June 20, 2025 • 8 mins
Echo Valley
Kate's secluded life is interrupted by her troubled daughter when she shows up frightened and covered in someone's blood. As Kate unravels the truth, she learns how far she'll go for her child.
Merchant Ivory
Archival footage and interviews provide insight into the partnership, both professional and personal, between director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Teams podcast
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I might have been born again. The beady feel like
IDs on't have the answers. This be cine madness over
a heads Lady carry me.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
That is Lord and Hammer. The new album is only
a week away. Virgin is of course the title of
the new album. Looking forward to listening to the whole thing,
but that song is called Hammer. It's her latest release.
Just yeah, a week or so out from the new EP.
Thank you for your feedback this morning heaps and heaps
the messages clear, Flick me your notes. So Jack, I
traveled back to the UK most years with our two boys,
(00:53):
who were born eighteen months apart. Usually had to travel
on my own, and I soon learned that they'd sleep
half the time, usually at the same time. So my
technique was that I booked seats in the very back
row of the plane, right down there by the toilets,
so if they were awake when others were sleeping, it
was less of a problem. Once though, I got on
in Auckland and was promptly handed a glass of bubbles,
which I thought was strange given I was in the
(01:13):
very last row of the plane, but it was because
the flight attendants had discovered I was heading to the
UK on my loansome. Yeah, it's nice having met support.
Clear Peter, flick me a note to say Jack. We
headed home to New Zealand from the UK. We had
a six month old baby who had been an absolute
dream and felt pretty confident getting on the plane. He
screened the entire way. And by the entire way, I
mean the entire way. I feel like I aged five
(01:37):
years in the space of about thirty six hours. Yeah,
I'm sure there are other people who can relate to
that as well. Thanks Peter ninety two ninety two. If
you want to send us a text message this morning,
right now, it is twenty one minutes to ten on Newstalks,
he'd be Francesca Rudgin, our film reviewers, here with her
picks for this weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
More than a Hi, good morning.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Let's kick off with a little bit of a listen
to a film that's currently screening on Apple TV Plus
with some big names the likes of Sydney Sweeney and
Julianne Moore. This is Echo Valley.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Are you bleeding? You need to be completely asked with me, well,
I was with her boyfriend worst time. Okay?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Is he okay?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
But it was it was an accident.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
It was he They had him for the rock.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Dun Dun, damn. That's Echo Valley. Sounds kind of Similus
to Friendiesca.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, look, it's interesting this film. It's on Apple TV.
It's written by Brad Inglesby, who wrote Mayor of Easttown.
It's directed by Michael Pearce, and the film is kind
of in two parts. It sort of starts off as
quite a sad, melodramatic drama about a mother and a daughter,
both trying to hold their lives together. Great cast. Julianne
(02:56):
Moore plays Kate, and she is trying to recover from
the death of her wife. Her wife died suddenly in
an accident. She lives on her own on this horse farm.
She's a horse trainer and a riding coach and she's
really sort of struggling. And her daughter Claire played by
(03:18):
Swimming Sidney than Sidney. Yes, Sidney Sweeney, thank you. I've
just been for a swim. I'd been to swim and
I think my.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Whole I see Sydney Sweeney.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And she plays her daughter Claire, and she's a drug addict,
and over the years she has caused Kate a lot
of pain. She's put her through rehab, she's walked out,
she keeps going back to the drug druggy boyfriend that
got caught up with these sort of drug dealers and things,
and and in a way, Kate is just holding on
to a glimmer of hope that maybe she will get
(03:58):
her daughter back, the daughter that she remembers. There's a
lot of flashbacks to her childhood and things like that.
So it's kind of the sort of melancholic, sort of
sad and not a dramatic film. Then it switches and
it switches into a thriller, and I was really grateful
for this switch because it instead of been seeing a
little claustrophobic with its sadness. Anyway, it switches into it
(04:19):
into asrilla. And the question here is how far will
Kate go to save her daughter Claire, to protect her daughter,
And she definitely oversteps the line. She finds herself in
this whole new world of some pretty dodgy people, and
the question is can she pull us South out of it?
Because she pulled us south out of her own grief
to keep it clear head to get us South out
(04:40):
of the situation, and so I really liked it when
it switched up. I think the performances from Julianne Moore
and Sidney Sweeney are the best thing about this film.
They're both excellent. I really like Sidney Sweeney in this film.
She wears no makeup. You actually find yourself going. I
was watching her go oh, that is Sidney Sweeney, like,
it's great. She's a very volatile character. She nails her
character really well. You never quite know what's going on.
(05:03):
So the two of them together, it's absolutely worth watching.
