Well, I'm back and while I usually start with in-flight movies reviews, I can't on this occasion. Why, you ask (or not)? Well I usually prefer to fly Virgin to and from New York, since they have the best entertainment system. However the whole system was up the spout on the outward flight and all they could do was to run a single film with no soundtrack (unless you could put up with crackly static -- and it's amazing how many idiots had their headphones on!). I know that the second of the two they projected was "Mrs. Henderson Presents" which I could get the gist of without sound, but for the life of me I can't now remember what the first film was (yes, it must have been that good!)
However all systems were functioning on the short return trip (when I tend to fall asleep) and I watched most of a new Jackie Chan -- a Hong Kong one, not one of his feeble US ones -- called "Myth" (I think) in which he played two characters, a modern archaeologist and an historic general charged with protecting a princess, and where there seemed to be some time travel between the two personas. Maybe it would have been OK if I managed to watch it all.
However I did see all of "13" which I had considered going to see in the cinema and mighty glad I am too, even if it ended on a low note (like life, Tommy would say). The film was in black and white (fine with me) and in French (also fine with me), but directed by a Georgian (that's Russian-Georgian) director, son of another well-known director and starring his brother as an immigrant worker in France. He overhears his most recent boss talking about some scheme that will net lots of cash, and when the latter dies of an overdose, our protagonist manages to take his place. What he does not realise that he has agreed to participate in an extreme form of Russian Roulette from which there is no backing down. He is participant number 13 and during the intense and horrific action that follows, one must decide if 13 is a lucky number or not. I won't give the game away here, but the ending is both expected and hideously unexpected. Good stuff, so maybe I can partially forgive Virgin.
2 comments:
I call it selective sound - I'm sure all those others with headphones actually had sound....
Mrs. Henderson, you're fine with missing.
13 was amazingly gripping for the fact that the same scene was repeated over and over, the difference only being the heightened tension you felt and the scared-ness of the 'victim' as they faced their final moment... or maybe not. Scary thought. Loved the black and white - great atmosphere, and a very french feel, like Le Souffle. Just shows how a short story can be made into a film.
The main lead was the director's brother wasn't he?
Welcome back JP......I like Jackie Chan, a quick mover with a sense of humour. Rache
Post a Comment