So what has PPP been viewing for the last week?

Quite a lot considering all the other things going on, but not much to write home about.  I saw a number of seasonal offerings on the Hallmark Channel, all equally forgettable including Steve Guttenberg playing a single Santa looking for Mrs. Claus (how the mighty have fallen!)  The kiddy movies playing in the background whilst I pursued my domestic duties will similarly be ignored, although I did have the dubious pleasure of watching "Garfield"; there are those who will forgive Bill Murray anything for his sour persona and those who don't really give a damn -- like me.  I also viewed the British efforts "Layer Cake" and "Five Children and It" -- and the less said of the latter the better.  As for the former, the whole British take on the criminal underworld leaves me wanting to see something else.

So were there any highlights on the box?  Well I thought "Winged Migration" was a nice restful nature doc, kind of like a screen-saver with some wonderful photography, lots of ooh-ah moments and no story as such -- not that this mattered.  The very best film I have seen in the last week is the Argentinian "Son of the Bride" (2001).  This started off very slowly as our 40-ish hero faced various mid-life crises, but it became more and more involving as one got to know him, his daughter, his ex-wife, his girlfriend, a long-lost childhood friend, his savvy father and his absolutely delightful mother who was coping with dementia.  His father wants to renew his marriage vows and the ceremony that eventually takes place is one of the more memorable wedding services ever.  All in all, a delight.

Finally as a tonic against all this season of good will lark, I did view the DVDs of "Creep" (the London Underground harbouring a psycho-killer) and "Saw" which was as gory and clever as I had been led to believe.  Nothing like some blood and guts to put things to rights.

In case there is another small hiatus over the next day or so, Happy New Year to you all. 

It's that time of the year again

It's not that I haven't seen the odd movie over the last few days, but I'm just too busy to say much about them as I prepare for the annual deluge of family and visitors.  Maybe before the end of the year I will be able to play catch-up.

Meanwhile happy, happy holidays to you all - PPP

House Calls (1978)

Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson made two films together of which this is the first (and probably the better).  He plays a recently widowed doctor and she a recent divorcee.  He's eager to play the field after years of fidelity, but after one night's mutually agreed sex, she challenges him to stop playing around or to give her up.  Her character is an opinionated motormouth, but he loves being with her; hospital politics nearly kill their relationship as he tries to help the senile director fight a lawsuit (and a brilliant turn by Art Carney here).  Their dating is completely charming as two older people prove that not only youngsters know how to romance.  There is one particularly hilarious bit when they attempt to prove whether or not it is possible to make love with one leg on the floor as the former Hollywood censor dictated.  Matthau was always good value in a film and nowadays one can forget what a gifted light comedienne Jackson was.  I think she brought a lot more happiness to a lot more people in movies like this than she ever has as an MP!

Namus - The Honour (1926)

Now here's a new taste thrill for Pretty Pink, an Armenian film made in 1926.  I must confess that I didn't follow all of it since the choice of intertitles was between some cyrillic script and German (in which I'm not exactly fluent).  However as far as I could tell it was about thrawted young love -- the girl having been pledged in childhood to a man she couldn't love (having already lost her heart to another) and her family being too proud to lose face and back down.  I think Namus means chastity or virginal maiden or some such -- I need to check this further.  Anyhow it all ended in tears before bedtime.  For such an old film, the print I viewed was in sparkling black and white and used a sophisticated collection of dissolves and close-ups, and it certainly provided a totally fascinating peek into a culture unknown to me.  In case you are wondering where I saw this, it was on German TV via satellite.  The one thing I'll say about the Germans is that their television offers a much better selection of films than ours, even if they do dub just about everything into their own language -- apart from silents, they appear to hate subtitles.

The Forgotten (2005)

This movie starring Julianne Moore started off like gangbusters with an intriguing premise -- she plays a mother whose son was killed in a plane crash about a year earlier and she continues to grieve.  However, slowly, proof that the son ever existed ceases to be available as his image disappears from family photographs and videos and as even her therapist, best friend and husband deny that there ever was such a person.  Since she is a decent actress, one identified with her plight and wondered where the story was going.  Then about two-thirds the way through came a plot development so far our of left field that my mouth was literally agape.  After that it just became more and more unbelievable as my flabber was ghasted, and by the end I couldn't care less.

