Close up: This week in film

Close up Friday 13 Feb 2015 g Film of the week More » Love Is Strange review – a same-sex marriage sucker-punched by catastrophe | Peter Bradshaw’s film of the week John Lithgow and Alfred Molina star as a gay couple forced to live apart in Ira Sachs’s film composed in a minor key

Editors' picks Gillian Anderson on therapy, rebellion and 'being weird' She found fame in The X-Files but is most proud of her roles in The Fall and A Streetcar Named Desire. She talks about turning from an obnoxious teenage punk into a control freak – and why many actors are too scared to come out ‘I relate to the way Sherlock talks about death’: Ian McKellen on his new film role Stage giant relishes the challenge of playing detective in old age A selection of playful Instagram images of the Bafta mask – in pictures Photographer Sarah Lee was entrusted with a genuine Bafta award bronze mask in her quest to create a series of instagram images in the lead up to the ceremony Bill Nighy: ‘I’m greedy for beauty’ Impeccably dressed and naturally convivial, Bill Nighy is happiest in his own company. He talks to Nigel Farndale about football, staring at trees and riding a motorbike with Judi Dench

Top stories More » Get me 250 dogs going feral in Budapest: keeping it real in the face of SFX spectacle No CGI was harmed or even used in the making of Kornél Mundruczó’s new film White God. Steve Rose weighs up the believability of digital versus practical effects, from Ben-Hur to Star Wars  Trust me: you needn't get your knickers in a twist over Fifty Shades of Grey Does the Fifty Shades movie denigrate women? Not according to Leslie Felperin, the (female) critic of the Hollywood Reporter, who saw the film at its Berlin premiere: it’s just a bland, boring, softcore fantasy  Film show More » Selma and the week's big movies reviewed in The Guardian Film Show Up this week is eerily topical civil rights drama Selma; Aardman caper Shaun the Sheep: The Movie; big-budget space opera Jupiter Ascending; and the film that so annoyed North Korea, The Interview. Plus, interviews with Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo  Most read More » Fifty Shades of Grey review – making a bad fist of it | Peter Bradshaw Sam Taylor-Johnson’s adaptation of the EL James erotica goes big on the red tape and very, very small on our hero’s legendary member, with results so awful they’re more Victoria Wood than Victoria’s Secrets  George Lucas beats Steven Spielberg to title of Hollywood's richest movie mogul Research firm names Star Wars creator as Tinseltown’s wealthiest film-maker, with fellow director-producer Steven Spielberg in third place  Baftas under fire for forgetting Bob Hoskins's death The omission of Bob Hoskins from the In Memoriam section of last night’s Baftas has led to outrage and accusations of snobbery on Twitter, while others highlight absence of Rik Mayall  Interviews More » James Franco on Sony, sexuality and self-image After his gross-out satire The Interview threatened to trigger a third world war, the actor/director/artist/novelist shot a subtle drama about a gay activist who becomes a straight pastor. He speaks to Ryan Gilbey about pushing the limits  Still Alice is ‘shockingly accurate’ – people living with dementia give their verdict Julianne Moore is an Oscar favourite for her portrayal of a woman with dementia in Still Alice. But what do people with the condition think of the film?  Laura Poitras on Citizenfour, Edward Snowden and whistleblowers As her Bafta-winning documentary opens in Australia, the director speaks to Paul Farrell about the past 18 months and the possibility of further stories about Australia’s role in global surveillance  Film blogs More » Is Selma historically accurate? Ava DuVernay’s civil rights drama has been accused of misrepresenting Lyndon Johnson. But its emotive account rings true with witnesses  Could Spider-Man’s return leave Marvel tangled in Sony’s web? The way has been cleared for the prodigal web-slinger to appear on the big screen for the company that created him. But can a satisfying new creative direction emerge out of the mess left by Sony?  Big Hero 6 blocks Kingsman's path to the top at the UK box office Disney’s bulky inflatable robot tussles with spoof spies again, as half-term promises more of the spoils for the family-friendly animation  Is JJ Abrams headed to the CGI dark side for The Force Awakens? The director says his forthcoming Stars Wars instalment will use the old-school techniques of the original trilogy along with CGI  Big Hero 6 proves a Marvel as Kingsman spies the runner-up spot at UK box office It’s a close-run thing as Disney’s lovable, family-friendly robot pips dapper Colin Firth in the retro spy spoof  Take the quiz More » Quiz: Can you guess the weird film merchandise? Fifty Shades of Grey has been associated with everything from fabric softener to baby changing mats – so what bizarre merchandise did these desperate tie-ins end up yielding?

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