IN CONVERSATION WITH STEVEN FREARS
Cheltenham International Film Festival is delighted to mark the 50th anniversary of Stephen Frears' debut feature, Gumshoe (1971), with a special screening of the film starring Albert Finney and Billie Whitelaw.
This will be followed by an interview with the director, who went on to become one of the giants of British cinema with a string of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films including: My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters, Philomena and The Queen among others, picking up nominations and awards along the way, including at the Hollywood Golden Globes, BAFTA and the Oscars.
Interview by Tim Robey (Film Critic, The Telegraph)
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GUMSHOE (1971)
Stephen Frears' debut feature
Eddie Ginley (Albert Finney) works at a bingo hall in Liverpool, England, but dreams of becoming a stylish private investigator like those he has read about and seen in films. After finally placing an advertisement in a local newspaper announcing his detective services, he receives a mysterious offer.
Even though Ginley is inexperienced and clueless at certain aspects of investigating, he comes to realize that he is entangled in a serious case involving drugs, murder and even his own family.