Popcorn Taxi is proud to present

Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson,

Joanne Whally and John Hurt

44 INCH CHEST

Plus audience Q&A with

RAY WINSTONE

LIVE FROM LONDON

WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 - 7PM

EVENT CINEMAS BONDI JUNCTION

Provocative, outrageously profane and surprisingly tender amidst an explosion of unbridled testosterone, 44 INCH CHEST is a visceral and darkly comic exploration of the masculine ego at breaking point, testing whether fear is stronger than love. Colin (Ray Winstone) is in agony, shattered by his wife’s (Joanne Whalley) infidelity. However, he has friends who do more than stand by - they kidnap the wife's French lover (Melvil Poupaud) and hold him prisoner so that Colin can restore his manhood with revenge. Old Man Peanut (John Hurt), is the Biblical patriarch of the group, with a mean streak; Meredith (Ian McShane), is stylish and tough - a fashion victim with a cutting edge; Mal (Stephen Dillane), is a man who lives in the shadows and explodes with telling, quick violence. As the hostage situation escalates, so do the emotional stakes for each of these damaged, prideful men. Combining the coruscating menace and wit of Sexy Beast with the bold storytelling of Trainspotting and the razor-sharp conflicts of Reservoir Dogs, 44 INCH CHEST marks the debut feature of noted photographer and filmmaker Malcolm Venville, and is produced by Richard Brown and Steve Golin, who with Babel, Being John Malkovich, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, among many others, has specialized in innovative pictures.

More on Ray Winstone:

Ray Winstone was born in Hackney in the East End of London.  He started boxing at the age of twelve, was three times London Schoolboy champion and fought twice for England.  He studied acting at the Corona School before being cast by director Alan Clarke as Carlin (“the Daddy”) in Scum.  This BBC play production made Winstone’s name and since then he has appeared in numerous television series and movies.  After playing a starring role in Franc Roddam’s Quadrophenia and being cast by Ken Loach in Ladybird, Ladybird, Gary Oldman gave Winstone the lead role in his gritty biographical drama, Nil By Mouth, for which he won a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor and earned a BAFTA Award nomination. His mesmerising performance lead to a succession of challenging roles including Dave in the gangster movie Face, and Dad in Tim Roth’s disturbing drama, The War Zone. He also played in the comedy drama The Mammy and Fanny & Elvis before delivering one of the finest performances of his career opposite Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.

Television credits include Our Boy (for which he was awarded an RST award for Best Actor) and Births, Marriages and Deaths – both by writer Tony Grounds. Credits for Granada/ITV are Tough Love, its sequel Lenny Blue, the title role in Henry VIII (which went on to win Best Mini Series/TV Movie at the International Emmy Awards). In 2006 Winstone won an International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his eponymous role in Vincent (Granada/ITV).

Recent major film credits include Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Academy Award winner The Departed, directed by Martin Scorcese, Anthony Minghella’s Breaking and Entering, the title role in the Robert Zemeckis film Beowulf, and Warner Bros’ Fool’s Gold, for release later this year. Other feature film credits include There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble, Last Orders, Ripley’s Game, Cold Mountain, King Arthur, and The Proposition,

In December 2007, Winstone received the Richard Harris Award for outstanding contribution at the British Independent Film Awards.