Just didn't. I was really excited about the cast and
the writer and things, but didn't quite come together for
me as well as I hoped.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Okay, okay, all right, that's Eco Valley. It does sound
kind of interesting, like you say, at least that the
kind of charisma or the connection between Sydney Sweeny and
Julianne Moore sounds interesting. That screening on Apple TV Plus
at the moment, also out in cinemas right now. Merchant
Ivory tell us about this. This was part of the
British and Irish Film Festival last year.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yes, it did screen and it's come back now for
general release, so it's on in cinemas. And look, I
think all of us at some point has been to
or were dragged to a merchant Ivory film, you know,
a room with a view, the Remains of the day,
Howard's End. In the eighties, they took the period drama,
the costume drama, and they turned it into these mainstream
(05:55):
global hits, and they kind of created a genre all
of their own, and it looked like they were this
independent production company was hugely successful, and they created this
great kind of formula for making these films with their
beautiful settings and lush, you know, costumes and wonderful music
(06:15):
and then these complex characters. They really nailed it. But
behind the scenes it was absolute chaos. So you had
Ismaeil Merchant, who was this producer who is called in
this documentary. You just learn all about the guys. He's
a comm man, he's a pirate. He he really did things,
(06:36):
you know. He pulled these films together with no money.
He was a hustler. He did everybody's head and people
would say, after doing one of his films, I'm never
doing it again, and then they would charm them straight
back into the next film, and then you had and
then you had James Ivory who was the director, and
he was this gentle, soft person that loved to collaborate
(06:56):
with his artists and everybody like he would just get
the best of the best people on board. He'd make
sure they knew what they were doing, and then he'd
leave them to it, and they created these beautiful collaborations.
So it's a real behind sees glimpse and the reality
of trying to be trying to make films you want
to make. And that was the difference between these guys.
They did make films they wanted to make. So look,
(07:17):
if you ever you know, if you remember all those
films in the eighties and nineties, this is a really
charming and entertaining it's quite brisk, I keep it moving
along really well. It's filled with every star under the sun.
So it's a great little watch and a behind the
scenes glimpse of making movies.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Okay, so that's Merchant Ivory that's showing in cinemas right now.
Given it as the winter solstice, well I think it's
winter just after two o'clock this afternoon, isn't it. So
where'd you go for a swim taka poo oh okay,
that's good. Yeah, look, can you throw yourself out in
the back of the pee hog waves or something that
would be nice level? But no, no, no, a quick
dea makes sense. Yeah yeah, yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
We're doing it all over the country and a lot
colder places than I did. No.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Still, it's bracing, but a bracing way to stay. You
said it every morning. Thank you so much, Francisca. Those
film once again. Echo Valley is on Apple TV, plus
merchant Ivory is showing in cinemas. We'll make sure all
of the details for those films are up on the
News Talk's dB website.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to news Talks dB from nine am Saturday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Teams podcast
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I might have been born again. The beady feel like
IDs on't have the answers. This be cine madness over
a heads Lady carry me.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
That is Lord and Hammer. The new album is only
a week away. Virgin is of course the title of
the new album. Looking forward to listening to the whole thing,
but that song is called Hammer. It's her latest release.
Just yeah, a week or so out from the new EP.
Thank you for your feedback this morning heaps and heaps
the messages clear, Flick me your notes. So Jack, I
traveled back to the UK most years with our two boys,
(00:53):
who were born eighteen months apart. Usually had to travel
on my own, and I soon learned that they'd sleep
half the time, usually at the same time. So my
technique was that I booked seats in the very back
row of the plane, right down there by the toilets,
so if they were awake when others were sleeping, it
was less of a problem. Once though, I got on
in Auckland and was promptly handed a glass of bubbles,
which I thought was strange given I was in the
(01:13):
very last row of the plane, but it was because
the flight attendants had discovered I was heading to the
UK on my loansome. Yeah, it's nice having met support.
Clear Peter, flick me a note to say Jack. We
headed home to New Zealand from the UK. We had
a six month old baby who had been an absolute
dream and felt pretty confident getting on the plane. He
screened the entire way. And by the entire way, I
mean the entire way. I feel like I aged five
(01:37):
years in the space of about thirty six hours. Yeah,
I'm sure there are other people who can relate to
that as well. Thanks Peter ninety two ninety two. If
you want to send us a text message this morning,
right now, it is twenty one minutes to ten on Newstalks,
he'd be Francesca Rudgin, our film reviewers, here with her
picks for this weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
More than a Hi, good morning.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Let's kick off with a little bit of a listen
to a film that's currently screening on Apple TV Plus
with some big names the likes of Sydney Sweeney and
Julianne Moore. This is Echo Valley.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Are you bleeding? You need to be completely asked with me, well,
I was with her boyfriend worst time. Okay?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Is he okay?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
But it was it was an accident.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
It was he They had him for the rock.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Dun Dun, damn. That's Echo Valley. Sounds kind of Similus
to Friendiesca.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, look, it's interesting this film. It's on Apple TV.
It's written by Brad Inglesby, who wrote Mayor of Easttown.
