Pretty Pink Patty's Pictures

Hello Technorati!

2009-10-16T12:13:00.002+01:00

Keeping this blog alive for historical ends...

Where to find me...

2008-10-18T11:55:00.000+01:00

What you have here is my blog history. To find my up-to-date ravings, go to:

http://pppatty.blogspot.com/

The end of an era

2008-10-03T10:38:00.000+01:00

I was getting ready to regale you with some sarky comments on my recent viewing when I learned the sorry news that AOL are relegating all journals on their space to the ether at the end of this month. While I have printed copies of my many reviews over the last three and a half years, this means -- as far as I can work out -- that my archives will become inaccessible to the rest of the world. Oh joy!

Like the many other disappointed AOL users, I have now established a new home for Pretty Pink Patty's Pictures which can be found here:

http://pppatty.blogspot.com/

It will take a while to get into the swing of things there, but I hope my few faithful readers will note this new location and visit from time to time. Before this page disappears forever, perhaps some of you would be good enough to leave the new addresses for your own journals. Best of luck to us all -- and curses on the powers that be at AOL.

Tags: Blog moving, sad day

This month's in-flight movies

2008-09-28T15:20:00.000+01:00

It seems to have become something of a self-imposed tradition that I comment on the in-flight films I see. However since my upcoming return to the States in two weeks' time will be my sixth round-trip transatlantic trip of 2008, I am rapidly losing enthusiasm for the enterprise. But never mind, here we go:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): This is a movie that one must watch on principle, but the truth of the matter is that it is not particularly good nor exciting. Production was held up for yonks while they found a script that all of the interested parties liked, but it is hard to believe that they settled on such a pathetic one. Harrison Ford, even at his advanced age, still cuts the mustard as an action hero although he really must be on his last legs here. Cate Blanchett with her phony Russian accent makes an annoying villainess, but it was pleasing to see Karen Allen back in the picture. If new sidekick/son, the over-rated Shia LaBeouf, is being groomed for further installments of this franchise, they really shouldn't bother as far as I'm concerned. Enough is enough.

Drillbit Taylor (2008): It's the done-before tale of bullied students hiring a bodyguard to protect them, but the catch here is that Owen Wilson is a no-good bum, initially only out for the loot, (and allowing his equally reprehensible lowlife friends to ransack the kids' houses.) Of course he reforms and all comes right in the end. It would be fairly glib to say that Wilson is the whole show here, but in fact the three geeky kids are well-developed characters in their own right and help to make this negligible flick more watchable.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008): I only saw half of this movie from the prolific Judd Apatow stable before the entertainment system was switched off for landing and I can't say I'm in any rush to view the balance. Jason Segel plays the loser who is dumped by his longterm foxy girlfriend (Kristin Bell) and can't seem to get his act together. He decides to vacation in Hawaii and ends up at the same resort as Bell and her new and rather obnoxious beau, played by the full-of-himself (and rather obnoxious) Brit Russell Brand (whose charms -- if any -- elude me).

Married Life (2007): Having seen so many of the films on offer, I was at something of a loss what to select, but this was a good choice. Set in the 1940s with some excellent period detail, this is the story of long-term married Chris Cooper falling for the charms of a young widow, Rachel McAdams, and deciding that the only way to stop his patient wife (Patricia Clarkson) from being hurt is to kill her. Nothing like finding the simple solution I always say. However he is not counting on his best friend and full-time lothario Pierce Brosnan from also falling for his new love interest. That's about it, but all rather well done and watchable, if not overly memorable.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008): Regular readers will know that I am far from a big Adam Sandler fan, although he does occasionally make me smile. Here he plays an Israeli counter-terrorist who really wants to give up that life to become a hairdresser in New York. John Turturro plays his Arab nemesis, and the film ends up with an overly saccharine plea for racial tolerance which is pretty nauseating. In the meantime we are treated to a run of lewd jokes about Sandler's sexual prowess and equipment, as he spreads his special mode of hairdressing amonst the grateful older ladies in the salon.

Tags: In-flight flicks, Indiana Jones, Owen Wilson, Married Life, Adam Sandler

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)

2008-09-15T15:59:00.000+01:00

Based on a Tennessee Williams novella, this lovingly filmed but rather (in the end) depressing movie has many points of interest. Vivien Leigh, in her penultimate film role, stars as a famous but aging actress who has given up her career after the death of her rich, protective husband. She settles in a gorgeous flat in Rome and tries to fill her lonely days with whatever she can. A young and rather beautiful gigolo, played by Warren Beatty in only his second film role (and half Leigh's age), is foistered upon her by an impoverished and grotesque aristocratic pimp played, in her first English-speaking film, by the great Lotte Lenya -- some 30 years after starring the The Threepenny Opera.

Leigh is vain enough to try to delude herself that Beatty wants to be with her for her own appeal rather than her money and it is so sad to see a once-great lady give way to her baser instincts as she becomes more and more desperate for Beatty's "love". The viewer, meanwhile, can clearly see that the young man is a vain, nogoodnik only in love with himself. By the end of the film when Beatty has moved on to richer pickings under Lenya's guidance, we are led to believe that Leigh yearns for and arranges her last tragic moments, but the ending is sufficiently open to be taken more than one way.

To prove the rather self-evident point, especially nowadays, that it is not only great movies that get remade -- often to no avail -- but middling ones as well, this title was remade for cable in 2003 with Helen Mirren in the Leigh role, Anne Bancroft substituting for Lenya, and Olivier Martinez as the young stud. At least he didn't have to put on a suspiciously phony accent to play foreign as poor Beatty did -- but I guess he thought he was "stretching" himself at the time and it's only a wee bit distracting.

Guess what? Yes, it's back to the States in a few days' time for what should be the next to last necessary visit this year -- so I shall resume on my return later this month. Take care...

Tags: The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone, Vivien Leigh, Lotte Lenya, Warren Beatty, ping-ping

A Ray Milland double bill

2008-09-12T06:28:00.000+01:00

Ray Milland had a long and rather strange Hollywood career. The Welsh-born former dancer and Guardsman went to the States in the late 30s and immediately had movie success as a light leading man supporting many of the day's top actresses. He proved his acting chops with an Oscar for the incorrigible drunk in Wilder's "Lost Weekend" (1945), but moved in and out of fine pictures and blatant rubbish for the next three decades. I recently rewatched two of his movies and admire the fact that he remained ever watchable in all manner of outings:

Golden Earrings (1947): As one critic wrote, this film defined the concept of "camp cult classic" before such a concept existed in the sense that it is so awful that it is compelling. Milland plays an British army officer on a mission in Germany just before the outbreak of World War II. He is captured and tortured, but manages to escape and ends up hiding out with Marlene Dietrich's free-spirited and superstitious gypsy. She stains his skin, decks him out in garish garb, pierces his ears, and tells him to avert his blue eyes from the inquisitive Germans (the fact that she also has light eyes is studiously ignored). Despite his growing feelings for her, he completes his mission and returns to Britain -- where the holes in his ears are a constant source of gossip at his Gentleman's club. After the war, he receives his earrings in the post, so he flies to Paris where, in a nearby wood, her caravan is waiting. Just like that!

Alias Nick Beal (1949): Milland was most often a likeable hero, even when in the throes of drink, so his role in this long-forgotten film is a change of pace. Effectively he plays the devil -- or at least one of his minions -- on a quest to obtain souls in a latter day Faust story. His quarry here is honest politician Thomas Mitchell whom he manages to tempt with hopes of political glory and the attraction of a young woman -- both to the distress of Mitchell's faithful and sensible wife and upright colleagues. Milland is nearly perfect as the sly tempter and quite probably enjoyed the opportunity to play against type. In truth this is certainly a B-movie, but one that is well-conceived and well-acted.

Tags: Ray Milland, Alias Nick Beal, Golden Earrings

Shoot 'em Up (2007)

2008-09-09T06:10:00.000+01:00

This movie which I understand lost a bundle at the U.S. box office -- more's the pity -- is more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. Written and directed by one Michael Davis (none of his past projects ring any bells with me), it is 80 minutes of live cartoon action that keeps the totally undiscerning viewer in all of us on the edge of our seats and provides a great number of satisfying yelps amongst the nonstop mayhem.

It is pointless hoping to make any sense out of the backstory which is something to do with breeding babies to provide bone marrow for a dying politician and how a munitions millionaire is out to thwart his plans with his army of assassins led by the unlikely Paul Giamatti. The hero here is Clive Owen who, despite being one of the dirtiest looking actors on screen, acquits himself as the upright do-gooder who is a cross between Bugs Bunny and every guncrazy action man of the past. During the first shootout he delivers a baby from a hunted pregnant gal and spends most of the film toting the newborn kid around after the mother dies -- this even outdoes Chow Yun Fat's baby antics. Assisted by an ex-lover and wetnurse, the delectable Monica Bellucci, Owen succeeds in decimating the baddies, often assisted by his weapon of choice -- a carrot! The movie boasts some excrutiating one-liners, but this is all part of the fun.

Since it was a flop, Mr. Davis is unlikely to be given a big-budget Hollywood film again -- and this is our loss as well.

Tags: Shoot 'em Up, Clive Owen, cartoon violence, carrots

The French in action

2008-09-05T11:03:00.000+01:00

If you are inclined to think of French movies as talky arthouse features, think again as French film-makers are increasingly able to challenge Hollywood's action genre. Maybe that's why so many foreign films are "treated" to U.S. (and generally inferior) remakes. I've seen two French flicks in the last few days which while not great cinema necessarily, certainly kept the old adrenaline pumping:

Le Serpent (2006): This was on many levels a relentlessly nasty film but one that held my attention especially since it cast Yvan Attal who is a fairly sympathetic actor in an unexpected action role. He plays a photographer fighting a messy divorce from his heiress wife when his life begins to disintegrate further. He has met up, supposedly by accident, with an old schoolmate played by Clovis Cornillac who seems to want to renew this friendship, but who is actually a cold-eyed psychopath with an agenda for revenge. Watching the calculatingly evil way he worms his way into Attal's former household, proportedly protecting the wife and two kids from harm, and the fate he envisions for them is truly chilling. The usually relaxed Attal must suddenly find his inner action hero which he believably does. The film also features an early role for new Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko with a lot more kinky nudity than is likely to feature in Quantum of Solace or whatever it is called.

District 13 (2004): Set in a bleak future (actually 2010), troublemakers have been isolated into a cordoned ghetto ruled by ruthless gangs. One resident played by David Belle has upset a local Mr. Big over a drug deal and ends up in the pokey framed by the police in the gangster's pay, leaving the gang boss able to abduct Belle's sister and keep her as a doped-up sex slave. He is freed from prison when an upright cop needs an ally to infiltrate the ghetto to recover a primed nuclear weapon that has been stolen. This possibly seems an improbable scenario but in truth it is an exciting one as played out, especially for the twist that emerges in the tail. What makes this action movie even more watchable is that Belle is credited as being the inventor of the sport of Parkour or free-running, and the chase sequences show unparalled athleticism. The many fight scenes are also thrillingly staged; all in all a great bit of excapism.

Please ping

Tags: French action movies, Yvan Attal, Parkour, pingping

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)

2008-08-31T16:38:00.000+01:00

With a title like the above, this film might sound like yet another horror flick or even a latter-day soft porn job, but it is actually another comforting golden oldie, albeit not one of the better-known ones -- although it thoroughly deserves to be.

Character actor Charles Coburn who was oscar-nominated for the role plays a curmudgeonly rich guy who takes major offence when the employees of a department he owns (among his lesser holdings) hang him in effigy in social protest. He decides to go undercover as a hapless slipper salesman to uncover the ringleaders and get them all fired. Needless to say he is soon very much on the side of the people who befriend him, in particular the lovely comedienne Jean Arthur who feels so sorry for what she believes to be a poor and hard-done-by old geezer, Spring Byington as an older potential romantic interest, and Robert Cummings in a meatier role than his normally lightweight ones as the main agitator. Only the usually dear old Edmund Gwenn as an uppity too-big-for-his-boots department manager really gets his goat.

This film is something of a cross between the screwball comedies of the 30s in which Arthur excelled and the more socially-conscious movies of the 40s, but it is thoroughly delightful on all counts. Arthur retired from the movies far too early (her last role was as the mother in "Shane"); she was never a glamourpuss but always the gal you could both believe in and wish to know.

Tags: The Devil and Miss Jones, Jean Arthur

FrightFest Part Two

2008-08-27T06:17:00.000+01:00

The main lesson one took away from the films shown in the first half reviewed below is that it continues to be unwise and definitely unsafe to go into the woods! From the remaining movies we appear to be advised that it is best to avoid mirrors and killers that look exactly like yourself -- since this was a recurring theme:

From Within (2008): This American effort was a fairly proficient scarer of how a town's collective guilt from an earlier incident can be turned against itself, as its inhabitants are confronted with their own murderous doppelgangers. The first victim was one Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce and Demi) in histrionic mode which gives this some curiosity value. Nice downbeat surprise ending too.

Let the Right One In (2008): This Swedish film named after the Morrissey song was the most pre-hyped movie of the fest and lived up to its publicity. Set in a snowy and beautifully photographed Swedish winter, it tells of the growing friendship between a bullied 12-year old boy and the vampire girl next door (who has been 12 for a very long time!). How she is able to satisfy her blood lust while helping to protect him from his tormentors forms the basis for this gory yet very satisfying tale played out by two amazing child actors.

The Broken (2008): Broken here refers to mirrors like the one that breaks during a family birthday celebration and how the shattered glass causes each of the family to face being replaced by their mirror image. Stylishly filmed by a former fashion photographer and featuring Lena Heady and Richard Jenkins amongst the small cast, it in fact made little sense and was in the end more puzzling than scary. And you thought that seven years bad luck was the only consequence...

