Robert Carlyle & Emma Thompson in The Legend of Barney Thompson, in cinemas 24 July. © Icon Film Distribution
All-Star Cast To Attend World Premiere at EIFF 2015
The Legend of Barney Thomson makes its world premiere tonight at the opening night of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2015.
The film marks Robert Carlyle’s directorial film debut and stars some well-known faces including Emma Thompson, Ray Winstone, Tom Courtenay, Ashley Jensen and Martin Compston, as well as Carlyle himself.
Adapted from the highly successful crime novel series, The Legend of Barney Thomson is a gutsy, and hilarious crime thriller about Barney (Carlyle), a hapless barber whose mundane life is transformed when he inadvertently stumbles into serial murder. In a ham-fisted attempt to cover his tracks, Barney finds himself on the run from the bearish Detective Inspector Holdall (Winstone), turning to his domineering and emasculating mother Cemolina (Thompson) for support. With nowhere to go and no turning back, Barney’s life is turned upside down as it is littered with more murderous consequences than he could have ever anticipated.
In addition to directing the film, BAFTA winning actor Robert Carlyle plays the titular antihero Barney, the awkward, diffident Glasgow barber who lives a life of desperate mediocrity. Carlyle, who is best known for his memorable roles in Trainspotting and The Full Monty, continues to push character boundaries with a pitch-perfect performance as the archetypal underdog.
Two-time Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson plays Barney’s larger-than-life mother Cemolina in one of the most transformative roles of her career. Clever aged by twenty years with prosthetics, Thompson gives a memorable and entertaining performance as the domineering and formidable Glaswegian ‘good-time girl’.
Barney’s nemesis, Detective Inspector Holdall, is played by Caryle’s friend and actor Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, The Proposition). Academy Award nominee and BAFTA winner, Sir Tom Courtenay also stars as Chief Inspector McManaman, with Ashley Jensen (Extras, Ugly Betty), Martin Compston (Filth, Sweet Sixteen), James Cosmo (Game of Thrones, Braveheart), Kevin Guthrie (Sunset Song), Brian Pettifer (Amadeus) and Stephen McCole (Rushmore) completing the stellar supporting cast.
The Legend of Barney Thomson is officially released in the UK on 24 July.
The Legend of Barney Thompson
Donna is the Founder and Editor of Frankly, My Dear UK. By day, she works as a digital marketing specialist, by night she reviews film, theatre and music for a wide range of publications including WhatsonStage and The Reviews Hub. Loves Formula 1, prosecco and life.
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