alexander masters stuart a life backwards

'We've also been lucky enough to have both Alexander and Stuart's family on hand to advise our leads - an extraordinary situation and one which brings an extra dimension to the film.' It's a story told backwards, a biopic of an unknown man which mixes humour and terrible tragedy: it breaks all the rules. Producer of the adaptation for Neal Street Productions, Pippa Harris, commented: 'Alexander's script preserves the book's brilliant, anarchic quality. 'I wish he was still here so we could be astonished together - then go out, whoop it up and get rat-a***d!' Through post office heists, attempts at suicide and spells inside numerous institutions, Alexander is given a glimpse into a totally alien world and begins to understand how Stuart's life spiralled so badly out of control.Īlexander Masters, writer of Stuart: A Life Backwards, said: 'How gloriously exciting and totally peculiar! Benedict on television playing me, Tom Hardy playing Stuart - now that's a first Stuart would have enjoyed, somebody actually wanting to be him! When Stuart Shorter - a homeless alcoholic with a violent past - meets writer and charity worker Alexander Masters, they strike up an unlikely friendship.Īs Alexander learns more about Stuart's complicated life and traumatic childhood, he asks if he can write his story and Stuart advises him to tell the story backwards, so that it's 'more exciting - like a Tom Clancy murder mystery'.Īs their remarkable alliance develops, Stuart gradually recounts his life story in reverse, his resilient personality and dry sense of humour giving the story an almost tragi-comic edge. Tom Hardy (The Virgin Queen Black Hawk Down) stars as Stuart Shorter alongside Benedict Cumberbatch (Hawking Starter For Ten) as Alexander Masters in the 90-minute film for television, directed by David Attwood (To The Ends of the Earth). Production commenced this week on Neal Street Productions' adaptation of Alexander Masters' critically-acclaimed biography Stuart: A Life Backwards for BBC TWO and HBO Films.

Alexander masters stuart a life backwards