Autopsy (2008): As it says in its tagline, the horror only starts after the ambulance arrives. Five friends suffer a car crash in the middle of nowhere after running down an unknown man and are swiftly transported to a nearly deserted hospital. Here they meet a demented doctor played by ex-Robocop Robert Patrick, who in good horror movie tradition is seeking a formula to save his dying wife and needs young bodies on which to experiment. This he and his three demented colleagues continue to do with only one feisty female (again) out to save her doomed pals from the red splatter.

Martyrs (2008): This relentless French film is a nasty shocker of twisted revenge turning into sadistic torture as a young girl is systematically abused to discover the nature of martyrdom. One needs a very strong stomach not to be repelled by the scenario and cruelty on display and I somehow feel that this calculatingly disturbing film lacks any moral authority. It's definitely one to divide the audience.

The Dead Outside (2008): I nearly skipped the world premiere of this Scottish movie and no harm if I had. It's still another story of a singularly small group of survivors (two and then a third) banding together at an isolated farmhouse as a strange virus decimates the population and turns everyone into bloodthirsty stalkers. (This is another theme that is being increasingly overdone). Quickly shot on a low budget, this one has some unusual character development but failed to engage this viewer with its underlying emotional charge.

The Disappeared (2008): This British would-be shocker is set in the dingy setting of a council estate where a young man blames himself for the earlier disappearance of his younger brother, not helped by the fact that Dad (Greg Wise) blames him as well. As he appears to be receiving whispers from the grave, he attempts to discover the boy's actual fate and is abetted by various characters who may or may not really exist. This was an ambitious film with an unexpected denouement but murkily shot and in the end not as involving as it could have been.

Mirrors (2008): This is a "reimagining" for Hollywood of the superior Korean horror "Into the Mirror" which I reviewed a few years back. French director Alex Aja who made a huge splash with "Switchblade Romance" a few years ago has accepted the big American budgets with a vengeance and managed to turn a truly scary original into a bloated mishmash. Kiefer Sutherland is a suspended cop who takes a night watchman's job at a burned-out architecturally grand department store filled with (you guessed it) murderous mirrors. There are a few very effective visual shocks at the start of the film, but as the terror escapes its setting and starts to threaten Kiefer's family, things just become more and more unbelievable and simply an excusefor supernatural fireworks. The film is also 'blessed' with some of the clunkiest dialogue I've heard for an age and the ending designed for our hero is a good example of the director trying to be just too clever for words. A big big disappointment.

After the above I decided to skip the closing film which was the UK premiere of "Death Race" a remake of the Corman classic "Deathrace 2000" and starring that wooden lunk Jason Statham. Having seen the poisonous U.S. reviews for this recent release (only the New York Times admitted that it was some fun on a moronic level), I felt that I could wait until this movie comes my way in the normal course of events.

So that's FrightFest for another year -- the fourth fest that I've reported since starting this blog. Roll on the new frights for 2009...

Tags: FrightFest, murderous mirrors

FrightFest Part One

2008-08-24T06:28:00.000+01:00

Well I'm now three days into this five-day marathon although I am exhibiting rather less stamina than in previous years and have been skipping the late showings -- even when these held a strange appeal like the return of weirdie director Frank Henenlotter ("Basket Case", "Frankenhooker" etc.) after a hideously long gap. I shall have to try to catch up with his delirious-sounding sleazy tale "Bad Biology" on DVD. So what stands out so far?

"Eden Lake" (2008): This new British film was given its world premiere and rather neatly illustrates the fact that is becoming increasingly clear in my mind that there is a not too subtle difference between horror movies and films that depict horrible things -- and this seems to be where the genre is going. What we have here are a lovely young couple (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender) who are planning a romantic weekend in the scenic woods but who end up being tormented and tortured by a gang of young and callous hoodlums. As Warner Brothers demonstrated in the 1930s, this crime theme is ripped from today's headlines. Yes there is a wave of teenaged violence and yes their cruel anomie can be terrifying, but when did real fears turn into horror? The movie is very well done, but despite the female half's feisty fight, modern reality would appear to have no happy endings -- at least not here.

I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (2008): This extremely minor Australian tongue-in-cheek slasher was also a world premiere but far less likely to leave much of a mark on the horror afficionado. Using the apparatus of cricket for a series of inventive and grisly murders, one is unable to take this tale of a bullied schoolboy's revenge with more than a few grains of gore. And any movie which stars its female co-director and then gives her an extended full-frontal lascivious nude shower scene (albeit with an obvious body double) can not really be taking itself too seriously.

TimeCrimes (2007) and King of the Hill (2008?): Next up were this pair of Spanish films, the latter being a last-minute replacement for a Danish teacher-as-alien no-show. "Time Crimes" was definitely the more inventive and mind-boggling (and destined for a U.S. remake) as our middle-aged hero undergoes some time-shifting and ends up being pursued by a relentless doppelganger of himself, eventually finding that he has split into three separate entities, each functioning in a slightly different timeframe. The other was yet another example of adults (but not quite so likable here) being picked off in the wilderness by young killers. This definitely seems to be becoming the new face of so-called horror.

Trailer Park of Terror (2008): It seems that some years ago a young sexpot went on a murderous foray in her trashy trailer park, killing everyone and destroying the site; yet many years later on a stormy night, a busload of teenaged delinquents and their Holy Joe team leader are able to take refuge there. And guess what, all of the former redneck inhabitants are still there in the shape of murderous zombies and undead cannibals for one last blood-soaked night in the traditional horror-movie mode.

Mum and Dad (2008): This was a fairy proficient example of "the family that slays together stays together" sub-species as a deranged couple living in the shadow of Heathrow Airport (with its low-flying planes that might drive anyone crazy) use their two equally amoral children to lure airport co-workers to their "happy home" for a spot of torture, intimindation and mayhem. In due course our hard-done by heroine does manage to escape and to revenge the days -- with whoops and cheers from the hardcore audience here.

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007): This French-language compilation of short black and white animations, was stylish and adventurous in design without being overly horrifying. One was taken in by the rather spiffy styles of the eight different directors of the various sections and I for one viewed it as an interesting sampler of animation techniques rather than any sort of coherent horror film whole.

Dance of the Dead (2008): We're rather back in familiar horror territory here as the chemical fallout from the towers overlooking a graveyard manage to reanimate the dead on the night of the high school prom. Only an assortment of science geeks, heavy metal freaks, a couple of nubile females, and a gung-ho sports coach can save the day from the new undead. This was another instance of 'let's have fun with the genre' film-making, rather than a 'let's scare people to death' horror movie -- which is fine for occupying a forgettable 90-odd minutes.

Manhunt (2008): ThisNorwegian entry was yet another "let's menace holiday-makers with unseen killers in the woods". Are we spotting a trend here? At least we were spared yet another instance of rampaging teens, but how much of this sort of thing does the world really need? Not much is my take on the subject!

The Chaser (2008): This Korean thriller was a relentless example of the search for a serial killer, but was really just a little out of place in the FrightFest brief, despite its lashings of blood. An ex-cop turned pimp spends the full two hours trying to find the man responsible for "selling" his girls (when in fact he has been murdering them) and wants to discover the fate of his latest call-girl disappearance, accompanied for much of the time by her stone-faced seven-year-old daughter. This was a well-realised film, full of well-rounded characters, but bleak in its outlook and in the end unforgiving and dark. To be generous, horror does indeed assume many shapes.

Bubba's Chili Parlor (2008): This cheapjack and fairly pathetic entry shot on cheap video was another world premiere and is being distributed by the FrightFest mavens. They are welcome to it and I lasted for less than half of its short running time. A load of contaminated beef has turned the country bumpkins of the area into yet another load of hungry zombies. Sprinkled with cod adverts and scratchy intermissions this was far less than a 'grindhouse' rip-off, but rather a not particularly good example of poverty row film-making.

Still there is more to come over the next two days and being the eternal optimist, I have my usual high hopes.

Tags: FrightFest, horror vs.horrible

Movies to fall asleep to...

2008-08-17T15:27:00.000+01:00

Well I'm back from the States for the time being but will be going back either once or twice next month (which is a serious pain in the you-know-where) and, as is my usual wont, I should be reporting on the in-flight movies seen. The above caption is perhaps a wee bit misleading since the selected films were all worth a look, but truthfully were not properly viewed, since I managed to doze off during all of them. Still at least I know which will be worth my time when I get around to them again:

The Iron Man (2008): I am probably the only movie buff in existence who has not yet seen the new, blockbusting Batman film (I'm in no hurry), but as far as comic-book heroes go, this film has a lot going for it. Robert Downey, Jr. is such a consummate actor that he is even believable as a superhero -- a concept totally at odds with his previous screen incarnations. I wish I'd seen all of this one, since it seemed good fun with stupendous effects and a bald Jeff Bridges making an unlikely but menacing villain. Even Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't grate here.

Kung Fu Panda (2008): I usually like modern animations but could barely keep my eyes open during this one which is currently out-boxofficing "Wall-E" (which for my money is the superior film). This one is an affectionate take on kung-fu movies with roly-poly Jack Black voicing a roly-poly panda who yearns to be a hero. Like so many recent films, this one boasts a celebrity voice cast which even includes Jackie Chan, but I reserve judgment for now.

In Bruges (2008): I only saw the start and end of this one, but it seemed a winner and I definitely want to watch it again. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play two hired killers lying low in Belgium while awaiting orders from their boss -- an OTT Ralph Fiennes. Farrell often leaves me cold, but as the foul-mouthed and not-too-bright hitman hating the cultural mecca of Bruges, his performance is definitely one of his more watchable ones.

Gone Baby Gone (2007): Ben Affleck's directorial debut starring his brother Casey in an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel is sure-footed and absorbing, with a number of unexpected ins and outs that one didn't see coming and perhaps an overly downbeat ending. Affleck Sr. does a professional job of giving the viewer a realistic view of the Boston where he was raised and in controlling the very able cast. That I found it a little confusing is most likely down to the fact that I missed great chunks of it while dozing off in Cloud Cuckoo land -- so this is another that I must give further respect to.

Be Kind, Rewind (2008): I saw most of this one based on a concept from the weird mind of its director Michel Gondry and while it was amusing in parts, it probably isn't a film that is worth repeat viewings. Jack Black (again) gets himself magnetized (don't ask) and blanks out all of the videos in the down-and-out video shop being watched by his mate Mos Def (very good, as always) for its owner, Danny Glover. In order to satisfy their dwindling customer base, they decide to "swede" a number of the movies, making home-made rip-offs of popular titles with a certain degree of ingenuity and good humour. There's also a running motif of their New Jersey town being associated with Fats Waller which gives the film its continuity and resolution. It's a pretty minor effort but one which leaves the viewer in feel-good mode.

I'll try to write again during the coming days before succumbing to the FrightFest marathon which starts on Thursday. Nearly 30 movies in five days? Now that's guaranteed to put me to sleep!

Sorry folks (if indeed there is anyone reading out there!) no time or inclination for any new entries before FrightFest, despite seeing some worthy contenders. Just too much going on to get my act together....

Tags: Inflight movies, falling asleep, ping-bloody-ping, further delay

A couple of charmers...

2008-08-06T10:13:00.000+01:00

It seems that I'm still on my golden oldie kick since the more recent movies that I've seen this week have not been doing their job of getting me outside myself -- which unfortunately is something I really need at the moment. Not so the pair of charmers below which managed to take me back to happier and simpler times:

The Young in Heart (1938): This is not quite a screwball but is a rather gentle comedy about a family of con artists: father Roland ("Topper) Young, mother (good witch) Billie Burke, daughter Janet Gaynor (in her last movie appearance for 20 years), and son Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., who between them have never done an honest day's work and who survive by card sharping and bogus romances. When they are uncovered on the Riviera and forced to leave for England, they meet a lonely little old lady on the train, realise that she is stinking rich, and befriend her in the hope of being made her heirs. This part was played by stage actress Minnie Dupree and was suitably named Miss Fortune and the viewer prays that her trust will not prove misplaced. That things work out rather differently from the family's master plan is the heartwarming and totally satisfying twist here. And it's a "doggie" movie too which is guaranteed to make me smile.

The Good Fairy (1935): Written by Preston Sturges before he was given the opportunity to direct, this is a clever bowdlerisation of a Hungarian play and brings out the comedic talents of its lead, Margaret Sullavan, playing a naive orphan unleashed to the fleshpots of Budapest. There she meets a concerned waiter (Reginald Owen), a lecherous would-be benefactor (Frank Morgan), and an impoverished lawyer (Herbert Marshall -- the most dashing one-legged man in the movies). They are as charming and amusing a trio as one could wish, and the lies and complications grow apace until the naturally happy ending. Couldn't we all do with more of those?

Something that always amuses me in the Hollywood films of this period is how age seems to disappear in the magic of the conception. For example, Janet Gaynor was meant to be 20 in the above film (and was actually 34) and 'older brother' Fairbanks was actually five years her junior. But she glows in the role and we want to believe. Similarly Sullavan at 26 was probably too old for the 17-year old orphan, but both actresses look great and one willingly suspends belief.

This will be my last entry for a while since I'm off to the States (again), but I promise to reappear before this year's FrightFest. Take care...

Tags: Feel-good movies, The Young in Heart, The Good Fairy

Malpertuis (1973)

2008-08-03T16:22:00.000+01:00

I originally saw this film on TV some years ago in a dark and dubbed print, and it left no abiding impression; however when I saw the director's own cut some years later, I was staggered by its brilliance and wondered whether indeed it could be the same movie. Belgian director Harry Kumel, the man behind the stylish vampire flick "Daughters of Darkness", had wanted to make a film of the fantasy novel by Jean Ray for some time, but struggled to get the financing. Assembling a remarkable cast which included Orson Welles, Susan Hampshire (in three very different roles), Jean-Pierre Cassel, and Michel Bouquet, the film was shot in English and French and then dubbed into different languages for different markets. By the time it arrived in Cannes, it had been chopped to bits by an outside editor, and left to die a critical death.