Ultranova (2005)

This Belgian film at the ICA sounded much more interesting in the programme than it was in the viewing.  People joke about Belgium not producing much of note, but Magritte and Delvaux are two of my favourite modern painters, the beer and mussels are great, and I have seen a number of really quirky and memorable Belgian movies; unfortunately this was not one of them, despite its occasional oddities.  It was another non-linear close-up of empty lives in a desolate landscape with little hope of escape to the new beyond of the title. We had actually gone to the venue hoping to view the Italian giallo, "The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave", a film which has eluded me for years which was scheduled to be shown after the above.  However they were unable to obtain a print and the showing was cancelled -- what a pity!

Other recent viewing

I have been a busy little bee since my return from New York, but none of my other recent viewing deserves a full paragraph:

Valentin (2002): This Argentinian film is the best of this bunch -- more a slice of life than anything.  The protagonist is a very sweet but very sharp young boy being raised by his grandmother, since his mother has done a runner and his father is too busy to care.  When she dies, he tries to bring together one of his father's exes and a kooky pianist who lives nearby, presumably in the hope that they will marry and adopt him.

White Chicks (2004): Good golly Miss Molly -- this is what passes for mainstream entertainment nowadays.  Two of the Wayans brothers (I sometimes think there are dozens in this talented family) are FBI agents in trouble with their boss who find themselves dragged up as two white heiresses.  The fact that they look exactly like two black men in drag is immaterial to the hardly credible plot.  I must confess that there was the occasional giggle, but not sufficient ones to excuse the idiocy of the concept.

Anacondas - Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004):  With a title like that you can just about guess how stupid this film was.  It's a spin-off from the original giant snake film from a few years back which was equally bad, but with a B-list cast (not a D-list one like here). The first movie sticks in my memory indelibly for the over-the-top, histrionic, leering performance of Jon Voight.  I doubt if I will remember much of this one by next week.

Ring Of Bright Water (1969)

I am sorry to admit that I have never previously seen this film despite it being shown often on the box -- as an animal-lover Rachealcarol probably knows it well and probably loves it.  The DVD came free with one of the newspapers a few weeks back and I thought I should have a look before passing it to one of my grand-daughters.  Well I have, and I think I'll hold on to it for the time being since the story gets a little sad (a la Bambi), despite a supposedly upbeat ending, and they are still a little young for trauma.  As for the film, I thought the otter was very good.  I also thought that the scenery was well-photographed.  As for the leads, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, taking on wild-life leads after the Elsa films, she was better than he -- but I still preferred the otter to either of them.  Probably a good choice for slightly older kiddies.

De-Lovely (2004)

If all you know about Cole Porter is that he wrote the words and music to some of the greatest popular songs ever and that Cary Grant played him back in 1946 in "Night and Day", you only know part of his history.  An aristocratic type, he was also an avid homosexual -- something the earlier movie could not show.  His marriage was one of convenience and his wife was well aware of his proclivities.  His is actually quite a sad tale as he was crippled after a riding accident and lost his supportive wife to cancer.  The two main characters are played here by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd, both of whom do a fine job with the material.  I was not terribly happy with the framing device which had Jonathan Pryce as a kind of recording angel looking back on Porter's life. The best part was the music with a selection of standards performed by various guest artists -- that some of them were presented in styles incompatible with the period of the film was a little jarring, but it was still great to hear these classics again.

The Dreamers (2003)

Apart from "1900", I have never been much of a fan of Bernardo Bertolucci (although I think "The Conformist" is pretty good).  His last few films come across like a dirty old man's daydream (to use the politer term) and seem to lust after nubile young flesh.  This movie set in Paris during the 1968 riots tells of a young American student who becomes friendly with brother and sister twins (their mother is English, hence their command of the language for the film is in English).  It was their mutual love of movies that brought them together and this part of the proceedings was obviously to my taste, but the story degenerated into a kind of love-in when the American moved in with them while their parents were away.  I actually found all three of them on the unattractive side and taking off their clothes (which was frequent) made them no more attractive to me.  I think the young French actress was chosen primarily for her figure -- an enormous pair of boobs on a skinny frame -- which the camera made love to as well.  It was all too self-indulgent for words.

