Little White Lies Issue 69

DIRECTED BY DEN WHEATLEY STARRING ARMIE HAMMER SHARLTO COPLEY, DRIE LARSON RELEASED 31 MARCH THE MYTH OF DIPLOMACY IS THE KEY INGREDIENT OF A HOT LEAD SALAD IN DEN WHEATLEY'S WICKEDLY FUNNY PISTOL OPERA. I f you type the words ‘golden hour-and-a-half’ into your favourite internet search engine, the results yielded will direct you to nostalgic ’90s digital radio stations, betting websites, and a swimming pool in Southport called Splash World. It’s a term dropped in Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, a film about how human beings will sacrifice their own lives before either being proven wrong, or apologising. Sharlto Copley’s jabbering South African yuppie capo, Vern, is worried that he’s losing too much blood, having been clipped by bullets at various points on his body. Armie Hammer’s Ord, a turtleneck…

I t’s set in Boston, Massachusetts and boasts a multinational cast, but Free Fire marks a homecoming of sorts for British writer/director Ben Wheatley. Specifically, it’s the first occasion since 2009 that he has shot a feature in his adopted hometown of Brighton, having previously filmed in Belfast for High-Rise, Sheffield for Kill List, across Derbyshire, North Yorkshire and the Lake District for Sightseers, and in a field in England for A Field in England. He moved down from London a little over 20 years ago to attend university, and it’s been his base, along with his screenwriting partner and wife, Amy Jump, ever since. Free Fire isn’t a Brighton film, but as with Wheatley’s micro-budget debut, Down Terrace, something of the unique character of this vibrant city by the…

You know you’ve graduated as a filmmaker when someone writes a book about your work. Torontobased critic and teacher Adam Nayman is author of the new monograph, ‘Ben Wheatley: Confusion and Carnage’, released by The Critical Press, in which he takes a deep dive into the director’s diverse, divisive and destructive oeuvre. For this Free Fire-themed issue, he’s set a fiendish little Wheatley quiz. 1. WHAT DID BEN WHEATLEY STUDY IN ART SCHOOL? A) Collage B) Sculpture C) Photography D) He dropped out to become a filmmaker 2. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING UK TELEVISION SERIES DID BEN WHEATLEY NOT WORK ON? A) Spaced! B) Ideal C) Time Trumpet D) The Wrong Door 3. WHAT WAS THE TITLE OF THE BREAKTHROUGH VIRAL SHORT CREATED BY BEN WHEATLEY AND ROBIN HILL? A) Modern Toss B) Cunning Stunt…

F or most young actresses, it starts with a denim mini skirt. Matched with a tank top, push up bra and heels, the mini skirt is the uniform for aspiring types heading to Hollywood. They are worn to auditions for low-budget films. They’re a fixture of any warehouse or anonymous office. Countless similarly attired women are at the mercy of those who have the power to pluck them from the crowds of mini skirt-dom and, hopefully, into roles with some semblance of identity. It’s the damsel in distress look, the wearer left at the disposal of a knight in low-slung Levis. The mini skirt is a piece of clothing that’s so onesize- fits-all when it comes to perceived sex appeal, it’s no wonder that it’s become a mainstay for the…

FILE NO: LWL/69 28-29 SUBJECT : ARMIE ‘ORD’ HAMMER (DOB: 28 August, 1986) Location: Los Angeles, California, USA REFERENCE: Personally requested by Senior Detective David Jenkins (undercover), editorial development centre, London, UK DATE: 13 February, 1973 ADMINISTRATIVE DATA: THE SOUTH AFRICAN STAR OF DISTRICT 9 AND CHAPPIE DISCUSSES THE MYRIAD ALPHA MALE MERITS OF HIS FREE FIRE CO-STAR, AMERICAN ACTOR ARMIE HAMMER. THE EXAMINATION: 1. [LWLies] Do you remember the first words you said to Armie when you first met him on the set of Free Fire? [Copley] Erm, I knew him from before, so I think… so it would have been something like, ‘Hey bro, how you doing?!’ 2. When did you meet him the first time? I think it was at a premiere for another film. I wanna say it was… the Danny Boyle film…

FILE NO: LWL/69 30-31 SUBJECT: JACK ‘HARR Y’ REYNOR (DOB: 23 January, 1992) Location: Longmont, Colorado, USA REFERENCE: Personally requested by Senior Detective David Jenkins (undercover), editorial development centre, London, UK DATE: 13 February, 1973 ADMINISTRATIVE DATA: THE AMERICAN STAR OF THE SOCIAL NETWORK AND THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. EXTOLS THE EASY, LAID BACK VIRTUES OF HIS FREE FIRE CO-STAR, IRISH ACTOR JACK REYNOR. THE EXAMINATION: 1. [LWLies] Do you remember the first time you met Jack and the first words you said to him? [Hammer] I met Jack, err... I think it was the first time, I hope it was the first time or else I’m going to be really embarrassed. I wish I could also tell you exactly what he was wearing but I can’t. I think we met at base camp, on the…