But Kumel was not defeated, eventually restoring this masterpiece to its original two hour running time and re-doing the dialogue in his native Flemish. I must confess when I first viewed the revision, I thought that Welles had looped his own dialogue, but this was wishful thinking on my part, as I understand that Kumel over-dubbed at least six of the characters himself -- not that this shows and not that it distracts from this very strange and dream-like bit of surrealism. I have seen the movie described as a horror film, but it is no such thing. It is a mind-blowing fantasmagoria with echoes of the Belgian artists Matisse and Delvaux; it's the story of a vast house of endless corridors, peopled with strange characters, and ruled over from his vast bed by the dying Welles. The viewer is left to wonder what is real and what is not, who is insane and who is whole, and whether the house's secret will ever be revealed. Having been led to wonder whether it was all a dream, a shattering ending dispels this illusion.

I have eventually got my grubby little paws on a Belgian DVD which includes the Kumel revision as well as the disposable English and French shorter versions, plus a host of fascinating supporting features. This film certainly deserves to be better known and so do search it out if you can.

Tags: Malpertuis, Harry Kumel, Orson Welles

In the Line of Fire (1993)

2008-08-01T11:38:00.000+01:00

I have a very soft spot for Clint Eastwood and have always thought that there was more to him as an actor than those critics who dismissed his early minimalist style. He was never show-offy as so many more highly rated actors, but always came across as very real. It has also been gratifying to see his growth as a director, to the stage where he is now revered as one of the grand old men of cinema -- and he shows no signs of slowing down either. Long may he wave!

Although he has done it often, it can not be easy directing yourself, and after the early 90's outings of Unforgiven and The Bridges of Madison County, his lead roles in the subsequent self-directed Absolute Power (1997), True Crime (1999), and Blood Work (2002) do not rank among his best work. Fortunately here he is directed by the very able Wolfgang Peterson and the character he plays is well-rounded, sympathetic, and very believable. As a long-term secret service agent who still regrets not being able to have saved President Kennedy, he asks to be put back on the protective rosters when there is a threat to assassinate the current president. While he and we know that he is too old for this work -- his puffing running alongside the presidential limo demonstrates this, he feels that preventing another death would be his redemption. The would-be killer, played by a cerebral John Malkovich, enjoys playing his cat-and-mouse games with Eastwood and gets as much pleasure from taunting him as he hopes to get from the ultimate kill.

Malkovich was deservedly nominated for a best-supporting actor role and plays a worthy adversary for Eastwood's brittle world-weariness. The only minor problem is that Malkovich is meant to be playing a master of disguise and in every single appearance he looks exactly like John Malkovich! But this is a very minor quibble in what is a well-paced and genuinely exciting story; even Eastwood's dalliance with younger agent Rene Russo comes across as a romance that cheers the viewer -- we genuinely wish this jaded, piano-tinkling loner some happiness.

Tags: In the Line of Fire, Clint Eastwood

Past their sell-by date

2008-07-30T10:53:00.000+01:00

I revisited two so-called comedies over the last day or so and despite some positive points, neither has weathered terribly well despite being blessed with adept leads. The problem with both is the scatter-gun approach to the humour with some hits but rather more misses and some skirting with very bad taste.

Better Off Dead (1985): I could barely remember this one but saw fit to watch it again since it stars John Cusack -- never less than watchable -- in his sixth movie outing (aged 19 playing a very believable 17-year old high school student). It was the first film outing from director-writer-animator Savage Steve Holland who has not had much of a subsequent big screen career and is purportedly the semi-autobiographical telling of how he reacted to being dumped by his girlfriend for a big-headed jock, as is the Cusack character here. There follows feeble attempts at suicide, attempts at out-jocking the jock in a skiing contest (egged on by best friend Curtis "Booger" Armstrong, surely one of the least salubrious comic actors of the period), his burgeoning romance with a French exchange student staying with some unbelievably obnoxious neighbours, and an idiotic running joke of being pursued by a lethal paperboy who is looking to collect his owing two dollars. To add insult to injury his parents are played by David Ogden Stiers and an annoyingly idiotic Kim Darby, neither of whom can be pleased to have these roles on their filmographies. However Cusack just about makes the movie watchable, if as I had already discovered unmemorable.

Where's Poppa (1970): This one has rather more going for it as directed by Carl Reiner with George Segal playing a oedipally-repressed lawyer living at home with his gaga mother played by cult-lady Ruth Gordon. This casting keeps the excesses of the story from completely overwhelming the tale, but there are too many lapses into questionable humour which includes a gang of blacks in Central Park who continually mug and otherwise humiliate Segal's married brother (including forcing him to rape an undercover-as-a-female male cop!) Segal, always an unlikely movie star, had a very good run of roles and was definitely A-list in the late sixties/early seventies, but has made far less of an impact over the last few decades. Yet he is an able performer and one can almost feel sorry forhim as he attempts to do what is best for his horrible mother and still look for love with neurotic nurse Trish van Devere, watching his precarious grip on reality and sanity gradually fall apart. The title refers to Gordon's constant asking after her long dead husband and is dealt with both in the final ending of the movie and also with the alternate ending available on the DVD. It's worth a watch if only because no one would dare film this story in the same way today.

Tags: Flawed comedies, John Cusack, George Segal, Ruth Gordon, bad taste

Prix de beaute (1930)

2008-07-27T12:03:00.000+01:00

I think I am about to commit some movie heresy which I may regret later. For many years after initially viewing the German silents "Pandora's Box" and "Diary of a Lost Girl", both directed by G. W. Pabst, I belonged to the club which believed that Louise Brooks was not only one of the great iconic screen presences but that it was the moviegoer's loss when on her return to Hollywood after making the above film in France her career crashed. Theory has it that she upset too many people after swanning off to Europe when her U.S. career was just taking off and that no one was willing to give her the same star treatment that she found abroad. Certainly the subsequent American films made before her retirement in 1936 are all pretty rubbishy.

Anyhow I had previously sought out her earlier film roles to check out what was indeed her indelible image and had even seen this movie previously. However on second viewing, I found it little more than a disappointment. Conceived by screen legends Pabst and Rene Clair (but not directed by either), it started life as a silent, but then had sound added. Since Brooks did not speak French, her voice is dubbed here, so to describe the movie as her first sound film and last starring role is somewhat misleading. It's also known as "Miss Europe" and is the tale of a working-class gal who submits her photo to the newspaper where she works and is subsequently voted Miss France and then Miss Europe, much to the horror of her equally bourgeoise boyfriend. Her head is turned by all the glamour and attention, but she gives it all up for love; however, having tasted the high life she is nothing more than miserable in their drab apartment and boring life. So she hightails it off again with this time tragic results.

Perhaps if this movie had stayed as a silent, it would not have destroyed my previous fascination with the actress, but all the soulful looks in the world just do not cut the mustard here. Brutally this part could have been played by just about any halfway good-looking actress and even here Brooks' own distinctive look does not quite hold the eye. I think what I am now saying is that while I will always treasure the German silent roles, I can not bring myself to believe that her fading from the cinema screen was any sort of tragedy. In a way it's best that she did, since like dying young, these few appearances have assured her a kind of movie immortality.

Tags: Louise Brooks, Prix de Beaute

The Rains Came (1939)

2008-07-23T22:00:00.000+01:00

I'm still on my golden oldies kick and there is an embarrassment of riches to choose from today since my recent viewing has also included John Ford's masterful "The Prisoner of Shark Island" and a couple of early Lubitsch silents which I'd not seen before. However since the young and very beautiful Tyrone Power always bowls me over, the above film wins pride of place.

Made in that magic year of 1939 when so many other classic films made their appearance, this one is a lavish studio production from20th Century Fox (not a major player in those days) set in the years when India was emerging from its colonial yoke. Power plays a turbaned high-caste dedicated doctor whom the childless maharani, the very wonderful Maria Ouspenskaya, has chosen to succeed her rule after her husband's death. Into the palace comes visiting Lady Esketh, played by the then "Queen of Hollywood" Myrna Loy, a spoiled and immoral socialite and her pathetically useless husband Nigel Bruce. She also meets up with an old lover and equally dissolute remittance man George Brent, but has her cap set for the dashing Power who seems to successfully resist her siren charms.

And then the rains came! Flood, destruction, epidemics -- all thrillingly pictured and there is nothing like disaster to bring out a 30's heroine latent nobility, as Loy assists in the hospital in every menial way and finally wins Power's love. But it's too late for a fallen woman and theirs is a love that can not be consummated -- very 30s that! The film was remade in colour in 1955 as "The Rains of Ranchipur" with Lana Turner and Richard Burton in the leads, but I'll take this black and white beauty any day. Burton may have been the stronger actor, but in the gorgeous stakes, he doesn't stand a chance again the young Tyrone -- and that's good enough for me.

Ping again

Tags: The Rains Came, Trone Power, Myrna Loy, ping

The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

2008-07-21T06:42:00.000+01:00

This rather romaticized biopic of baseball legend Lou Gehrig has long been considered a template for sports movies and one of the best about baseball in general. Even if one is uninterested in the American sport of the 1930s, one can still enjoy this film for Gary Cooper's give-it-all performance in the lead.

The magic of cinema (or the appeal of Cooper's persona) allows the viewer to overlook the fact that the actor was 41 when the movie was made and is therefore a wee bit too old to play Gehrig as a Columbia University student of 20 or so. One forgives the moviemakers this conceit by the sincerity and simple charm of his acting. The backstory is that he is the child of poor immigrants who has always loved the sport but agrees to go to university to fulfil his mother's dream of his becoming an engineer like dear old Uncle Otto. He leaves to play ball and earn the necessary money for a good hospital when she becomes ill and for sometime is in cahoots with his dad to keep this deceit from her. How she finally comes 'round to his choice is part of the film's would-be cuteness.

We then watch his rise through over 2100 consecutive games before being struck with the neurolgical disease which now bears his name. In the meantime we meet his wife-to-be endearingly played by the late Teresa Wright, his sportswriter pal Walter Brennan, another originally skeptical writer played by Dan Duryea, plus the real Babe Ruth and other well-known players of the period. The film was nominated for 11 Oscars, but only received one for editing. From sixty-odd years' perspective, one can see that the movie is somewhat fatally padded out to reach its running length of well over two hours including a totally unnecessary night club scene featuring a pair of ballroom dancers which seems to go on forever. However, all this fades into a small quibble when one is moved by the grace of Cooper's final speech before leaving the ballfield forever; despite his imminent death, he deems himself the luckiest man in the world and one feels lucky as well to have known him.

Disappeared!

Tags: The Pride of the Yankees, Gary Cooper, baseball movies, ping-bloody-pong

It's Golden Oldie Time!

2008-07-18T16:39:00.000+01:00

After viewing two 2008 films in the last week, I felt it time to go back to my first love -- films from cinema's golden past, especially since I've a lot on my mind of late and it helps being taken back to a simpler and more charming world. Of course I thoroughly enjoyed the two recent movies reviewed below, but neither was able to take me outside myself in the same way. So what have I seen?

The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936): This British film is a Korda production based on an H.G. Wells book and stars Roland Young, ever associated with Topper, in one of his few non-Hollywood roles of the period. One of the all powerful gods in the sky feels that mankind should be given more powers and decides to experiment on one meek draper's assistant. When Young finds that he can make the material world do his bidding, but not the emotional world, everyone wants a piece of him -- whether for limitless material wealth or for unthought-out do-gooding. Everyone wants to be the one to advise him or use him and everyone ultimately wants to protect their own interests. It's a lovely fantasy as the meek man strives to please himself, but in the end realises that it is folly to try to improve upon what is and that disaster is just a mad wish away.

The Good Earth (1937): I believe that this was the last prestige production from Irving Thalberg before his death and is based on an epic novel by Pearl Buck. Of course no one saw any big problem with assorted Hollywood actors playing Chinese peasants, but character actor Paul Muni and Austrian Luise Rainer (winning her second best actress Oscar for the second year in a row) give it their best shot. I suppose this casting is just about preferable to seeing Katharine Hepburn play Chinese in "Dragon Seed" a few years later. On many levels the movie is an overlong pot-boiler of emotions but it's all so professionally put together that the viewer suspends disbelief as one is taken through starvation, revolution, folly, and plagues of locusts. They absolutely don't make them like this anymore!

I Married a Witch (1942): This is another completely appealing fantasy from director Rene Clair and is short enough and charming enough to entrance. Would-be State Governor Frederic March, the descendant of New England witch hunters, is about to be married to bossy Susan Hayward, when a lightning strike frees the ghosts of Veronica Lake and Cecil Kellaway from the tree where they were entombed some 270 years before after being burned for witchcraft. Now neither March nor Lake are normally associated with light comic roles, but they work well together here, while her tipsy father Kellaway is dead set on revenge but can't quite remember all the necessary spells to stop their growing attraction. Some nice special effects as well (but not quite as nifty as those in the Roland Young film above).

If things are getting on top of you, there is definitely something to be said for looking for an escape in the fantasies of the past.

Tags: Golden Oldies

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

2008-07-16T10:35:00.000+01:00

Short of preview showings, I seldom drag myself to the cinema to watch new releases. However the long-promised pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li was sufficient lure in this instance. While the fight choreography by the fabled Woo-Ping Yuen was everything I could hope for (with neither of them getting the upper hand against each other), I couldn't help but despair at the American mindset that feels that Asian stars must be paired with American ones to appeal. The American in this instance isn't even a well-known one, but a youngster called Michael Angarano who certainly does not deserve to be in such exalted company.