Movies to watch on TV this Christmas (cont'd)

If you are limited to terrestrial TV and are not enchanted with the feeble selection of premieres, try BBC2 which is showing a whole bunch of classic films.  Of course they have all been on umpteen times, but if you have not seen any of the following (or fancy viewing one again) these are some of the best:

20th, afternoon - A Night at the Opera (the Marx Brothers at their zaniest); 2lst a.m. - The Sea Hawk (Errol Flynn doing his swashbuckling bit);  22nd a.m. - Gunga Din (boys' own adventure with Cary Grant); 22nd afternoon - Bringing up Baby (Grant again with the divine Katharine H); 24th, Noon - Black Narcissus (passions run high amongst the nuns); 24th, late - I Walked with a Zombie (poetic Lewton horror); 25th afternoon - A Star is Born (1954) (The best version with Garland and James Mason); 25th late - The Scarlet Empress (wonderful high camp with Marlene Dietrich); 26th afternoon - That's Entertainment (first of the three MGM compilations) plus The Philadelphia Story (Grant, Hepburn, Stewart = bliss); 29th afternoon - The Red Shoes (Powell & Pressburger masterpiece).

On other terrestrial channels I would also recommend Major Barbara Saturday afternoon on Channel 5 with a sparkling performance from Wendy Hillier and James Stewart with his six-foot rabbit in Harvey on ITV late on the 26th.  Channel 4 are showing Meet Me in St Louis on the afternoon of the 19th and Singin' in the Rain on Christmas day, but I guess everyone has seen these two several many times.

Have fun viewing -- and e-mail me if you want a capsule review of anything else that is on over the holiday period.

What films are on British TV this Christmas?

Not a lot from my point of view since I have seen every single one being shown on terrestrial and have the best ones in my permanent collection.  I will be watching Son of the Bride (Argentinian), Nowhere in Africa (German Oscar winner) and Winged Migration (nature doc) -- all on BBC4 and Confidences Trop Intimes on FilmFour, plus a couple of the premieres on Sky Movies.

If you do have access to satellite or freeview do not miss the Buster Keaton shorts and features on Sky Cinema (afternoons 19th-23rd, or a day later on Cinema 2).  While people divide into Keaton vs. Chaplin (I am in the first camp), if you have not previously seen them do try the Chaplins on Artsworld -- The Great Dictator on the 23rd, Modern Times on the 27th and Limelight (brilliant -- and Keaton is in it) on the 30th.  Other silents worth seeing are Battleship Potemkin on BBC4 on the 17th and Pandora's Box with the luminous Louise Brooks on FilmFour on the 24th late.

As for the terrestrial premieres they are a sorry bunch with a lot of seasonal dreary television movies.  The best of the bunch are The Man who Wasn't There (Channel 4 late on the 24th), Toy Story 2 (BBC1 Christmas Day) and 8 Women (good French fun with a terrific cast) on Channel 4 late on the 30th.  Also late on the 30th is Insomnia on BBC1, but it is not a patch on the Norwegian original.  The other heavy-hitters: Minority Report, The Shipping News and Signs kind of left me cold.

To be continued since I have already been disconnected once while preparing this.

Strip Search (2004)

I have just finished watching this Home Box Office cable movie directed by Sidney Lumet and I feel that I have been repeatedly hit over the head as the same points were hammered home.  In a way it is surprising, given the current political climate, that this picture was ever made since it deals with the loss of civil liberties.  It opens in China where student Maggie Gyllenhaal is arrested and dragged off for questioning by an unfeeling flunkey without any indication of her crime.  At this stage we are meant to think that this is the sort of thing that can happen in undemocratic parts of the world.  However the scene moves to New York where an arab student is similarly grabbed and questioned by Glenn Close.  To reinforce the similarities between the two scenarios, exactly the same dialogue is spoken as the inquisition moves back and forth between the locales.  Both suspects are subjected to badgering, humiliation and a strip search until they realise that they no longer have any rights.  One regime is as inhuman as the next and it is all done in the name of national security.  The film was a heavy-handed way of getting this message across, but it certainly made its point. 

Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974)

Laurence Harvey had a distinguished film career in Britain, died relatively young and had some memorable roles (especially in "Room at the Top").  I therefore doubt that he would wish to be remembered for this his last film which is not only a colossal piece of junk but which he is also responsible for directing!  Set in California he plays a photographer of some means with a home on a private beach.  He is also a Korean War vet who, we are led to believe, has developed a taste for human flesh as a result of his war experiences -- not that these are ever spelled out -- which he satisfies by picking up young girls and slaughtering them.  He lives with his weird sister played by Joanna Pettet who shares his guilty secret and with whom incest is implied.  Into their life comes young hitch-hiker Meg Foster, she of the palest blue eyes in movie history, who messes up the delicate lie of their existence.  There are a few other actors of some repute mixed with some totally inept ones, but the standard of acting throughout is completely amateurish.  What a way to end a career. 

Inflight movies (again)

Well I'm back from New York where I managed to see two super exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum -- Prague 1400 and Fra Angelico (yes, I really do have some other interests) and where I stocked up on a number of Region1 Dvds that are not available here (back to interest number one).  Memo to movie-lovers, given the choice fly with Virgin rather than American.  The former always has a choice of at least eight films at a time at worst and on some of their aircraft there is a choice of over fifty with the ability to start at any point in the flight, pause or fast-foward -- a really cool system.  American with whom I flew this time in comparison have a dismal choice of three or four movies, most of which have been around for a while.  So here's what I viewed, although as mentioned previously a miniature screen hardly provides a decent viewing experience:

Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005);  This was the only newish movie available and if you love the shorts, which I do, you know what to expect in their first full-length feature (well 70-odd minutes): great visuals, good clean fun, and some singularly British humour.  I'm not surprised that business fell sharply Stateside after the first weekend since it is all probably a little too old-fashioned for them, but I'm sure we'll happily be watching here for decades.

Christmas with the Cranks (2004): One of the seasonal choices and reasonably pleasant with Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis deciding to forego their usual Christmas celebrations to their neightbours' extreme displeasure.  A few chuckly bits and the actors did try hard, but it all got a bit saccharine by the end.  Too much peace and good will for my taste!

The Polar Express (2004): I was singularly untaken with this animation although I know it has its fans.  The technique is called motion-capture where the actors play out their roles and are then painted over; to my eye this produces a very flat and boring picture.  The story tells of resurrecting one boy's belief in Santa Claus by taking him to the North Pole on the titular train, but apart from a few small scenes, I felt there was little magical in the story-telling.

A Good Woman (2004): This is the film that I slept through in part -- the main risk of watching films on airplanes.  It was a reworking of Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan" moved for some reason to the 1930's.  The female leads were Helen Hunt and the nowadays ubiquitous Scarlett Johansson who brought some passion to the Merchant-Ivory feel of the movie (it was not incidentally one of theirs); the young male actors were unknown to me, but Tom Wilkinson and John Standing added some class to the older roles.  A comedy of manners with some smart repartee but a strange choice for the modern audience.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

I have to be careful what I write about this film since I don't want to offend anyone.  I am not a believer which is probably why I have not seen this sooner, but it was such a worldwide phenomenon that I felt it should be viewed.  Since it was not a religious experience for me, I can only discuss its merits as a movie and by and large I think it was very well done, if not easy to take. 

Since it only covered the events leading to the crucifixion and the crucifixion itself (with the brief occasional flashback), it was hard to understand the love and hatred that Jesus inspired.  And we were given ample instances of the hatred not only from the baying crowd led by the priests, but in particular from the sadistic treatment of the Roman soldiers.  I am something of a horror fan and gore doesn't usually bother me, but this depiction was so over the top in terms of seeking the viewer's compassion that it did become too much.  Jim Caviezel in the lead did a fine job, as did most of the European supporting cast, but it's just as well that he is a very religious man (I'm told) as I somehow doubt that his acting was pain-free.  As for the film being mainly in Aramaic, I think this was a good idea, since this provided the necessary distance that American or European accents would not have done.  In conclusion, I'm not sorry I finally saw this film, but I am unlikely to choose to view it again.