It's directed by Michael Pearce, and the film is kind
of in two parts. It sort of starts off as
quite a sad, melodramatic drama about a mother and a daughter,
both trying to hold their lives together. Great cast. Julianne
(02:56):
Moore plays Kate, and she is trying to recover from
the death of her wife. Her wife died suddenly in
an accident. She lives on her own on this horse farm.
She's a horse trainer and a riding coach and she's
really sort of struggling. And her daughter Claire played by
(03:18):
Swimming Sidney than Sidney. Yes, Sidney Sweeney, thank you. I've
just been for a swim. I'd been to swim and
I think my.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Whole I see Sydney Sweeney.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And she plays her daughter Claire, and she's a drug addict,
and over the years she has caused Kate a lot
of pain. She's put her through rehab, she's walked out,
she keeps going back to the drug druggy boyfriend that
got caught up with these sort of drug dealers and things,
and and in a way, Kate is just holding on
to a glimmer of hope that maybe she will get
(03:58):
her daughter back, the daughter that she remembers. There's a
lot of flashbacks to her childhood and things like that.
So it's kind of the sort of melancholic, sort of
sad and not a dramatic film. Then it switches and
it switches into a thriller, and I was really grateful
for this switch because it instead of been seeing a
little claustrophobic with its sadness. Anyway, it switches into it
(04:19):
into asrilla. And the question here is how far will
Kate go to save her daughter Claire, to protect her daughter,
And she definitely oversteps the line. She finds herself in
this whole new world of some pretty dodgy people, and
the question is can she pull us South out of it?
Because she pulled us south out of her own grief
to keep it clear head to get us South out
(04:40):
of the situation, and so I really liked it when
it switched up. I think the performances from Julianne Moore
and Sidney Sweeney are the best thing about this film.
They're both excellent. I really like Sidney Sweeney in this film.
She wears no makeup. You actually find yourself going. I
was watching her go oh, that is Sidney Sweeney, like,
it's great. She's a very volatile character. She nails her
character really well. You never quite know what's going on.
(05:03):
So the two of them together, it's absolutely worth watching.
Just didn't. I was really excited about the cast and
the writer and things, but didn't quite come together for
me as well as I hoped.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Okay, okay, all right, that's Eco Valley. It does sound
kind of interesting, like you say, at least that the
kind of charisma or the connection between Sydney Sweeny and
Julianne Moore sounds interesting. That screening on Apple TV Plus
at the moment, also out in cinemas right now. Merchant
Ivory tell us about this. This was part of the
British and Irish Film Festival last year.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yes, it did screen and it's come back now for
general release, so it's on in cinemas. And look, I
think all of us at some point has been to
or were dragged to a merchant Ivory film, you know,
a room with a view, the Remains of the day,
Howard's End. In the eighties, they took the period drama,
the costume drama, and they turned it into these mainstream
(05:55):
global hits, and they kind of created a genre all
of their own, and it looked like they were this
independent production company was hugely successful, and they created this
great kind of formula for making these films with their
beautiful settings and lush, you know, costumes and wonderful music
(06:15):
and then these complex characters. They really nailed it. But
behind the scenes it was absolute chaos. So you had
Ismaeil Merchant, who was this producer who is called in
this documentary. You just learn all about the guys. He's
a comm man, he's a pirate. He he really did things,
(06:36):
you know. He pulled these films together with no money.
He was a hustler. He did everybody's head and people
would say, after doing one of his films, I'm never
doing it again, and then they would charm them straight
back into the next film, and then you had and
then you had James Ivory who was the director, and
he was this gentle, soft person that loved to collaborate
(06:56):
with his artists and everybody like he would just get
the best of the best people on board. He'd make
sure they knew what they were doing, and then he'd
leave them to it, and they created these beautiful collaborations.
So it's a real behind sees glimpse and the reality
of trying to be trying to make films you want
to make. And that was the difference between these guys.
They did make films they wanted to make. So look,
(07:17):
if you ever you know, if you remember all those
films in the eighties and nineties, this is a really
charming and entertaining it's quite brisk, I keep it moving
along really well. It's filled with every star under the sun.
So it's a great little watch and a behind the
scenes glimpse of making movies.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Okay, so that's Merchant Ivory that's showing in cinemas right now.
Given it as the winter solstice, well I think it's
winter just after two o'clock this afternoon, isn't it. So
where'd you go for a swim taka poo oh okay,
that's good. Yeah, look, can you throw yourself out in
the back of the pee hog waves or something that
would be nice level? But no, no, no, a quick
dea makes sense. Yeah yeah, yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
We're doing it all over the country and a lot
colder places than I did. No.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Still, it's bracing, but a bracing way to stay. You
said it every morning. Thank you so much, Francisca. Those
film once again. Echo Valley is on Apple TV, plus
merchant Ivory is showing in cinemas. We'll make sure all
of the details for those films are up on the
News Talk's dB website.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to news Talks dB from nine am Saturday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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