After some bullying and violence in his Boston neighbourhood, he is magically transported back to ancient China where he is fated to restore the Monkey King back to life by returning the staff that he has brought with him. He encounters Chan's drunken fighter, Li in the dual role of the Monkey King and a monk, a succulent local lass seeking revenge, the evil Jade Lord, and a witch reminiscent of the bride with white hair. Despite a number of scenes in subtitled Mandarin, most of the dialogue is in English which remains something of an effort for the two main leads and the audience. Further disbelief occurs when the youngster seems to become a kung fu adept in a matter of days under Chan's tutelage.

Despite these quibbles, I did enjoy the film. The American writer and director obviously have a reverential soft spot for the genre and the fight scenes were pretty spectacular. Both Chan (also playing an aged pawnbroker in the Boston scenes) and Li were excellent. Li seemed to be particularly enjoying himself -- not something we see often -- with the Monkey King antics, although I could have done without the scene where he pissed on Chan as the latter prayed for water! All of the remaining Chinese cast and technical staff were fine as well. It's just a shame that the lustre of this long-awaited pairing was slightly dimmed by the emphasis on the nerdy youngster whose story it was.

Tags: The Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan, Jet Li

WALL-E (2008)

2008-07-13T11:56:00.000+01:00

I was privileged to attend a preview of this latest Pixar film which has received nearly universal critical acclaim -- all thoroughly deserved. However watching the movie in a mixed audience loaded with youngsters, I couldn't help wondering if this is a film that adults will find enchanting while kiddies couldn't care less. The young lad sitting in front of me seemed to be spending his time playing video games on his mobile (if I'd been his parent, I would have confiscated it for the duration), while the group of girls to my left went out in the middle of the movie to purportedly buy sweets and didn't return until the near end. I sincerely doubt that any of these kids was as enchanted with the film as Michael and I were. Still given Pixar's track record the movie will almost certainly do well at the box office and on DVD, but I somehow don't see it becoming a movie which youngsters will watch and rewatch.

That is not to say that the film isn't absolutely brilliant and on so many levels probably the best animation ever to emerge from the studio. Apart from ambient sound and carefully selected music, the first half of the movie is virtually silent. Our eponymous hero is the last automated trash compactor left on a deserted and barren planet earth, but he is not just an empty machine. He decorates his "home" with items salvaged from the trash and yearns for love and company, inspired by a clip from "Hello Dolly" which he watches over and over. Into his world comes a robot probe from a space colony, a sleek white and destructive female called EVE, who has been sent to establish whether there are any signs warranting a return to the abandoned planet. When she is taken back into her mother ship, WALL-E stows away and the final adventure begins.

When inordinate amounts of rubbish caused by the high powered marketing of an all-present corporation called Buy 'n Large resulted in earth being abandoned, life continued on a huge space ship where every need and desire was pandered to by the corporate masters, to the extent that humans grew fat and lazy and more or less lost their bone structure and mobility. So here we have the gist of the tale -- it's a scathing indictment against our misuse of the planet and our own susceptibility to mega-marketing. That the growing love between our two robots and the chaos they create manages to reverse 700 years of indolence is the film's message of hope.

With no dependence on celebrity voicing or cute little songs or furry animals (the only other survivor on earth is a cockroach), this is just pure and simply imaginative and amazing animation. The movie is also loaded with cinematic references to other films, especially "2001", which again will appeal to the critics and to the adults in the audience but which will almost certainly pass right over the heads of the younger viewers. It's a pity that the young boy sitting in front of me seemed to think that his game-player was better entertainment. When he grows up, he might think differently.

WALL-E, Pixar

Sweet Movie (1974)

2008-07-11T10:19:00.000+01:00

You all have heard of my famous "little list" of movies that I want to see but have so far missed. However, sometimes when I catch up with a film, I can't recall why I listed it in the first place or why I wanted to see it. This movie is a case in point and has something to offend just about everyone! It scandalously premiered at Cannes and nearly killed off the careers of its director and main leads. The director is the Yugloslav Dusan Makavejev (although this film was made in Canada, the Netherlands, and other western Eurpoean countries and is largely in English). I had (some many years ago) seen his previous film "W.R:Mysteries of the Organism" (1971) and hadn't really cottoned to it. Both films are inspired by the writings of sex therapist Wilhelm Reich which is probably not the best starting point for any sort of coherent narrative.

This film is split between the stories of two women. The first Carol Laure is "Miss Canada" and wins a virginity contest (!) to become the wife of a multi-billionaire with a golden penis and an aversion to actual physical contact. When she is appalled by his desire to only pee on her, a musclebound black packs her in a suitcase and dispatches her to Paris where she is deflowered on the Eiffel Tower by an ex-Mr. B. Bardot. She then is taken catatonic to a commune in Vienna where she and the audience are "treated" (NOT the right word) to an explosion of bodily fluids: vomiting, urinating, defecating, you name it. She ends up as a naked model bathing and masturbating in melted chocolate for an advertisement to promote the product.

The other woman is a Polish barge captain on the Amsterdam canals in a vessel named "Survival" with a vast papier-mache head of Karl Marx on the prow. The barge is full of sweets and beds of sugar which she uses to entice children (cue paedophile sex -- off-screen) and a sailor fugitive from the Potemkin. All of these she manages to kill before their beginning to return to life at the end of the film, suggesting that "it's only a movie" and that life IS really sweet.

Tucked in the middle of all this is some black and white documentary footage of the discovery of the mass graves at the Katyn Massacre.

As I said at the start, there is something to upset every viewer -- in my case I can't bear to watch on-screen vomiting in any movie -- but being offensive seems scant justification for making a film. Yes, it is a definite curiosity, but not one that I can recommend to you in good conscience.

Tags: Sweet Movie, Dusan Makavejev, movies to offend, my little list

The Wicker Man (2006)

2008-07-09T10:45:00.000+01:00

This was set to be the shortest review ever on my blog: one word - "Why? "- as in whatever possessed the people behind this film to think that they could improve upon the original 1973 movie by remaking it or even "reimagining" it? To describe it as a failure is being too kind to failures in general; it is nothing short of an abomination.

Although the original film from a screenplay by dramatist Anthony Shaffer has itself been chopped about since its creation and only recently can be more or less seen in the form originally intended, it remains a landmark of British moviemaking, not just as a horror film but as one commenting on the continuing power of the old religions -- beautifully shot and beautifully scored. Writer-director Neil LeBute, somewhat of a misogynist one feels, has relocated the story to an island in the Puget Sound inhabited by a weird matriarchal society headed by Ellen Burstyn and including untrustworthy, witchy females like Ruth Conroy, Molly Parker, and Leelee Sobieski. The leader of the pagan community in the original film was Christopher Lee who brought rather more gravitas to the role. However the biggest mistake was casting Nicolas Cage in the lead -- although I believe this remake was largely his doing. Whereas Edward Woodward in the original was the perfect potential sacifice, being both a virgin and a devout Christian, Cage probably could not picture himself in either of these categories and comes across as a loudmouth and insensitive lout. Also missing are the signs of oldtime customs and ritual, to say nothing about the very memorable Britt Eckland character.

I can think of only one reason for this movie existing. Perhaps it will inspire viewers to discover the original and absolutely brilliant 1973 movie if they do not know it already, while anyone who is familiar with it will share my disgust at the effrontery of Cage's and LeBute's remake.

Tags: The Wicker Man, abominable remakes

You'll Never Get Rich (1941)

2008-07-07T09:52:00.000+01:00

When one thinks about Fred Astaire's film dance partners apart from Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth is not a name that immediately springs to mind, yet they were successfully paired in this lightweight concoction and re-teamed for "You Were Never Lovelier" a year later.

One needs to remember that Hayworth started her career as a dancer and was on the cusp of her reincarnation as a glamorpuss when she made this movie. She and Astaire actually look great together and have remarkable chemistry and despite the rather stupid story, Hayworth also holds her own as both an actress and a light comedienne. There's little to recommend the plot which has producer Robert Benchley -- far from as amusing as he could be -- using choreographer Astaire as a cover against his various dalliances and his suspicious wife. Through a series of unlikely events, Astaire ends up in the army and spends most of his time in the guardhouse, only being let out to help "let's put on a show". If you can forgive some of the idiotic supporting performances, especially a fellow who likes to "double-talk", the movie remains worthwhile for the lead coupling and Cole Porter's (minor) musical score. One of his tunes (Since I Kissed my Baby Goodbye) was actually Oscar-nominated, despite the fact that it was from a guardhouse scene and performed by a number of black musicians from the 4 Tones and the Delta Rhythm Boys, including Chico Hamilton (all uncredited). The irony is that the U.S. army was totally segregated in those days and there are no other black faces at this particular training camp.

One last word on Astaire: choosing between him and "The Irishman" (Kelly) doesn't quite fall into the Buster Keaton vs. Charlie Chaplin dichotomy, since I like them both. If I had to choose, I would probably go for Astaire for his sheer elegance. I must reluctantly admit, however, that he does tend to look at his feet (a la Ruby Keeler) much of the time and lacks Kelly's virility, but his inventiveness, exuberance, and the way he made all of his partners look good endures. He even makes a minor film like this one remain watchable.

Tags: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth

How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)

2008-07-05T11:51:00.000+01:00

I vaguely recalled my previous viewing of this movie some many years ago, but when I found a freebie DVD from a while back gathering dust, I decided that my recollection was hazy indeed. While it is generally billed as a comedy, it is really something of a satire on consumer consumption and how the ad-men increasingly control our wants, needs, and life. However there is a very bitter and black streak under the preposterous premise.

Written and directed by erstwhile actor Bruce Robinson, it is his follow-on film from British cult fave "Withnail and I" (1987), the semi-autobiographical tale of the drunken japes of two unemployed actors, which brought Richard E. Grant his subsequent career. Grant takes the lead here again as a disillusioned advertising executive unable to come up with a good ploy to sell a new pimple cream. As he begins to crack under the stress with increasingly outlandish behaviour, much to the concern of his lovely wife (Rachel Ward), they notice that a boil has erupted on his neck. This quickly develops into the "head" of the title; it talks advertising jargon, and soon takes over from Grant's original declining head. For trivia addicts I should note that the boil is voiced by Robinson. The new-headed Grant is the consumer's nightmare as he seeks initially to make boils and pimples glamourous and to ultimately, one feels, seek world dominance. All in all this is a pretty far-out concept for a movie and it did little to further Robinson's career which continues to limp along. However as the "Withnail" creator, he will always hold a hallowed place in many a student's heart.

Tags: Bruce Robinson, Withnail and I, Richard E. Grant

Alone in the Dark (2005)

2008-07-02T10:20:00.000+01:00

I think I upset a few people at last year's FrightFest where director Uwe Boll made a personal appearance (and surprisingly went down a treat) by walking out of the second of his two dire movies shown there. I count myself amongst the hundreds of film fans who think that Boll is as rotten a director as Ed Wood, but with bigger budgets and without Wood's naive (and somehow charming) awfulness.

This film is not to be confused with the rather jolly 1982 movie of the same title where a group of loonies including Jack Palance, Donald Pleasence, and Martin Landau take over the asylum. In fact I would be hard-pressed to even attempt to tell you what this dismal farrago was about. Based on an Atari video game of the same title, it joins most other game adaptations by being full of slam-bam action sequences without any discernible story. This film is so heavily reliant on background material both in printed titles at the beginning and by subsequent voiceover, that there is the potential for any number of interesting developments, none of which are given to the viewer here. It's all something about a lost tribe of Indians who unleashed the powers of darkness and about some latter-day mad scientist who recreated these spirits in orphaned children. As one does.

Christian Slater, who used to have a career, makes a noble stab at mouthing the pathetic dialogue and showing his muscles as a psychic researcher. Stephen Dorff, who similarly once was a reliable lead actor, adds absolutely nothing as the head of the government's swat team. And Tara Reed makes the most unbelievable archaeologist ever -- nearly on a par with Denise Richards' Bond rocket scientist. As these three battle CGI monsters against any understandable logic, the casual viewer can only put his head in his hands and wonder what the heck is going on and who the heck gave this hack the bucks to inflict this horror upon us.

Tags: Alone in the Dark, Uwe Boll, Christian Slater

Waxworks (1924)

2008-06-30T06:22:00.000+01:00

Although I have seen most of the classic German silents from the Weimar days, this was my first viewing of this enchanting movie from director Paul Leni, who like so much other talent ended up in the States where he directed a few stylish silents before dying far too young. While this movie lacks the historical muscle of Caligari and Nosferatu, it has a great deal to commend it to lovers of both silent film and expressionist cinema.

It's technically a three-parter with the framing device of a poet hired by the owner of a wax museum to weave tales around his three main figures: the Caliph of Baghdad, Ivan the Terrible, and Jack the Ripper. The writer and two of the major characters in the stories that follow is played by William (Wilhelm) Dieterle who moved on from his acting days to direct a vast number of Hollywood classics from the early 30s (including "Fashions of 1934" reviewed below) before returning to Europe towards the end of his life. The Caliph is played by Emil Jannings, a pillar of German film and -- let me remind you -- winner of the first acting Oscar with much fun and humour as he lusts for the Baker's wife. Conrad Veidt another classic German silent actor who went on to memorable roles in Britain and the States (including "Casablanca") plays in the dark story of the murderous czar. These first two diversions take up most of the movie leaving only a short time for the tale of Jack the Ripper/Springheel Jack played by Werner Krauss, another notable German actor, but this is filmed so brilliantly in expressionistic, superimposed images that it just about took my breath away. The entire movie is a marvel of stylized design, and with its historic movie credentials outlined above, it is another not-to-be-missed must for lovers of silent cinema.