See you all when I'm back next week - PPP

Falling behind again

I can't keep up with myself -- I must be watching too many films (big surprise!), so I'll do a multiple review of some recent highlights.  I'm off to New York at the weekend for a few days and hope to do a few more before then, but who knows.  So it could be that my next posting will be on in-flight movies again, either next Wednesday or Thursday:

The Triumph of Love (2002):  This was a very peculiar rendition of an old French farce with Mira Sorvino as a princess disguised as a man trying to gain the affection of a handsome young man who has every reason to hate her family, and simultaneously making his guardians, "Sir" Ben Kingsley and Fiona Shaw fall madly in love with her.  I should add that only the latter was not made aware of the fact that she was really a woman.  With all the period trappings, one was occasionally alienated by shots of a modern audience watching the performance; this device did not work at all.

Downfall (2004): I'd heard some good things about this German film covering Hitler's last days and it was put forward by them for best foreign film at the Oscars earlier this year.  Well, apart from the fact that the Swiss actor Bruno Ganz made a wonderful job of playing Hitler, the rest of the movie was no different than others I have seen on the same subject; the only difference here was that it was made by the Germans examining their own past which no doubt many would prefer to forget.

Fist of Fury (1972): This was arguably Bruce Lee's best performance and is also known as "The Chinese Connection" or "The Iron Hand" and is not to be confused with his "Fists of Fury" which is also known as "The Big Boss" -- yes it IS confusing.  Anyhow his athletic prowess and charisma really shine through here despite the positively, absolutely horrendous dubbing -- it's criminal that this movie is not currently available in a better form.

The Crime of Father Amaro (2002):  Again I was expecting more from this Mexican film which was also Oscar-nominated.  The very attractive (if very small) Gael Garcia Bernal plays a newly ordained priest sent to a small community where he gets involved in local politics and manages to impregnate a 16-year old.  I suppose the film was meant to expose hypocrisy amongst the priesthood since his lust and self-serving in no affected the village's perception of him, while others had their lives ruined.  I did however find the movie something of a disappointment, although I believe it was very successful in its home territory. 

Going in Style (1979)

George Burns had a whole second career after he took over from Jack Benny in "The Sunshine Boys", winning a best supporting Oscar -- and it's a lovely film too.  He then starred in a number of other films, none of which were great art, but all of which benefitted from his presence.  He died shortly after his 100th birthday and I really thought he might live forever -- he did after all play God in three movies.  There was always something impish and fun-loving in his performances.  To get back to the above film, Burns is one of three old codgers sharing a flat; the other two are Art Carney (also an extremely likeable actor) and Lee Strasberg of Actors' Studio fame.  They never have quite enough money to live well or to enjoy themselves, so Burns suggests that they rob a bank -- well, why not?  The balance of  the movie is a mixture of elation and the bittersweet, but even as death beckons, they discover what it is to be truly alive.

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1975)

To get my marbles back in place after the "Catwoman" dreck, I decided to re-watch this gem from the German director, Werner Herzog.  He made a whole run of fascinating films when his "best fiend" (this is not a typo) Klaus Kinski was alive, the tastiest of which is "Fitzcarraldo".  The lead in this film was not Kinski but a genuine ex-mental patient called Bruno S. who played out the true story of a man raised in complete isolation and left on a main street in Nuremberg in 1828.  He had virtually no language and not even the most basic social skills, but he was a quick learner.  However there was always something askew about him which kept him apart from society and his mind worked to a different piper.  It is all very well to give an Oscar to Dustin Hoffman for playing an autistic in "Rain Man", but the performance here leaves that one in the shadows.  No one ever established who he really was or why he behaved as he did, despite some dismissable scientific gobbledygook at the end autopsy.  

Catwoman (2004)

I have absolutely nothing positive to say about this movie other than Halle Berry has a very nice body.  Before Tommy tells me off for wasting my time on rubbish, I do say up front that I feel duty-bound to watch anything not previously seen --but not the same obligation to pay attention throughout or to not fall asleep or even to not switch the bloody thing off.  I did last through this one if only to think how on earth can an Oscar-winner sink to such garbage.  I was also pretty embarrassed for Sharon Stone playing her nemesis as the  murderous head of a beauty company; roles may be scarce for older actresses (although she still looks pretty good), but did she need the money that badly?

