Benedict Cumberbatch in Stuart A LIfe Backwards

[Carol the Dabbler]

From Sherlockology:

 

 

If you’ve not seen Stuart A Life Backwards with Benedict Cumberbatch we highly recommend it. You can now rent/buy it to watch online from RevFilms.co.uk

"...classic television of the kind they're not supposed to make any more" - Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail

 

The award-winning drama "Stuart A Life Backwards" details the remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator (Alexander - played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and a chaotic homeless man (Stuart - played by BAFTA Award nominated Tom Hardy), whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison.

 

As Alexander learns more about Stuart's complicated life and traumatic childhood, he asks if he can write his story and Stuart advises him to write the story backwards, so that it's "more exciting - like a Tom Clancy murder-mystery". As their remarkable alliance develops, Stuart gradually recounts his life story in reverse, his resilient personality and dry sense of humour giving the story an almost tragi-comic edge.

 

Through post-office heists, attempts at suicide and spells inside various institutions, Alexander is given a glimpse into a totally alien world and begins to understand how Stuart's life spiralled so badly out of control.

In addition to their electronic rent / buy options, the Revelation web page also has a link to buy the DVD from the UK Amazon.

 

If you've seen this, please let us know what you think of it!

[aely]

I watched this for the first time with a friend about 3 weeks ago (was on offer in HMV).

Amazing film. Tom and Benedict are both fantastic and I was close to tears more than once, for varying reasons.

 

On a more shallow note, BC looks rather fine in this, I think it's the glasses.

 

Here's the trailer

 

 

And some photos

 

this is my fave of Ben

 

 

the two of them

 

[Riddle]

I've just watched this, it really is very good. It's extremely sad but a joy to watch, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy both do a fantastic job of portraying these characters and have wonderful chemistry between them. You really believe that these two vastly different people have real love and respect for each other. Benedict is subtle and charming (I can only describe what I love about him as 'close-up acting', the way he expresses slight shifts in emotion and attitude in his face without overdoing it). Tom is brilliant as the psychotic alcoholic, he plays likeable and funny as well as disturbing and, in parts, totally repellant, both in a completely believable way. It would have been easy to make this character a bit over the top, but he played it perfectly.

 

The story itself is harrowing but lifted by the relationship bewtween the two characters. And there are some genuinely funny bits too.

 

Defintely watch it if you haven't already, it's wonderful.

[shoot999]

Its been on youtube for a while. Well worth looking at.

Cool to note that both Tom and Benedict are heavily involved as Princes Trust Ambassadors with people just like Stuart.

 

http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about_the_trust/celebrate_success/celebrate_success_2013-14/celebrate_success_10_years/tom_hardy_surprise.aspx

[mangopony]

I've got BC's entire back-catalogue on order from LoveFilm to get me through the next few months (got about 6 months worth so far!) and can't wait til this one comes!

 

Got The Last Enemy just now. That's really good. Max Beesley and Robert Carlyle also star. I'd recommend it (although I've still got the last episode to watch).

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, definitely!  Alex and I both enjoyed The Last Enemy very much.

 

[Slithytove]

Just watched the final episode of The Last Enemy. The whole series was intriguing, and Benedict was excellent as usual, but can anyone explain to me who Robert Carlyle's character was supposed to be working for? I am a bit confused.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Been too long since we watched it, sorry.  Hopefully someone can answer your question, though.

 

[Arcadia]

It was pretty confusing, but I'm pretty sure that

it turned out he was working for the older government lady and the intelligence officer. It was all to get to Michael, make sure they knew everything he knew, then get rid of him. I think. It got pretty hard to follow!

 

[Slithytove]

Yes, that was what I thought he must be doing, judging by his actions towards the end of the last episode, but some of the things he did in the previous episodes don't seem to make a lot of sense in that context. It was quite a difficult plot to follow from the beginning but did gradually become clearer, except for Robert Carlyle's role.

 

I enjoyed it, though - I quite like to be baffled! I would rather watch something that is confusing than something too predictable.

[Convict13]

Stuart, A Life Backwards is a great piece of work,  Tom Hardy is phenomenal as Stuart, and highly deserved his  BAFTA nomination for the role, would have been better if he had won. I especially like the scenes when they go to visit Alexander's friends in Norfolk, it has both a light and very dark aspect to it. I highly rewarding movie to watch.

 

 

[Convict13]

I've got BC's entire back-catalogue on order from LoveFilm to get me through the next few months (got about 6 months worth so far!) and can't wait til this one comes!

 

Got The Last Enemy just now. That's really good. Max Beesley and Robert Carlyle also star. I'd recommend it (although I've still got the last episode to watch).

 

I'm into Episode 2 of The Last Enemy, it's what I watch whilst travelling to and from work each day.

 

It would seem that before Sherlock that Ben was just another of the many actors out there getting good roles, but not really lead actor material and yet I've found a lot of work that he was the lead actor in.  

 

Sherlock just thrust him into another hemisphere altogether.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I'm into Episode 2 of The Last Enemy, it's what I watch whilst travelling to and from work each day.

 

I do hope you're not driving! 

[Convict13]

 

I'm into Episode 2 of The Last Enemy, it's what I watch whilst travelling to and from work each day.

 

I do hope you're not driving! 

 

 

No I let others do that for me, I hate driving, only do it when I have to.

[CumberCookieCrumble]

Love this movie.