Tags: Waxworks, silent cinema, Jannings, Veidt, Leni

Tortilla Flat (1942)

2008-06-27T10:27:00.000+01:00

I've always been in two minds about this film from the first time I saw it, since it casts (or miscasts) three of Hollywood's brightest stars of the day (Spencer Tracy, John Garfield, and Hedy Lamarr) as poor Mexican immigrants living in Monterey on the California Coast -- that's some colossal miscasting for starters, even if one fondly accepts Tracy's Portuguese fisherman in "Captains Courageous". However there are enough other pleasures to make this movie a worthwhile experience.

Based on the John Steinbeck novel, Tracy is a lazy and somewhat venal rogue whose favourite pastime is drinking with his equally shiftless pals Akim Tamiroff and John Qualen. Garfield is another hot-tempered ne'er-do-well who has just inherited two houses (more like shacks) and who is enamoured of Lamarr's fish factory worker. That such iconic actors are able to more or less inhabit these downbeat roles is something of a miracle. However the picture is stolen from under their noses by Frank Morgan, playing a hermit who lives only for his "boys" -- a ragtag group of dogs including possibly Toto (or a dead ringer) from the "Wizard of Oz". He is saving the money that he earns from collecting firewood -- about two bits a day -- to buy a golden candlestick for St. Francis whom he credits with saving the life of one of his mutts. Tracy initially plans to steal his savings and invites Morgan to move in with the group at the remaining Garfield house (the other having been carelessly burnt down), but is soon won over by Morgan's naive charm. There follows two lovely scenes with Morgan garbed for church in the friends' various clothing to see his candlestick dedicated (with the dogs bursting in during the service) and then alone in the woods with his "boys" where they all experience a religious visitation. The latter is remarkable and memorable in its simplicity.

There's a lot more action including Tracy actually taking a job without wanting anyone to know about it in order to righten things between Garfield and Lamarr, before shifting back at the end of the tale to his preferred carefree indigence. I guess the truth of the matter is that I have a lot of time for Tracy, even when cast in such an unlikely and to some extent hard-to-take role.

Tags: Tortilla Flat, Spencer Tracy, miscasting, naive religion

Frontier(s) (2007)

2008-06-25T09:23:00.000+01:00

I understand that there is some sort of horror film festival in the States (not quite like the FrightFest that I attend here) called "Eight Films to Die For" or some such which gathers together new entries and then churns them out onto DVD. I believe that the above French movie was meant to be included in last year's fest, but was dropped at the last moment for being too "strong", although it has turned up on DVD under the same banner.

So having a professed interest in the horror genre, I was quite looking forward to viewing it; however I am less enthusiastic now. While it was extremely nasty, it was not all that original and slots into the subgenre of "torture porn" a la "Hostel" and the like. During a period of civil unrest in Paris, four friends of rainbow ethnic origin flee the city after a heist and after the brother of the only girl -- who incidentally is pregnant -- is shot by the police and dies. They are heading for the Dutch border in two cars. The first pair take refuge at an out-of-the-way hostel peopled by sexually voracious females, submoronic cannibals, and neo-Nazi world-builders, where they are (not so swiftly) subjected to the usual and gory dispatch. When the second pair turn up, they are taken to another cottage built over a disused mine, where only the gal manages to survive and outwit her tormentors until the last reel, where the viewer is left with an ambiguous ending.

Some viewers read this film as one loaded with political parables based on the current French government. Maybe these were intended and do indeed exist, but if so, the message went straight over my head.

Technorati: post is here today and gone tomorrow.

Tags: Frontier(s), French nasties, ping problem

Edmond (2005)

2008-06-22T17:19:00.000+01:00

When one watches as many films as I appear to do, it is no wonder that a good percentage of them are oddities -- and of course it is more fun to write about these than about the popular and widely-reviewed blockbusters. This movie is far from an easy watch, but it is fascinating in its own way. Written by David Mamet, based on his stageplay of the same name, and sensitively directed by Stuart Gordon whom I would normally associate with superior horror movies, William H Macy stars as the dogsbody employee and husband who has finally reached his breaking point. Macy whose association with Mamet goes back to "Oleanna" in 1984, is a fine actor but in the "hangdog" stakes, he is right up there with Stephen Rea and the late Michael Jeter.

Having walked out on his wife, he goes into a bar where he chats with another Mamet regular, Joe Mantegna, who more or less suggests that he needs some good sex to put him right. There follows a series of exceedingly brief and non-consummated meetings with sex workers Denise Richards, Bai Ling, and Mena Suvari. As the evening progresses, things go from bad to worse as he is mugged, beaten, and robbed, before meeting up with bar waitress Julia Stiles. Without giving too much away, what could have been a fruitful encounter dissolves into senseless rage and tragedy. Macy ends up in prison and mortally alone as his talky optimism proves false; yet he finds a surprising and totally unexpected fulfillment which is meant to shock (and does). It's a brave performance, but as mentioned above not an easy one with which to empathise.

(Entry has disappeared!) And again!

Tags: Edmond, William H Macy, Mamet, ping-ping, and ping

Terracotta Warrior (1990)

2008-06-20T11:13:00.000+01:00

This is one of a surprising number of films with excellent credentials which are not only little known, but virtually impossible to find a copy. My first copy was taped off German TV which means it was dubbed into German as are nearly all the films shown. I now have a DVD from France which at least presents the film in its original Cantonese, but with only french subtitles (which I can just about cope with). However I fail to see why this film has never been available in any of the English-speaking markets.

What is so special about it -- apart from it being a great deal of fun? Well its co-stars are Zhang Yimou best known as the revered Chinese director of such classics as "Raise the Red Lantern" and "The Story of Qiu Ju" and his then-muse Gong Li, herself an iconic figure in modern Chinese cinema. The story is in two main parts starting some 3000 years ago when the then emperor was searching for an immortality formula, as well as preparing his tomb with its army of soldiers. Zhang plays one of his bodyguards having a tempestuous affair with one of his concubines. When their shame is discovered she throws herself into the flames after passing by mouth an immortality capsule and he is coated in clay to become one of the tomb inhabitants -- the suggestion being that most of the figures were actually disgraced criminals and the like so punished.

Flash forward to the 1930s when Gong Li is playing a would-be film star of questionable intelligence and depth on the set of a film which is actually a front for the search for buried treasure. When a plane crashes beneath the surface of the terrain, the now immortal Zhang emerges from his clay tomb and recognizes his long lost love -- who of course thinks he is some sort of nutcase. There follows a succession of gags as Zhang encounters modern advances for the first time and also some rather spectacular action sequences which would not embarrass better known kung fu stars as he attempts to protect his love. It's all done with a great sense of enjoyment and it is amusing to see Li in such a carefree and silly mode.

For goodness sake, would someone please get this movie onto DVD so that the American and British viewing public can discover this little gem.

Tags: Terracotta Warrior, Zhang Yimou, Gong Li

Sonny (2002)

2008-06-18T10:49:00.000+01:00

If Nicolas Cage had not chosen this script for his directing debut, I wonder if the money would ever have been found to put together this misbegotten effort. Set in 1980s New Orleans, James Franco returns home from his stint in the army to the house of his mother, an erstwhile whore and madame, with only one bedraggled Mena Suvari in her current stable. Franco has been selling his sexual prowess under his mother's guidance since the age of twelve (although he is something of a weedy stud), but is now hoping for a new start. This seems increasingly unlikely, as his past is ever present and as he is unable to contain his raging temper.

The dominating mother is played by a screechy Brenda Blethyn and it is a mystery to me why she is chosen for American roles where a native-born actress could only improve on her thick Southern drawl. Meanwhile Franco and Suvari speak a version of English which I can only describe as "mumble". There is a small amount of compensation in the supporting roles, with Harry Dean Stanton impressive as a ne'er do well family friend and Seymour Cassel as his gambling buddy. However I think Brenda Vaccaro is now probably too old and chubby to willingly accept roles that involve her baring her boobies.

Cage takes a cameo role for himself as a powerful local pimp dressed in a banana-yellow suit and a Harpo Marx fright wig, leaving me to wonder if this slice of southern Gothic sex drama could have made more than a couple of bucks at the box office. Hopefully Cage will restrain himself from further directing duties and limit himself to the increasingly dire, but popular, flicks that he manages to churn out.

Tags: Sonny, Nicholas Cage, Southern Gothic

Fashions of 1934 (1934)

2008-06-16T11:55:00.000+01:00

Any film that succeeds in distracting me without putting me to sleep has to be a good thing at the moment, and the above confection is a good thing in spades! This pre-code bit of fluff directed by William Dieterle is absolutely typical of its period with no more noble purpose than to entertain.

Debonair William Powell plays a lovable rogue, living by his wits, without too much concern over the morality of his life. He and sidekick Frank McHugh are "borrowing" Parisian designs before they reach their high-class salons, photographing them, and knocking out cheap copies. When the scam is uncovered, Powell does an underhand deal with three separate fashion firms to be their spy in Paris and to send them all the latest designs. Little do they know that the drawings they are receiving are the brainchild of unemployed designer, Bette Davis, nearly unrecognizable with her platinum blonde hair and heavy make-up, but still a powerful comic presence. Things get even more complicated when Powell sees Verree Teasdale (from New Jersey) who is passing herself off as a Russian princess and who is engaged to French fashion maven Reginald Owen in full camp mode.

Add to the mix heavy-drinking businessman Hugh Herbert who has a warehouse of ostrich feathers to unload. Cue Powell's blackmailing Teasdale into fronting his fashion show, which is preceded by a fabulous Busby Berkely musical number filled with semi-nude showgirls becoming human harps and lashings of the said feathers. The fashions themselves from designer Orry-Kelly are pretty fabulous as well. And for an added bonus, the movie buff can spot uncredited appearances from Arthur Treacher, Jane Darwell, and Hobart Cavanagh. All in all I could do with watching more movies like this one.

Tags: Fashions of 1934, William Powell, Bette Davis, pre-code films

Back in the Saddle (sort of)

2008-06-14T14:40:00.000+01:00

I guess the time has come to bite the bullet/grasp the nettle/get cracking/pull myself together/get my finger out (enough from my bag of cliches!) and start trying to blog again on a semi-regular basis. It has been an emotionally draining time since I last wrote, so to start off with an easy exercise, let me run through some of the movies that I have managed to stay awake through on what now seems like an endless run of transatlantic flights over the last month (with several more to come later this summer):

The Brave One (2007): We have Jodie Foster in Charles Bronson-vigilante mode here after a vicious Central Park mugging with detective Terrence Howard on her tail -- a rather unpleasant and unmemorable outing. To accommodate modern sensibilities, the viewer is meant to sympathise completely with her outlawry.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007): Something of a disappointment from creative director Anderson with Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman as unlikely and somewhat estranged brothers on a bonding journey in India. Lovely to look at, but dramatically rather forced and ever so slightly too twee.

Away from Her (2006): Canadian actress Sarah Polley wrote and directed this depressing tale which showcases Julie Christie as an Alzheimer victim and showered her with acting kudos. As good as she was, for my money Gordon Pinsent playing her long-suffering husband was the real talent standout.

27 Dresses (2008): I tried the first twenty minutes of "There Will be Blood" but was far from being in the right frame of mind to watch anything so intense, so I watched this completely disposable piece of fluff with likeable Katherine Heigl playing the gal who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Just don't ask me to remember much about it...

Charlie Wilson's War (2007): An acting powerhouse from Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and a memorable Philip Semour Hoffman in the supposedly true tale of how one louche U.S. Congressman helped get the Russians out of Afghanistan (and land us all with the continuing Taleban mess -- which is not part of what is meant to be an uplifting story).

The Heartbreak Kid (2007): A completely unnecessary remake from Ben Stiller of the amusing 1972 Neil Simon play, with its enthnicity removed -- to nogood effect -- as our desperate 40ish hero marries Malin Akerman in haste and falls for Michelle Monaghan on his honeymoon. Pretty dire stuff!

Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story (2007): I gave up on this one halfway through since a little of John C. Reilly spoofing a Johnny Cash-type star makes a little go too long a way.

Semi-Pro (2008): Yet another sporting movie from increasingly-unfunny Will Ferrell as a pop star who buys and plays with an underdog basketball team. Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin don't add much in support and it's probably about time that Mr. Ferrell searches for a new string to his bow.

And that's just some of the generally lightish offerings that I viewed in the sky, in the pursuit of getting myself back in the groove. Hopefully one of these days I will be...

Tags: Crummy in-flight movies, the blogger returns

Interruption of Service...

2008-05-24T15:34:00.000+01:00

The absence of reviews over recent days is accounted for by a death in the family -- my mother, a most remarkable lady -- and the need to be Stateside. While I am currently back in London, I must return to the U.S. shortly, the first of a number of necessary trips in the weeks/months to come.

And although this will provide any number of in-flight movies which I would normally cast my beady eye upon, my head is just not sufficiently together to share my thoughts. Maybe sometime soon I can resume the personal pleasure that this journal provides me.

Rest in peace, Mom; you will be remembered and missed...

Tags: Interruption of service

Good Morning Babylon (1987)

2008-05-12T09:52:00.000+01:00

Although I had seen this film previously, I remembered little about it apart from an idyllic middle section which I recalled as enchanting. Unfortunately while it indeed does retain some memorable sequences, I can't really say that I was overly taken with this second go. It was the first English language movie from the Italian Taviani brothers, although the action was bookended by Italian-speaking sequences, but it didn't really work since most of the actors apart from native English-speakers Vincent Spano, Greta Scacchi, and Charles Dance -- playing the genteel Southern showman D.W. Griffiths -- seemed more than a little uncomfortable with their dialogue. It also didn't help that the story which focused on the early days of Hollywood was filmed exclusively at Cinecitta and on location in Pisa.

