Director Gerard de Thame has joined Humble for commercial representation in the U.S. and Canada. Based in London, de Thame was previously handled in the U.S. by Supply&Demand. He continues to maintain Gerard de Thame Films in London for the U.K. and Europe.
De Thame has helmed hundreds of commercials throughout his career, working with brands including Nike, Adidas, American Express, Microsoft, Samsung, Audi, Volvo, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, ESPN, and GE. His work has earned top honors from assorted industry award shows; notably, his “Modern Ark” spot for Mercedes-Benz and “Synchronicity” for Volkswagen were also nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial in 2001 and 1999, respectively. “Synchronicity” was also honored at the AICP Show. Additionally, his Mercedes-Benz commercial, “Falling in Love Again” for Lowe & Partners/SMS, which traces the automaker’s famed history as owners, assembly line workers and racers sing along with Marlene Dietrich’s iconic tune, was honored at the 1998 AICP Show, becoming part of the New York Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) permanent film collection. De Thame’s body of work ranges from intimate character-driven stories to expansive effects-savvy campaigns.
Most recently, de Thame directed the first-ever national ad campaign for Whole Foods Market. Working with a small crew, shooting in an unobtrusive documentary style, and eschewing actors in favor of capturing the chain’s real-world food suppliers, the result is an authentic campaign with cinematic visuals. The campaign signaled a successful shift in tone and scope for de Thame, and the smaller crew gave him the opportunity to personally handle some of the cinematography as well.
Eric Berkowitz, founder and president of Humble, said of de Thame, “I think he is poised to really surprise us in the months and years to come. He is exploring a different version of himself that’s more raw and introspective. I’m looking forward to partnering with Gerard and seeing what he has in store.”
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.
The one rule to follow is that... Read More