Arriving in the midst of today’s Superbowl trailer logjam like a genteel horse and carriage pulling up to a demolition derby is this newbie from A New York Winter’s Tale. Curl up with a flagon of tea and surrender to its fairy-tale charms. Just don’t blame us if you turn into a pumpkin.
According to its official parchment, Akiva Goldsman’s feature debut is a story of “miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil”. At first set in the 19th century, it chronicles what happens when a thief named Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) breaks into the New York home of a fatally ill young woman (Jessica Brown Findlay) and starts to fall in love with her. But his life is also complicated, not least by Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe), a violent crime boss for whom Lake used to work and who he's now running from.
But when Pearly finally catches up with our hero and he seems doomed, something strange happens: he shows up in present-day Manhattan having lost his memory and befriends Virginia, who helps him explore his past. William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, Ripley Sobo, Mckayla Twiggs, Matt Bomer and Kevin Durand are also part of the cast.
The British title has changed since its last trailer– you may know it better simply as Winter’s Tale – but the tone remains one of hope and romance. If that’s your thing, mark your calendar for February 21 when A New York Winter’s Tale heads UKwards.