None of this would matter enormously if the directors' fantasy about moviemaking worked, but the execution was unnecessarily convoluted. The film opens in Italy with the seven sons of a master craftsman completing the restoration of a basilica only to be told by their father that he is winding up the business. The two youngest and most gifted sons set off to make their fortune in America with the intention of returning to Italy to reinstate the family firm. They have little joy finding work which utilises their talents until they meet up with a work force building the Italian pavilion at the San Francisco Expo. Griffith is taken with the skill of the architect's vision and wants to use him to design the sets for his long-cherished project "Intolerance". However the team leaders have returned to Italy and the two brothers can not get past the (for want of a better word) intolerance of the production manager and can only find menial work at the studio. It is only after they construct a huge papier mache elephant in the forest (this was the so-called enchanting bit that I recalled) that they finally get their big break -- despite their creation having been destoyed by the aforesaid manager -- and are taken on by Griffith to help him realise his dream film set.

So far so good, but there is not enough focus on the mocked-up Hollywood scene. The directors are trying to make the point that cinema can create its own monuments which are as concrete and long-lasting as those of a master painter or sculptor which would be fine if we hadn't already lost a big chunk of early films. The "Intolerance" premier is the high point of this film, but it unfortunately then degenerates into melodrama with the death of one brother's wife in childbirth and some final scenes set in Italy during the Great War where the two estranged and wounded brothers, each fighting for a different army, finally reconcile. SPOILER ALERT: That they record their last moments on newsreel footage as a legacy to their sons is taking the directors' take on the power of film just a wee bit too far.

Tags: Good Morning Babylon, Taviani Brothers, early cinema

Man Hunt (1941)

2008-05-10T12:53:00.000+01:00

It never ceases to amaze me that certain classic movies are not readily available to view and that all manner of garbage gets DVD releases. This is a good case in point and is certainly one of German emigre Fritz Lang's best Hollywood movies. It opens in Nazi Germany where huntsman Walter Pidgeon (far far less wooden than he often seemed in his film roles) has Hitler in his rifle sights and pulls the trigger of the unloaded gun. Before he can reload and repeat the exercise he is apprehended and his argument that he was only intending to stalk his quarry rather than kill it bears no weight with his inquisitor George Sanders -- always an impeccable villain -- who wants him to sign a false confession that he was there at the British government's behest. So we follow Pidgeon's torture, supposed death, and escape back to England with Sanders' minions in pursuit. Foremost amongt these is the gaunt John Carradine who is only marginally less believably sinister.

Therein follows an intricate tale of cat and mouse in a Hollywood London that never was replete with swirling fog, chirpy pearly kings and queens, and an improbably Cockney-accented Joan Bennett as a "seamstress", i.e. prostitute. The film is based on the Geoffrey Household novel later re-made for TV under its original title of "Rogue Male" with Peter O'Toole in the lead. While I would choose the latter over Pidgeon any day of the week, I can still not dismiss the effectiveness and the thrills found in Lang's studio-bound version and can only wonder yet again why Fox have not re-released this gem.

Tags: Man Hunt, Fritz Lang, Walter Pidgeon, George Sanders

Fear in the Night (1947)

2008-05-07T10:01:00.000+01:00

I've seen a number of interesting films in the days following the so-called mixed bag below, all of which deserve an airing here. However preference must be given to the above B-movie since it has been on my famous lists for about as long as I've been keeping them. It turns out that friend Richard actually has a pristine 16 mm. copy and I finally viewed it at a private showing yesterday.

While I have seen it described as a noir (probably because it is in black and white!), that is something of a misnomer since there is no femme fatale (or actually a very very minor one) which to our mind is an essential ingredient. Written and directed by Maxwell Shane from a Cornell Woolrich story, it lifts itself from its low budget and amateurish acting by the vision with which it is produced, using all the camera tricks available to convey the terror of a man waking from a nightmare where he has dreamt that he has killed a man, only to discover that he actually has -- shaky camera, fade-in, fade-out, and a brilliant use of a mirrored room very reminiscent of Orson Welles' "Lady from Shanghai" which was made the same year. I wouldn't like to say which of the two inspired the other or whether it was just a happy coincidence.

The lead is taken by a young DeForest Kelley, better known to the world in later years for his "Startrek" role, and his brother-in-law, a police detective whom he turns to for help is played by Paul Kelly, a familiar face from other B movies. The rest of the cast is of little interest.

Shane seems to have had more of a career as a writer rather than as a director, but he was responsible for 1956's "Nightmare" with Edward G. Robinson which is effectively a speedy remake of this movie. I'm delighted to have finally seen the original (so thanks again, Richard), and while it may deserve some cult status, it is when all is said and done something of the proverbial parson's egg.

Tags: Fear in the Night, Maxwell Shane, DeForest Kelley

Private Buckaroo (1942)

2008-05-05T10:54:00.000+01:00

This extremely minor flagwaver from the war years is hardly an important or well-made movie but it certainly is a lot of fun, worth savouring for the enthusiasm of its cast and some very memorable musical numbers. For a start we have Harry James and his big band with the perky harmonising Andrews Sisters as an added treat amongst some lesser names and not actually terribly amusing comedians of the period. Plus there's an early role for Donald O'Connor where he's not given much to do and an annoying lead role for big lunk Dick Foran and his big tenor.

The story such as it was could be written on the head of a pin near enough as James is drafted and his whole band joins up as well. I must confess that I thought the bandleader looked far too old to be a soldier, but on checking I discovered that he was actually only 26 when this film was made -- and even more amazingly he was already a well-known name at this relatively precocious age. Most of the movie was comprised of army camp shows before the whole caboodle were shipped overseas, but what smiley fun it all was. I have always had a soft spot for the Andrews Sisters who are so of their period, and must now try to find some of the other minor musicals that they made which also featured their cheery warbling.

Tags: Private Buckaroo, the Andrews Sisters, Harry James

Another Mixed Bag

2008-05-03T11:43:00.000+01:00

Some days when I try to update this journal I have trouble deciding which of the various things I have watched deserves the pride of place. This is a pretty easy decision if I have seen something unusual or a film which really moved me or one which I absolutely hated, but occasionally none of the recent candidates seems to fit the bill. By rights I should be reviewing "Casque d'or", a Jacques Becker-directed, Simone Signoret-starrer from 1952. It's probably some 20 years since I last viewed this film which is considered a classic, but this time around I found it heavy going to get involved in the turn of the century tale of gangster's moll Signoret becoming involved in an 'amour fou' with reformed convict turned carpenter Sergi Reggiani and ending with her watching his death on the guillotine. It all seemed terribly French -- which of course it was, but it really wasn't terribly compelling as well. The 'golden helmet' of the title refers to Signoret's blonde tresses, but I just kept on thinking what a huge head she had...

Then there were some freebie Romance DVDs from the backlog which needed clearing so they could be put away (probably never to be watched again). I watched three of these, all of which fell into the mini-series category, but if any of them have actually been shown on television in the past, I must have missed the event. The fun of these (if this is not too strong a word) came in discovering cast members who have either moved on to better things or who were taking an easy pay cheque in their late careers. The one with the most strings to its bow was Rosamunde Pilcher's "Coming Home" from 1998. This one boasted Keira Knightly playing a 16-year old schoolgirl who them morphed into the 18-year old Emily Mortimer (since there were only a few years between them in the storyline, I don't really see why Mortimer just couldn't play younger by a few years) who gives herself to Paul Bettany who is then blinded in the war. The action was set at a splendid country house, the home of Peter O'Toole and Joanna Lumley (which I gather features in a sequel which is also somewhere panting its turn to be watched) and other familiar faces came and went. Then there was Danielle Steele's "Zoya" from 1995 which followed TV-stalwart Melissa Gilbert over seven decades from the Russian Revolution through her trials and tribulations in Paris and New York. That one had Diana Rigg as her aristocratic grandma and David Warner as a would-be elderly suitor, but it was spotting Jennifer Garner (who I didn't even know had a career back then) as Gilbert's troublesome daughter that made my day.

In fact what I've probably been enjoying more than anything else are some shortish Spanish television scary movies from a 2005/6 series labelled 'Tales to Keep you Awake' or some such such and the first two "Spectre" and "A Christmas Tale" were so very creepy that I really am looking forward to seeing the remaining four.

Of course I've watched an assortment of other films over the last week or so, but that is a story to be told another time.

Tags: A Mixed Bag of Movies, Simone Signoret, Mini-series Romances

Madame DuBarry (1919)

2008-04-30T11:09:00.000+01:00

This somewhat ponderous slice of history is but one of the seven films that magic director Ernst Lubitsch turned out in 1919, a statistic that makes the mind boggle. Made some three years before he emigrated to the U.S. and only marginally suggesting his subsequent delicate "Lubitsch touch", it's the opulent story of the eponymous heroine played by Pola Negri, the flirtatious mistress of the besotted King Louis XV, played by Emil Jannings. While making her out to be no better than she should be, she is allowed tender feelings towards her first lover whom she has saved from execution and organised his rising army career. But while she was never popular with the snobs at court nor with the rabble crowd, he too turns against her come the Revolution and only tries to save her in turn too late in the day.

Lubitsch does rather conflate history since it was well over eighteen years between the King's death when Dubarry was banished from court and her date with the guillotine, but the film would have us believe that the Revolution was more or less the next day or so, and certainly Louis XVI and his Marie Antoinette do not figure in this version. Nor of course does Miss Negri age a jot over the period. It's all put across in the histrionic style of the period, but the lavish sets, well-handled crowd scenes, and beautifully-tinted new print make this a worthwhile watch, even if it is very mediocre Lubitsch.

Tags: Madame Dubarry, Ernst Lubitsch

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

2008-04-28T10:18:00.000+01:00

I guess I have over the years viewed all of the films made by ex-actor turned writer-director John Cassavetes but have never really been able to warm to them, despite the fact that he is now thought of as a major pioneer of Cinema Verite in the U.S. One or two I felt I might have given up on prematurely which accounts for my re-watching his first film "Shadows" (1959) and the above movie. Unfortunately I have not emerged any more of a fan. His films tend to be slow and stately improvisations from his stock company which includes Ben Gazzara, Seymour Cassell, Peter Falk, and Cassavetes' wife Gena Rowlands.

The last two take the leads in this story of a macho construction worker who is unduly under the thumb of his overbearing mother and his wife who is just this side of slightly ga-ga as she tries to hold on to reality. As her behaviour becomes more and more irrational, Falk agrees to have her committed for six months. When she is released, it would appear that she is no more able to cope with her everyday existence and the implication is that their imperfect relationship which veers between loving and physical violence is set to continue as before. There is no denying that Rowlands gives an impressive portrait of mental disintegration and this showcase role is a remarkable tour de force. However it goes on for some two and a half hours and I felt like screaming 'enough already'. Maybe that explains my problem with Cassavetes in general; his films often come across as self-indulgent and would probably have benefitted from tighter editing.

I know that it was an uphill struggle for the director to get this film made and distributed and it comes across as something of a home movie with Cassavetes' mother and father and Rowlands' mother in major roles, along with the director's sister and Cassel's son. He was in the end Oscar-nominated for the movie, along with Rowlands, but that does not make me believe that this film is one worth re-visiting again and again.

Tags: John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, hard-going movies

Reindeer Games (2000)

2008-04-26T22:02:00.000+01:00

I'll be damned if I know why this film was such a critical flop or why it was such a spectacular loss-maker at the box office, since although it would not win any prizes for overall originality, it is an entertaining enough watch and an honest viewer would not insist that he could see all of the twists a mile off -- I just don't believe that. The movie was dubbed "Deception" in the UK, an over-used film title, presumably because the original title was meaningless to a British audience (I suspect the phrase 'reindeer games' is not overly-laden with meaning elsewhere either).

When Ben Affleck's prison buddy is knifed just before the pair are due for release, Affleck assumes his pal's identity to have it away with the looker (Charlize Theron) who has been writing to him. Little does he realize that she is setting him up so that her 'brother', Gary Sinise, can pump him for inside information for a casino heist which he and his gang have planned; since he is not who he claims to be, he can only use his wits to escape being wiped out as a useless hanger-on. OK, maybe the plot verges on the ridiculous, but not as much as your run-of-the-mill Nicholas Cage movie (like the idiotic "Next" which I viewed tonight), and the twisty structure keeps the viewer hooked. Apart from his Jennifer Lopez period (of which "Gigli" was the nadir), I find Affleck an acceptable leading man --likeable even -- and Sinise makes an ace villain. And since the sinister Danny Trejo was one of his gang and since Dennis Farina played the venal casino manager, I happily went along for the ride. Five crooks in Santa Claus suits are always good for a bit of excitement. Maybe this film is not really a worthy late offering from director John Frankenheimer who can boast both the original "Manchurian Candidate" and "Seconds" in his filmography, but I didn't find it a complete wash-out on this my second viewing.

Tags: Reindeer Games, Ben Affleck, twisty thrillers

The Reaping (2007) and some other nasties

2008-04-24T12:25:00.000+01:00

She may have two best actress Oscars to her credit, but Hilary Swank is not an easy actress to cast and she has made some very dubious role choices. Here she plays an ordained minister who has lost her faith after her husband and child were slaughtered at an African mission and who now spends her time debunking so-called religious phenomena. She is approached by a representative from the small town of Haven whose bayous have turned to blood and asked to investigate. The envoy is played by Brit actor David Morrissey who appears to have overcome the shame of appearing in the Sharon Stone stinker "Basic Instinct 2" and who fakes a pretty good American accent here.

