5 New Photos From 'Welcome To The Punch' Starring James McAvoy, Mark Strong & Andrea Riseborough NEWS BY OLIVER LYTTELTON (THE PLAYLIST)

"Hot Fuzz" aside, the history of the British cop/action film is not a glorious one. Indeed, it's hard to think of a truly successful picture that plays it straight, especially with recent disappointments like "Blitz" and "The Sweeney" fresh in the memory. But there's one sneaking up that we've had high hopes for for some time.

"Welcome To The Punch" marks the sophomore feature from director Eran Creevy, whose 2008 flick "Shifty" marked one of the more impressive British debuts of the last few years. And it won him a much bigger canvas to play with the second time around, with Ridley Scott producing his action-thriller, inspired by films like "Heat" and "The Last Boy Scout." And he's assembled an impressive cast, many of whom are featured in five new images from the film recently released, including James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough, Peter Mullan, Johnny Harris and Ruth Sheen, with David Morrissey, Daniel Mays, Elyes Gabrel and Daniel Kaluuya also among those who'll crop up in the film.

READ MORE; http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/5-new-welcome-to-punch-photos-starring-james-mcavoy-mark-strong-andrea-riseborough-20130201

X-Men star James McAvoy and Ridley Scott team up for Welcome to the Punch By David Bentley on January 30, 2013 5:23 PM (COVENTRY TELEGRAPH)

The story sees ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives his nemesis, detective Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy), one last chance to catch the man he's always been after.

Welcome to the Punch is released on March 15, 2013. A trailer is included below.

READ MORE: http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2013/01/x-men-star-james-mcavoy-and-ridley-scott-team-up-for-welcome-to-the-punch.html

Clive Owen On Avoiding The British Agent Cliche In 'Shadow Dancer' And His Own Memories Of Irish Troubles The Huffington Post UK |

Clive Owen plays Mac in 'Shadow Dancer', here seen recruiting Collette McVeigh (Andrea Riseborough)

Clive Owen is a Brit undoubtedly done well in Hollywood, acclaimed for his versatility ('Closer', 'Children of Men', 'The Bourne Identity'), most recently for his Golden Globe-nominated turn with Nicole Kidman in the HBO telemovie 'Hemingway and Gelhorn'.

But he was persuaded to return to the genre he's probably most associated with, that of the political thriller for the lead role in 'Shadow Dancer', adapted by ITN News Correspondent Tom Bradby from his own novel.


Owen plays Mac, a weary British agent, responsible for running informers at the height of the Troubles in 1990s Northern Ireland. This brings him into contact with Collette (Andrea Riseborough on top form), who is tasked with betraying her family if she wants her own freedom.

Here, Owen explains how the Irish Troubles affected him personally, and the sympathies he feels for his own character caught in a no-win situation...

What were your views on the British-Irish conflict as a young man, living in the UK at the time the film is set?

Well, obviously I grew up with it being part of our lives and that threat being in the air and every night hearing some report on the news about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. I actually went to Belfast during that time. I did a play and stayed in Belfast for a week during the Troubles and it was rough, it was a war zone. And it was only when I went into the production office for this film and saw all the pictures they'd put on the wall from that time that I was like, "Wow, they've come a long way." Because it's not that long ago and it was a very different place then.


READ MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/18/clive-owen-shadow-dancer-northern-ireland_n_2501532.html?utm_hp_ref=uk