice: a medical professor, Julius Greengrass, a man of utmost integrity and wisdom. But what if those friendly walls hid a life of obsession and despair?

As writer, Cuckoo was a crucible for Julius, Polly and her sister Jimi. Or as one long night – an ominous dusk, the uncertain small hours, emerging at last into the clarity of first light. I put the relationships between the characters into a crucible and scorched them until only one survives.
As director, Cuckoo is about point of view. First, the viewer identifies closely with Polly. As her objectivity slips and the sounds are heightened, the viewer’s point of view moves from Polly, as we, like her, can no longer trust what we’re hearing. Searching for a point of view, we desert Polly for Jimi, the black sheep who deceives from the outset.
When Jimi’s betrayal is revealed, like Polly we head for the only figure we can trust – Julius. A figure of wisdom, of authority, who will surely do the right thing…

The climax brings the sisters back together, leaving the audience no choice but to trust them both despite their flaws.

Richard Bracewell

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY

Richard Bracewell

Richard used to be a cinema usher in London, UK. In between tearing tickets and shovelling popcorn, he taught himself to be a film cameraman from old BBC training manuals. He learnt directing by watching the movies of Godard and Hitchcock.
Previously, Richard worked in UK TV as a director/producer. He worked on TV shows with talent including Sacha Baron Cohen, Al Murray and Ruby Wax.
In 2004, Richard shot his debut feature The Gigolos in London. He directed and photographed the film himself, and was one of the co-writers.
World premiere of The Gigolos was in the International Feature Competition at AFI FEST in Hollywood in 2005, where Richard was also selected as one of European Film Promotion’s ‘New Faces in European Cinema’. The Gigolos also screened at Dinard Festival of British Film and Cambridge Film Festival, and toured major German cities as part of Britspotting 2007.
The LA Times described The Gigolos as "a subtly delightful film", while the Hollywood Reporter said it was "a provocative glimpse at open secrets". Variety called it "a natural for rep houses and upmarket movie channels".

The Gigolos was released in 2007 in UK cinemas including Clapham Picturehouse, Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, Richmond Filmhouse, Odeon Manchester, Odeon Norwich, Prince Charles Leicester Square, Ritzy Brixton, Cardiff Chapter Arts and Cameo Edinburgh. The BFI released The Gigolos on DVD in the UK earlier this year, and the UK TV premiere is on the BBC in summer 2009.

Cuckoo is Richard's second feature. He wrote and directed the film, which shot in London and Norfolk, UK, in early 2008.

He’s now making his third feature, a comedy about a conman who accidentally creates a new religion.
Richard formed Punk Cinema with brother Tony Bracewell in 2004 to make original, independent British films.

CAST and CHARACTERS
Richard E. Grant plays Professor Julius Greengrass, an eminent cardiologist with an unhealthy interest in his star student. Richard is famed for his portrayal of Withnail in the cult British classic Withnail & I. Other screen credits include The Player, LA Story, Prêt-a-Porter, Gosford Park and Jack & Sarah. In 2005, he made his directorial debut with Wah-Wah, a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood in Swaziland. In late 2008, Richard made his musical theatre debut as Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady in Sydney, Australia.

Laura Fraser plays Polly, a medical researcher desperate to escape her dead-end life. Laura’s credits include Titus with Sir Anthony Hopkins and A Knight’s Tale with Hedge Ledger. She has most recently filmed The Boys Are Back In Town in Australia with Clive Owen.

Antonia Bernath plays Jimi, Polly’s jealous younger sister. Antonia’s film debut was UK comedy St Trinian’s, recently acquired by Sony for US distribution.

Adam Fenton plays Chapman, Polly’s rockstar boyfriend. As ‘Adam F’, he is one of the world’s premiere drum and bass DJs and producers and has worked with Jay-Z, David Bowie, Destiny’s Child and LL Cool J. Cuckoo is Adam’s first major film role.

Tamsin Greig plays Simon, Julius’ cynical former protégé. Tamsin is best known to TV audiences for Love Soup and Green Wing.

MAIN CAST & CREDITS

Cast

Professor Julius Greengrass Richard E. Grant

Polly Laura Fraser

Jimi Antonia Bernath

Chapman Adam Fenton

Simon Tamsin Greig

Credits

Director Richard Bracewell

Producers Tony Bracewell, Richard Bracewell

Executive producer Nicholas Tanner

Director of photography Mark Partridge

Casting director Dan Hubbard

Production designer Simon Scullion

Art director Tim Blake

Editor Craig M. Cotterill

Line producer Adrian Kelly

Costume designer Susie Phillips

Supervising sound editor Martin Jensen

Written by Richard Bracewell