Her arrival in Haven is accompanied by further mysterious happenings which seem to be simulating the Egyptian ten plagues for which Swank has some short-term scientific answers, but the townfolk are convinced that their dying cattle and lice and boils can be laid at the door of 12-year old swamp child AnnaSophia Robb and that she must be killed. Swank is torn between her scientific training and her loss of faith vs. continuously inexplicable events as the storyline dissipates itself into pure horror territory. The movie is awash with creepy-crawly effects as the various plagues take hold, and if there is one thing that is guaranteed to make me turn away from the screen, it is this. Keeping one's eyes averted is quite possibly not the best way to watch or judge a movie, so chances are this was a one-off viewing for PPP.

Generally speaking this was quite a nasty film and uncomfortable viewing which fit in well with two other 2007 movies seen in the last few days. "Straightheads" (I know not what this title means) is known in the States as "Closure" which is probably a better title. A low budget movie funded by the Lottery, it has X-Files favourite Gillian Anderson in one of her now infrequent appearances as a successful London businesswoman who takes up with much younger security engineer Danny Dyer. They are attacked on a lonely road on the way home from a countryside party; he is badly beaten and might loose an eye and she suffers multiple rough rape. They both feel that they can only heal their souls by revenge and stake out the home of one of the assailants. However her rage finally finds a less horrendous outlet (while still quite horrifying) than his bloody one -- after which this short film abruptly stopped (which is fine with me, since I really had enough by then!)

I personally find young Mr. Dyer an annoying actor with his whiny low-class voice and cheeky would-be charm and had actually just finished seeing him in another unhappy movie called "Outlaw". In that one he played a character who again had just been beaten by thugs and who was not able to defend himself. So he joined up with some other victims of violence who were trying to rid society of its various vermin under the disaffected leadership of ex-soldier Sean Bean. It was kind of a latterday "Death Wish" but without any feel-good emotions to speak of and a black, black ending. None of these three movies could even remotely fall into the "fun viewing" category and are all probably best-avoided.

Tags: The Reaping, Hilary Swank, Nasty films

Tuvalu (1999)

2008-04-22T15:14:00.000+01:00

Some films are just unclassifiable! The Hungarian movie "Hukkle" with its solely ambient-soundtrack springs to mind, as does nearly the entire output of the Canadian director Guy Madden. When one is faced by such films, one either gives in to the weirdness or wonders what in the world is going on. I tend to fall into the first camp and this German movie, filmed in Bulgaria with a largely Bulgarian cast, is a charming outing. The German-Bulgarian background is an irrelevancy as it turns out, as is the fact that the lead actor Denis Lavant is French, since there is no intelligible dialogue, only names and words that are universally understood like tek-nol-o-gee!

The film is set in a nearly derelict bathhouse in the middle of a desolate plain where younger son Anton attempts to convince his blind father that business is booming, despite the fact that his mother at the cash desk is seldom paid in anything more than buttons. However the three of them do their best to keep things going with their Rube Goldberg machine powering the pumps. Into Anton's very strange life (his father keeps him without shoes so that he can't stray afield) comes the winsome Eva, who dreams of sailing away to the exotic island of the title but who needs a component from the engine to power her ship. Meanwhile elder brother Gregor is attempting to get the lido condemned so that he can demolish it and build soulless apartment blocks.

The picture is shot largely in black and white or tinted sepia and exercises a strange fascination as one tries to take in the most peculiar storyline combined with the largely nonsensical sound. The only solution is to sit back and let this oddity wash over all semblance of reality. Succumb to the strangeness for an ultimately joyful experience.

Tags: Tuvalu, weirdness a go-go

A Frightful Afternoon

2008-04-20T12:07:00.000+01:00

"Frightful" here does not mean that I had a rotten day, but it is just my punning way of reporting that the FrightFest folk had a mini-festival yesterday to promote the release of Dario Argento's latest film (direct to DVD) and to welcome the horror maestro on his first visit to London in some ten years by showing "Mother of Tears" along with two other recent horror releases from the same label.

First up was a wretched movie titled "Welcome to the Jungle"; unfortunately this title has already been used in the UK as the alternate name for the 2003 film "Rundown" which starred The Rock and "Stifler". This one was meant to be inspired by classic video nasty "Cannibal Holocaust" as four young things entered unmapped areas of Papua New Guinea, theoretically in search of Michael Rockefeller who disappeared in 1961. It was all filmed in hand-held videocam point of view shots which was pretty nauseating for starters, but three of the four youngsters were just so annoying that I could barely wait for them to be eaten by cannibals. And it was a long wait and almost totally without acceptable effects. Mind you if I was being attacked by bloodthirsty headhunters, I very much doubt that I would keep on filming!

Next up was a reshowing of the Australian "Storm Warning" from last summer's FrightFest, which I reviewed briefly on 30 August last year. Maybe I was feeling more charitable yesterday or maybe the dire first film made this one seem better than I thought previously, but I quite liked it this second time around. It might well be that since this was billed as "the extreme version" that there was rather more and rather better gore effects than previously. In short an ineffectual fellow and his more resilient French wife who have taken refuge at a farm owned by a psychopathic father and his two very nasty sons manage to turn the tables and escape through some ingenious and bloody action.

As for "Mother of Tears", this was the long-awaited third part of the Mothers Trilogy after "Inferno" and "Suspiria" which Argento has been promising for years. I wouldn't like to say that it was worth the wait, but I think it might seem a better film on a second viewing; it was full of beautiful shots and creative gore, but as incomprehensibly plotted as most of the Master's recent efforts. An unearthed coffin and its urn releases the artefacts which allow the remaining "mother" (the other two having been destroyed in the previous films) to regain her energy and wreak havoc in Rome by a rash of suicides, violence, and mindless slaughter. Smack in the middle of this is the director's daughter Asia Argento playing the one person who can end the witch's reign of horror, although she was unaware of having any special powers before the start of the tale. It has been a while since Miss Argento has agreed to appear in any more of her father's movies, having been poorly treated in earlier ones, and he continues to put her through some unpleasant paces here, including burying her up to her whatsit in some filthy muck. He also manages to include one totally gratuitous topless shot in the shower. She must actually love her father after all is said and done to put up with his nonsense. There is also a small part for the iconic Udo Kier, but he is quickly disposed of, and the movie certainly would have benefitted from more actors of his charisma, rather than the mediocre assortment of dubbed Italians.

There was meant to be a Q and A with the director afterwards which might have been quite interesting, but as the organisers explained his English is insufficiently strong (have they never heard of Italian interpreters?) and he would therefore only be signing autographs. So we packed up our things and were off...

Tags: Mini FrightFest, Dario Argento

The Big White (2005)

2008-04-18T10:42:00.000+01:00

What a misbegotten mess is this would-be black comedy, populated by actors who should have known better. Robin Williams continuing his run of unfunny roles plays a hard-up travel agent in snowy Alaska, married to Holly Hunter who pretends to suffer from Tourette's Syndrome (which allows her to curse non-stop). Since his brother has not been heard from for five years, Williams tries to collect on a million dollar policy, but is told that at least seven years must elapse. So when he comes across a body in a dumpster (killed by goofy Tim Blake Nelson and his boyfriend for unexplained reasons), he appropriates it, laces it with meat to be attacked by wild animals, and claims that his recently returned brother is now dead. Insurance agent Giovanni Ribisi smells a rat and tries to stall the payout while ignoring his quack-psychic girlfriend Alison Lohman. Meanwhile Williams' real brother and semi-psychopath Woody Harrelson reads about his supposed death and returns for a share of the payout. Nelson and friend kidnap Hunter (in her own home) and want "their" body returned to them plus a share of the money as well.

So it continues in the frozen white setting through various unfunny complications to the equally unsatisfactory denouement. Anyone who wishes to compare this movie to "Fargo" is free to do so, but it comes off as an inferior and completely unsatisfactory farrago.

Tags: The Big White, more unfunny black comedies

Ghost Voyage (2008)

2008-04-16T06:16:00.000+01:00

The Sci-Fi cable channel in the States manages to produce an incredible amount of dross in terms of "original" movies; these often turn up as filler on the UK version of that channel and occasionally on other channels here, which is how I came to see the above time-waster. Maybe one of these days I'll accept the fact that I don't really have to watch any movie that is new to me -- but I doubt it.

The concept here was as old as talkie films: nine strangers (well, OK, two crooks did know each other previously) wake up on a strange cargo vessel in the middle of a grey ocean. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to quickly work out that they are all recently dead and that the ship is their limbo. What makes this all the more dreadful is that they are all more or less the same age -- I guess young or old people don't kick the bucket -- and are comprised of the most dreadful collection of non-talents that I have seen for a while. The only name previously familiar to me was the lead, Antonio Sabato Jr. (who's Sr.?) and I have wondered previously how he has come to have a career. His emotive depths come across as "that's-what-it-says-in-the-script-here", but the Sci-Fi folk must love him (or he's made them an offer they can't refuse), since he keeps starring in their so-called entertainments.

The only saving grace was Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa in the role of the enigmatic ship's "steward" laying down the rules for the voyage. He has appeared in countless minor films, but is always a noteworthy presence with his sly class and style. Now if he had been the lead in this movie...

Tags: Sci-Fi Channel movies, Antonio Sabato Jr

King of Kings (1927)

2008-04-14T11:13:00.000+01:00

In my discussion of Ford's "Hurricane" below, I mentioned Richard Landes and the 13-seater cinema in his garden. The above Cecil B DeMille spectacular was last night's delight and on one level I am amazed that I have not seen this silent previously, especially since it is claimed that it has been viewed by more people around the world than any other movie, having traditionally been given free showings during Lent from the late 20s to the early 50s. Then again I am hardly a fan of po-faced religious movies, or even un-po-faced ones for that matter.

This film deserves its classic status as a typical DeMille extravaganza, but two hours of freely composed scenes from the life of Christ with intertitles largely from the gospels is a little more than I can really enjoy. Fortunately the 155-minute version which is out on DVD was not yesterday's selection. I can admire the opulence of the production, some beautifully composed crowd scenes, and even some of the special effects. The Seven Deadly Sins being cast away from Mary Magdalene was imaginatively conceived. However in general, I found it something of a plod, despite being pleased to have finally seen it.

The cast was competent but largely composed of unknown actors. The exceptions were H. B. Warner unrecognizable in the beautific lead role (a frequent character actor in the 30s and 40s, his most memorable late role was as the chemist that Jimmy Stewart prevents from mis-prescribing in"It's a Wonderful Life"), Joseph Schildkraut as Judas (far different from his serious dramatic and light comedy roles in the 30s), and a small bit for one William Boyd, better known in movie history as Hopalong Cassidy. He plays the man who is shamed into carrying the cross to Cavalry for Christ -- a sort of Hopalong Crossidy (yes, I know, very bad pun).

The music score was interesting, incorporating some well-known hymn tunes, but I am never too happy with choral additions to what is meant to be silent cinema. Anyhow, thank you Richard, a memorable experience.

Tags: King of Kings, religious movies

Hard Candy (2005)

2008-04-12T10:47:00.000+01:00

I certainly am glad that I saw "Juno" before seeing this earlier movie starring young Ellen Page, or I might have given it a wide berth after viewing the frightening character she creates here. Mind you, that she can move from the chilling teenager of this film to the charming one in the more recent is proof positive of her acting versatility and skill.

She plays an overly bright 14-year old who agrees to meet up with a 32-year old photographer (Patrick Wilson) who has been chatting her up on the internet. Immediately our suspicions are aroused as he takes her to his home and plies her with drink. However, the tables are soon turned when we learn that she has drugged his drink; he awakes he finds himself trussed up on the kitchen table, pants down, and threatened with castration with Page describing the operation in excruciating detail. It seems that she has deliberately been stalking him and is convinced that he is guilty of paedophilia and possibly even murder. The cat and mouse games continue until the chilling conclusion and one can only assume that Wilson's deep-rooted feelings of guilt prevent his overpowering the youngster when the opportunity occurs.

This is one truly disturbing film and anything but an easy watch. That it is an original production from the MTV music channel, the product of music video-background director David Slade and first-time original screenwriter Brian Nelson, makes it all the more surprising. Now that Page has had her Oscar nod for "Juno", people are likely to seek out this earlier performance. Like me, they are in for something of a shocking discovery.

Tags: Hard Candy, Ellen Page

Heaven on Earth (1927)

2008-04-09T10:55:00.000+01:00

As a member of the British Film Institute, I always receive the programme for the annual Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, but I don't recall previously being tempted by any of its offerings. However when I spotted the showing of this recently rediscovered German silent, I was off like a shot. I'm always on the lookout for unknown silent movies and the description of this one sounded remarkable. And yes, it was pretty memorable.

Conceived, produced, probably co-directed, co-written and starring one Reinhold Schunzel (not a name familiar to me but a recognizable face from the 1931 "Threepenny Opera"), the movie is meant to capture the decadence of the Weimar days. Schunzel plays an uptight moral reformer who on his wedding day must also make his maiden speech in parliament. Having spoken out against the evils of drink (his new father-in-law -- Martiny -- is a drink producer) and the moral morass of nightclubs, he discovers that his long lost stepbrother has died and left him a vast sum of money and the nightclub of the title, on the proviso that he spends five hours from 10 pm each evening at the club. So the first elements of humour occur when he must get away from the never-ending wedding reception, deposit his panting bride in his bedroom -- unconsummated of course, and get into the club before the first deadline. He thereafter must keep his "shame" from his new bride and the various moral reformers that call at his flat, despite the continuous arrivals of a red-hot Negro jazz band, a bunch of high-kicking showgirls, and a performing monkey.

While presenting an evocative picture of Weimar nightlife with its art deco decor and wolfish faces that could populate the art of the period, the club is actually pretty discreet with 100% heterosexual clubbers. In fact I was beginning to wonder what this movie was doing at a Gay Film Festival before there was an extended sequence of our hero in drag trying to escape being seen, but subsequently being wooed by his lascivious father-in-law. However this sequence was no more "gay" than other cross-dressing movies like "Some Like it Hot". I know that Schunzel did go on to star in Viktor und Viktoria, the original template for the Julie Andrews/James Garner remake which may or may not explain the earlier film's inclusion here. But never mind, I was delighted to have the opportunity of viewing this droll and ultimately charming comedy.