Padre Padrone (1977)

This Italian movie directed by the Taviani Brothers was originally intended for television but then theatrically released and a Palme d'or winner at Cannes.  I think there is an unwritten rule that depressing movies shall win awards.  This one concerned a Sardinian boy pulled out of school by his bullying and overpowering father to spend the next god-knows-how-many years in isolation tending the family's sheep.  All attempts at escape or independence were met with violence.  I'll ignore the instances of bestiality!  Eventually he is allowed to join the army, gets the education he was previously denied, and writes a book telling of his early years with which many others identified.   However there was never a final reconciliation with his father who remained bitter and stubborn to the end.  (The title translates as Father, Master).  Not a film to watch when you need cheering up. 

Grand Theft Parsons (2003)

I was more than a little surprised as to just how likeable this movie was.  I previously had only seen the lead, Johnny Knoxville, in "Jackass" which you can bet your bottom dollar is not my cup of tea.   However I must confess he did a very good job here in this tale which was more or less based on a true story.  He plays the road manager of a country and western singer who has died of an overdose.  They had apparently pledged that should one of them die that the other would cremate the body in the middle of the desert where they felt most free.  So Knoxville hijacks the coffin in a psychodelic hearse driven by a spaced-out hippy with his friend's father, a greedy girlfriend, and half the state police in pursuit.  But despite the odds, he keeps his promise and damn the consequences.  It was an amazingly sweet-natured ride.

Sparrows (1926)

Off I went to the National Film Theatre to view this silent starring Mary Pickford, America's sweetheart -- even if she was Canadian.  What a hoot.  We have our Mary aged 34 playing a youngster -- teenaged at best, but she was something of a midget.  The story tells of a "baby farm" in the Southern swamps run by a mean old coot played by the brilliantly-named Gustav von Seyffertitz.  He takes the hard-earned pennies from mothers who can not afford to look after their children and starves them, works them to the bone, and eventually drowns them in the quicksand.  But they have valiant Mary to look after them and to lead them in an escape when they learn that a recently-arrived kidnapee might be killed.   So off they go across the marshes, avoiding the gaping jaws of alligators with all the baddies in pursuit.  It was very nicely filmed -- for some reason there were three cinematographers, and fun to watch, but really a pile of old tosh.  It is hard to fathom just how popular the actress was in her day. 

Love Me if You Dare (2003)

This French movie really needed to make its mind up as to whether it wanted to be a feel-good fantasy or something rather less, as the tone was very inconsistent.  It's the story of a man and a woman, friends from childhood, who have always played a game of "dare" to pass possession of a toy carousel.  She was bullied as being from a poor Polish immigrant family and he had lost his beloved mother to illness.  Between them they engaged in more and more audacious dares as kids and although perceived as trouble-makers, their exploits were filmed in a fantastical way remniscent of "Amelie".  As they got older the spirit of their dares became more bitter and they went their own way for ten years -- the period of her last dare. There was something very mean-spirited about this section of the film.  They end up together -- it is clear that they have always been in love -- and the style reverts again, when as wrinklies they are still daring each other to perform outrageous acts.  An interesting but at times aggravating film.

Springtime in a Small Town (2002)

If I hadn't known upfront that this was a Chinese film, I would have sworn that it was a Japanese one.  The smallness of the action, the stillness of the composition, and even the idealised scenery were more than a little reminiscent of Ozu.  I guess I am used to Chinese pictures which are either lushly historic or modern-day dramas as befits good communist movie-makers.  I would guess that this film was set some time after the end of World War II and concerned a sickly man, his slightly estranged wife, his young sister and an old retainer whose lives brighten when an old friend, now a doctor, comes to visit.  Apparently he and the wife knew each other some ten years earlier and an attraction still burns.  But nothing whatsoever is allowed to transpire.  The husband suspects all is not well and tries to kill himself; the doctor saves him, the wife is glad, and the doctor leaves.  Had this been based on some famous novel I could understand its provenance, but it wasn't -- so the motive for this tale remains unclear.