Alexandra Taylor: Writer

‘Her’ tells the story of a lonely writer, post painful divorce, who finds a way to love again. But no Spike Jonze film is ever that straightforward. The twist in this tale is that the ‘Her’ of the title, and the object of our protagonist’s love, is not a woman but a computer operating system.  Setting the story in futuristic LA, Jonze uses his characters and their relationships to explore issues of isolation and intimacy, challenge our notions of love and examine what human interaction means in a world dominated by electronic communication.  As with Jonze’s previous films ('Being John Malkovich', 'Adaptation', 'Where the Wild Things Are'), expect more questions to be raised than answered. Does the electronic intermediary act as a barrier or enabler? Is an online persona more or less authentic than a person’s physical presence? How and why do we connect to those around us? With a strong cast, and a Best Film nomination at the New York Film Festival, you m...

Endorsed by the Mandela family, including the great man himself, this is as close to an official biopic of Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary life as there is ever likely to be. It is epic in its scope, covering the full span of his long and controversial journey from rural childhood, through political activism and imprisonment, to his historic inauguration as President.  In preparation for this daunting project, Director Justin Chadwick spent a year in South Africa, exploring the country and its people. As with 'The First Grader', set and shot in Kenya, expect an evocative, visually stunning and immersive African experience.  Squeezing a lifetime of drama into two and a half hours is a challenging task, and not all biopics manage to do it successfully. Chadwick’s approach is to focus on Mandela the human being, a flawed man whose dedication to the cause wreaked havoc with his personal life. With career defining performances from Naomie Harris as the indomitable Winnie a...