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Benediction (film)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Benediction
| image = Benediction (film).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Terence Davies
| producer = Michael Elliott
| writer = Terence Davies
| starring =
| music =
| cinematography = Nicola Daley
| editing = Alex Mackie
| studio =
| distributor =
| released =
| runtime = 137 minutes
| country =
| language =
| budget = 5 million
| gross = $860,963
}}
'Benediction' is a 2021 biographical drama film written and directed by Terence Davies. It stars Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi as the war poet Siegfried Sassoon, along with Simon Russell Beale, Jeremy Irvine, Calam Lynch, Kate Phillips, Gemma Jones and Ben Daniels. It was released in United Kingdom on May 20, 2022 by Vertigo Releasing and United States on June 3, 2022 by Roadside Attractions.
Premise
The story of Siegfried Sassoon, the British poet who was sent to a psychiatric facility for his anti-war stance during WWI, had affairs with several men during the 1920s, married and had a son, and after a crisis in faith, converted to Catholicism.
Cast
* Jack Lowden as Siegfried Sassoon
** Peter Capaldi as Older Siegfried Sassoon
* Simon Russell Beale as Robbie Ross
* Jeremy Irvine as Ivor Novello
* Kate Phillips as Hester Gatty
** Gemma Jones as Older Hester Gatty
* Ben Daniels as Dr Rivers
* Calam Lynch as Stephen Tennant
** Anton Lesser as Older Stephen Tennant
* Tom Blyth as Glen Byam Shaw
* Matthew Tennyson as Wilfred Owen
* Geraldine James as Theresa Thornycroft
* Richard Goulding as George Sassoon
* Lia Williams as Edith Sitwell
* Suzanne Bertish as Lady Ottoline Morrell
* Julian Sands as Chief Medical Officer
* Jude Akuwudike as Priest
* Giovanna Ria as Nurse
Production
In January 2020, Jack Lowden joined the cast of the film, with Terence Davies directing from a screenplay he wrote. In March 2020, Peter Capaldi joined the cast of the film. In October 2020, Simon Russell Beale, Geraldine James, Kate Phillips, Gemma Jones, Anton Lesser, Jeremy Irvine, Ben Daniels, Lia Williams, Jude Akuwudike, Suzanne Bertish, Calam Lynch and Tom Blyth joined the cast of the film.[https://deadline.com/2020/11/jack-lowden-terence-davies-benediction-wraps-shoot-gerladine-james-simon-russell-beale-1234607510/ Terence Davies WWI Drama Benediction Wraps Shoot With Geraldine James, Jeremy Irvine, Simon Russell Beale Among Joiners; First Look At Jack Lowden Pic]
Principal photography began on 8 September 2020, and finished on 22 October 2020.
Release
'Benediction' had its world premiere as a Special Presentation at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September. That same month, the film's UK and Ireland distribution rights were acquired by Vertigo Films. In October 2021, Roadside Attractions acquired North American distribution rights to the film. It was released in United Kingdom on May 20, 2022 and United States on June 3, 2022.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 'Benediction' has an approval rating of 94% based on 145 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's consensus reads, "It isn't an easy watch, but 'Benediction' uncovers a profoundly affecting drama in the real-life story of a combat veteran whose poetry warned against the horrors of war." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100 based on 32 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
References
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