Production house BRF (B-Reel Films) has taken on director Christopher Gruse–co-founder and former director for the Detroit-based collective The Work–for U.S. representation. Prior to joining BRF, Gruse was handled by Washington Square Films for spots and branded content.
Gruse’s credits include high-profile campaigns for such automotive brands as Honda, Ford, Lincoln, Infiniti, Acura and Chevy. His web film for Mustang while with The Work–dubbed “Speed Dating”–garnered over 14 million views on YouTube and won multiple awards in 2017, including an Effie Award and Shorty Award.
Slated to launch in 2018, Gruse’s feature-length documentary, Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win, tells the story of the clash of a Detroit Police unit named STRESS (Stop The Robberies, Enjoy Safe Streets) and the radical Marxist attorney leading the charge against it. The film uncovers the struggle to restore civil order after 22 African Americans were murdered within a three-year period.
“We’re continuing to build a roster with versatile talent and Christopher definitely ticks that box. He’s done feature films and commercials, and tackles each project with a curiosity of the world around him, drawing in inspiration to elevate the final product beyond its brief,” said Pelle Nilsson, BRF founder and CEO.
Michael McQuhae, managing director of BRF North America, added, “Christopher’s work combines the perfect blend of strong visual style and compelling performances.”
Gruse noted, “I wasn’t born on a film set and didn’t attend film school. My independent directing career started from my love of books, music and film, and directing became a way to combine all three. Throughout my career I have always been aware of BRF and the work they were putting out. I’m looking forward to joining a roster that will allow me to further heighten the ceiling of what I can accomplish–both within the automotive industry and beyond. “
Review: Writer-Director Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance”
In its first two hours, "The Substance" is a well-made, entertaining movie. Writer-director Coralie Fargeat treats audiences to a heavy dose of biting social commentary on ageism and sexism in Hollywood, with a spoonful of sugar- and sparkle-doused body horror.
But the film's deliciously unhinged, blood-soaked and inevitably polarizing third act is what makes it unforgettable.
What begins as a dread-inducing but still relatively palatable sci-fi flick spirals deeper into absurdism and violence, eventually erupting — quite literally — into a full-blown monster movie. Let the viewer decide who the monster is.
Fargeat — who won best screenplay at this year's Cannes Film Festival — has been vocal about her reverence for "The Fly" director David Cronenberg, and fans of the godfather of body horror will see his unmistakable influence. But "The Substance" is also wholly unique and benefits from Fargeat's perspective, which, according to the French filmmaker, has involved extensive grappling with her own relationship to her body and society's scrutiny.
"The Substance" tells the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, a famed aerobics instructor with a televised show, played by a powerfully vulnerable Demi Moore. Sparkle is fired on her 50th birthday by a ruthless executive — a perfectly cast Dennis Quaid, who nails sleazy and gross.
Feeling rejected by a town that once loved her and despairing over her bygone star power, Sparkle learns from a handsome young nurse about a black-market drug that promises to create a "younger, more beautiful, more perfect" version of its user. Though she initially tosses the phone number in the trash, she soon fishes it out in a desperate panic and places an order.
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