Online Program
The Official Site for the Edinburgh International Film Festival

International premiere
Enigma
Michael Apted USA 2000 117 mins

Cast: Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam, Saffron Burrows, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Tom Hollander, Colin Redgrave, Matthew Macfadyen, Pobert Pugh

18:00 Sat August 18
13:00 Sun August 19

Ticket Price: £7 (£4.5 concs)

Adapting Robert Harris’s compelling best seller, Michael Apted’s team has produced a smart 1940s-set thriller that evokes the suspenseful pace of such classics as The 39 Steps. The exceptional British cast includes Scott as Tom, a boffin who is key to cracking the infamous Enigma code at Bletchley Park. Burrows plays the beguiling Claire, his ex-lover and colleague who has mysteriously disappeared. The intricate tale commences when Tom, on the mend from a breakdown, returns to Bletchley. Teaming up with Claire’s housemate, the redoubtable Hester (Winslet), the two discover their missing friend was implicated in something quite sinister. Add in Northam as the urbane agent Wigram on their trail, and you have a real savvy jaunt of a film.

Eligible Awards: The Standard Life Audience Award

Gala

The screening is to be followed by a gala dinner at the Royal Museum of Scotland. An insider has said it is to be a "very glitzy affair" and the most noteable event of the festival.

From the Edinburgh Evening News: "But this year’s big event looks likely to be Enigma’s opening night party at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street on August 18."

Attendees
From Various News Sources

First reports indicated that all major stars would be attending, Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott, Jeremy Northam, Saffron Burrows, and Mick Jagger. However, later BBC News reported that Kate Winslet would indeed not be able to attend. Some sources continue to report that she will be attending the festival. Only time will tell.

The director, Michael Apted, has not been mentioned, but is also likely to be on hand along with other producers and members of the cast.

16th of August - Screen Daily reports that Mick Jagger might not be able to attend, but that Kate Winslet is likely to attend the premire along with Dougray Scott.

August 19th Update - Mick Jagger pulled out of the premiere at the last minute. However, director Michael Apted, Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, and Kate Winslet were on hand to promote the film. Fellow actor Ewan McGreggor also turned up for the event according to the Daily Mail.

Meeting Kate Winslet

dK Forum regular Allan attended the Edinburgh Festival and was able to meet Kate Winslet for the first time. This is his rather touching account of his brush with an angel.

Kate Winslet rushed into the rain when she saw Allan holding out his picture.

There’s a weird sensation that goes on when you’re standing toe to toe with Kate Winslet, which cannot easily be explained. It probably has something to do with the continuous stream of flashing lights, or the repetitive shouts of ‘Kate’ from every single direction, or the fact that if you’ve just managed to get yourself right there in the frame with her, and all of a sudden, a great deal of attention is now on you. The most extraordinary sensation though is the adrenalin rush that crashes through your body like a tidal wave and seems to turn everything into a surreal dream. It beats any drug in Edinburgh. If Ewan McGregor had a shot of what I’d just had, he’d have run down Princess Street to a different tune altogether. Iggy Pop? Pah!

I didn’t intend getting that close to the action on Saturday evening outside the Odeon in Edinburgh, in fact at one point I almost gave up on the whole idea in favour of going to the much more user-friendly environment of a local pub. Fortunately, I persevered with the pushing and shoving, mostly from the horrible British Press (what an ignorant bunch of morons they are!) and stuck it out. Kate arrived in the same car as Dougray Scott and Saffron Burrows, and as most of you have already seen was wearing the Elton John bash dress with a denim jacket over the top. The Press said that she ‘dressed down’ for the occasion, but I’m pretty sure the jacket was there as a last minute decision (it was absolutely pouring it down with rain).

The trio pose for pictures in front of the Odeon.

The three key players in this drama posed for a few Press photographs, Dougray joking that he would “rather be at Ibrox watching the Hibs” whilst Kate and Saffron clung to either side of him, attached like angelic wings. When I held up a black and white portrait of Kate, she took me by complete surprise and came running over to me, instantly taking my pen and the picture from me and signed her name across it. I was just absolutely stunned. She said to me “oh no, it’s getting all wet” and I just mumbled “oh it’s OK!” All my well rehearsed lines like “How’s Jim?” or “Whose having Mia tonight his folks or yours?” or endless other harmless chat lines came out as “enjoy the film”, to which she replied “thank you”. What an absolute loser! That was your moment boy and you blew it! Still, I’ve heard Kate say ‘thank you’ so many times in her movies and in countless interviews, but this time she said it to me. That’s something isn’t it? I could have said something really stupid like “I’ve got all your movies!!” couldn’t I?

Kate Winslet is much smaller than I ever imagined. How can so much talent and beauty take up so little space? There’s no doubting her beauty, I’ve now witnessed it close up. As I stood there, right in front of her, in those few tiny moments, in the time it takes to scribble a name, a thousand thoughts flooded my brain. Is this really that girl who stood on a hill in the rain yearning for Willoughby? Is this that young woman who enquired “Do I irritate you” to a love struck Jude Fawley? Is this really the woman who wanted Leonardo diCaprio to teach her to spit like a man whilst their ship headed for disaster? There’s absolutely no way this could possibly be the same woman who shouted “F*** You” at Harvey Kietel, is there? Oh boy I was mesmerised. You’ve seen all those photographs of her with her big blue eyes? Well they’re bluer than that!

Allan with his autographed picture of Kate Winslet and his hard earned Enigma poster.

I went to Edinburgh with two tickets to see Enigma. I came back with a bunch of photos of Kate, a video recording of her arrival at the premiere, an Enigma poster that my wife Andrea managed to talk an usher into parting with, an autographed photo of Kate (that I always promised my daughter I would eventually get Kate to sign after she gave it to me for my birthday), and most importantly some memories that will stay with me forever.

I want to thank Rachel for some very useful advice and Ruth for simply telling me to GO GO GO. For all those of you who are eager to see Enigma, you won’t be disappointed. It gets the thumbs up from me, but there again I’m pretty biased now, aren’t I?

by Allan.