Technorati: where do they go???

Tags: Gay cinema, Heaven on Earth, Reinhold Schunzel, disappearing act

In-flight Movies - yet again

2008-04-07T10:57:00.000+01:00

I've been a lazy so-and-so since my return at the end of last week -- just too much else to get through to spend time blogging (like the nearly 400 accumulated non-spam e-mails!), but here I am again. As per my own tradition the first entry must be about the in-flight movies, rather than the ones I've actually stayed awake through in the last few days. I usually treat my choice of films to watch as a kind of catch-up, picking those movies that I probably should have gone to see at the cinema. This is the one area where I am unable to fault Virgin-Atlantic since they certainly have the best movie selection in the air.

No Country for Old Men (2007): This was the biggest cinema omission to make up since I'm a big Coen Brothers fan and had heard (even before its Oscar win) that this film was a return to form after their last two feeble offerings. And good it was, although I must confess that I would not personally rank it amongst their very best. Being faithful to the novel on which it was based must account for the very abrupt and in many ways unsatisfying ending, to the extent that I replayed it twice just to make certain that I hadn't fallen asleep at a critical point. Nonetheless I have already purchased the DVD to give it yet another go in due course.

Ratatouille (2007): I actually had tickets for a preview of this Oscar-winning animation from Pixar-Disney, but when we went along to the cinema, there was no print and therefore self-evidently no showing. What can I say? I guess I kinda liked it, but again I would not place it as Pixar's best. While very well done and the business with Peter O'Toole's snobby food critic brilliantly moving, I thought the "messages" a little heavy-handed and I must admit that I do find dozens of rats swarming around a kitchen more than a little disconcerting.

Rush Hour 3 (2007): This is not a movie that I would have dragged myself to the cinema to view, but since I enjoyed the first two -- solely because of Jackie Chan I must quickly add, I thought I would have a look at the third. And have a look is all I did, since they shut down the entertainment system before the film finished. Jackie is still a great treat to watch, even at his obviously advanced years, but Chris Tucker? Do me a favour, that man is soooo annoying.

Sweeney Todd... (2007): This was first up on the return flight and I don't think the smile left my face throughout. I loved it and was pleased to discover that both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter have sufficiently pleasant voices to do justice to the score. Tim Burton's gothic sensibilities were given free rein and the lashings of gore struck me as comical rather than disturbing. Definitely a film to be viewed again, especially as Sacha Baron-Cohen's bit of shtick was mercifully brief.

Superbad (2007): This was my final selection since I know it was a great popular success, if not completely a critical success. I sort of enjoyed "Knocked Up" which was reviewed some months back and was curious what the writing-producing stable had produced this time around. To say that three nerds want to get laid before leaving for college is to over-simplify the story, since the real theme is, I think, the meaning of friendship. That they are looking for sex as well is what probably appealed to the film's young audience. Fatty Jonah Hill is the potty-mouthed character who gets the best lines, but I had more empathy with his two friends played by "Juno's" Michael Cera and the weedy (but wonderful) Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Not really my cup of tea, but pleasant enough.

Ping ping ping -- entry keeps disappearing! Third time lucky??

Tags: In-Flight Movies, playing catch-up, pings, and ping again, and again

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

2008-03-22T12:26:00.000Z

Before I get to the above film let me advise anyone who might be curious about the film reviewed below that most of the musical sequences from "The Wayward Cloud" are available to view on You-Tube and they are well worth a look.

There were some positive vibes about the above Disney production based on a popular children's novel, but I was unsure just what to expect. It is an intelligent and totally non-saccharine examination of pre-teen anxieties and the power of the imagination, but I somehow see it as appealing more to adults than youngsters, since there is a downbeat twist towards the end of the tale, one that is only partly compensated for by the upbeat ending. Young actor Josh Hutcherson familiar to me from "Zathura..." and "Little Manhattan" plays the middle child amongst four sisters. Artistically inclined and aware of the financial strains his parents face, he is bullied at school and is generally alienated. Into his life comes a new classmate and neighbour in the shape of AnnaSophia Robb, so very good in "Because of Winn-Dixie"; she is the only child of some free-thinking writers, manages to win Hutcherson 's trust, and helps his imagination to take wing at they create and explore the mythical land of Terabithia. I took these two to be about 12 years-old, but I gather that they are only meant to be 10 or so. Since they were respectively 15 and 14 when the film was made, they were technically too old to play believable pre-teens, but this didn't really distract from the tale, although I do find Robb's dark brows and very blonde hair just a wee bit creepy. The other two actors of note were the wee thing who played Hutcherson's younger sister, with whom he must share a bedroom, and Zooey Deschanel as a happy-clappy music teacher. Robert Patrick as Hutcherson's stressed father was an unhappy combination of sternness and repressed love, believable but not really likeable. The limited but judicious use of CGI effects to underline the children's fantasies add to the appeal, but this would have been nearly as successful a film without them. But keep the tissues at the ready!

I'm off for one of my occasional New York visits in a day or so and therefore will not be posting anything new until the beginning of April. But you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll have seen a film or two in the meantime. See you soon...

Tags: Bridge to Terabithia, world of the imagination

The Wayward Cloud (2005)

2008-03-20T11:22:00.000Z

This Taiwanese film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2005 and had a brief U.S. release last year and has probably turned up at the occasional fest; it is not however likely to be shown at your local multiplex nor, for that matter, to be available on DVD, except possibly as a Far East import. I certainly do not anticipate a UK DVD release unless I was prepared for a movie that would be cut to ribbons by our enlightened censors. To put no further point on it, despite certain jollities, there is little to distinguish it from pure porn in places and with a misogynistic bent at that; I gather it specialised in festival-showing walk-outs. So where did I view this masterpiece?: off a German/French satellite arts channel (Arte); fortunately dialogue was sparse so I was able to follow the extremely weird story.

Directed by auteur Ming-liang Tsai who has made some of the most exquisitely boring films of recent years like "Good Bye Dragon Inn" and "What Time is it There", his cinematic style is marked by scenes being held for what seems like minutes with no action whatsoever. This film revisits the two main characters from "What Time..." who were briefly seen in the director's equally tedious short "The Skywalk has Gone". He was originally seen selling knock-off watches on the street, but has now packed that in to become a porn actor; she has returned from her sojourn in Paris and is looking for him. Meanwhile the city is suffering a drought, bottled water is like gold, and folk have turned to watermelons for comfort. Believe me, you will never view that fruit again with the same eye when you discover the uses that have been found for them in this movie. The film ends with a vicious sex scene involving a possibly dead porn actress and an oral sexual assault on our heroine. Some critics have suggested that this art house trash is actually a satire on the porn industry and the dryness of our lives; pull the other one!

What finally makes this film watchable, if not comfortable, is the oddity of the director's vision and the fact that the hard sex scenes are interspersed with boldly-coloured musical numbers including some camp Cantonese renditions of Western pop songs. So yes, I probably would like to see this one again (with English titles this time), but that is more than a little unlikely. File this one under movies that you are not likely to ever see...

Tags: The Wayward Cloud, Ming-liang Tsai, arthouse porn

The Lives of Others (2006)

2008-03-18T09:56:00.000Z

I have had something of a bee in my bonnet about this German Academy Award winner that has put me off watching it before now; I had no doubt that it was probably a well-made and absorbing film, but I could not forgive it for taking the Oscar away from "Pan's Labyrinth". So I tried to work out what it was about the movie that made it the more appealing to the Academy voters.

For a start, perhaps a film about East Germany in the years prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall was more resonant to the voters' sensibilites than a magic realism fable set in the dying years of the Spanish Civil War. Then again, some viewers just don't warm to fantasy. I really can not quibble too convincingly since the director has turned out a film which probably presents an all-too-true portrait of the effects that the huge Secret Service Stasi spy network had on the lives of the nation and not a cosy picture of a simple and naive way of life as in "Good Bye Lenin". The story is told through the characters of actress Martina Gedeck who is involved with playwright Sebastian Koch as they are spied upon by Stasi captain Ulrich Muhe, a man who will stop at nothing to get the confessions he seeks. However he gradually changes as he realises that not only is there a richer life out there but that not all of the targets set for him deserve to be brought down. Muhe's is a beautifully underplayed role and his fall and redemption do indeed move the viewer. Gedeck as the fast-living actress and Koch as the socialist stalwart who refuses to believe that he has been under surveillance are also excellent, as is the depiction of a grey and unforgiving society.

However I still think Del Toro wuz robbed!

Tags: The Lives of Others, East Germany

The Forsyte Saga (1967)

2008-03-16T10:49:00.000Z

I have not been keeping up my film-watching average this week, as I have been revisiting the above BBC series (apparently the first mini-series ever) -- all 26 episodes at roughly 50 minutes each. I still have two to go, but I thought I should take a break and put down a few thoughts for my latterday reading and reminiscence.

I must confess that I did not watch the 2002 remake which was considerably shorter, filmed in colour, and generally sexed up (as a key plot point revolves around marital rape). Partly this was because I had such fond memories of this original series, partly because given my druthers I will always opt for classic black and white filming, and partly because I just couldn't seen Gina McKee who is undoubtely a better actress than Nyree Dawn Porter in the pivotal role of Irene -- she just isn't good-looking enough. Originally broadcast on Saturday nights for its full 26 weeks back in 1967, it had a nation glued to its TV sets and remains a remarkable achievement today.

Based on a trio of trilogies by John Galsworthy -- only the first three novels actually comprise "The Forsyte Saga" -- it traces the fortunes of a wealthy but not titled family from Victorian times through the late 1920s, as they reflect both the feuds that can arise in extended families and the changing social environment. Undoubtedly the most interesting portions are the early chapters with the old guard of aged aunts and uncles and one felt their loss as each one gradually left the story. Apart from the aforementioned Irene, the main protagonists are 'Young Jolyon' played by Kenneth More and his four children by his three wives and Soames played by the incredible Eric Porter and his late-in-life daughter played by the lovely Susan Hampshire. Soames was meant to be the villain of the piece, insofar as a man of taste and principle who has lost in love can be a villain. While something of a cold fish and hard to accept compared to the free-thinking More, I have always felt that his is the backbone of the tale and I can not help but feel sorry for him. The fact that Porter is such a brilliant actor is no small part of this.

Peopled with familiar faces from British television -- the actors are less-known for their movie credits (although Hampshire's appearance in the amazing Belgian movie "Malpertuis" endears her to me), the cast is without exception fabulous. When I've finally rewatched the remaining two episodes I know that I will miss them all and will want to plan a revisit very soon.

Tags: The Forsyte Saga, Eric Porter, Kenneth More

The Hurricane (1937)

2008-03-14T10:39:00.000Z

If I haven't mentioned it innumerable times previously, let me put on record once again that John Ford ranks amongst my favourite directors. This film is something of an anomaly for him being neither a Western nor an Oirish flick, but a South Seas Islands adventure, so popular at that time. And what an achievement; this viewing was even more memorable than my first encounter with the movie on television several many years ago. I was recently introduced to an equally maniacal movie buff who has built a small cinema in his garden, seating only 13 persons, who shows l6 mm prints of classic films twice a month. This was last night's spectacular.

Set on a small island some 600 miles from Tahiti, it is the love story between the continuously-cast Dorothy Lamour as a sarong-wearing native and her handsome lover, Terangi, played by Jon Hall (who was actually part-Tahitian by descent). Racist politics cause his being jailed for breaking a man's jaw and constant escape attempts (since one should not attempt to confine such a free spirit) result in his sentence being further and further extended. This in itself would only qualify the movie as a high-class potboiler, but the supporting cast of C. Aubrey Smith as the island's craggy priest, Thomas Mitchell in his typical role of a drunken doctor, John Carradine as a sadistic prison warder, Jerome Cowan as a ship's captain, Raymond Massey as the local administrator who could have helped poor Terangi, and Mary Astor as his sympathetic wife lift the drama to movie-lover heaven.

However the real star of this film and the main reason for its lasting appeal is the stupendous hurricane that takes up the last reel, destroying the island, killing most of its inhabitants, and generally unleashing nature's havoc. Considering how long ago this film was made -- long before the CGI tricks of today -- this depiction is an amazing achievement and exciting in just about every way. I often accuse Mr. Ford of making films which make me cry; this one is not in that category at all, but remains a remarkable reminder of his movie magic.

Tags: The Hurricane, John Ford, great cast

The Game (1997)

2008-03-12T08:43:00.000Z

A fellow cinema blogger, Joe Valdez, whose reviews I admire for their thoroughness -- I admit that I haven't the patience to write at length about a film and tend to give only my gut reactions -- recently reviewed the above movie in a way that made me want to see it again. So I did, but still am unable to share his enthusiasm for it.

Michael Douglas plays a workaholic businessman whose feckless brother, Sean Penn (trademark: "best actor of his generation") gives him 'the game' as a birthday present. This is supposedly a tailor-made entertainment for the man who has everything and an intrigued Douglas initially goes along with it. Were it me, I would have told the corporate suits administering the wheeze to sit on it when they began with their battery of psychological questionnaires. What follows thereafter is a non-stop, action-packed whirlwind where Douglas is shot at, ruined financially, and left in a shallow Mexican grave. The movie plays on our generation's paranoia and one can believe that concerted outside forces can indeed impinge on our lives and self-perception. It is all terribly exciting and outrageous, and, as long as one ignores the gaping plot-holes, meant to be entertaining; however it is all relentless without even a sprinking of humour to keep one happily viewing. And I just couldn't buy the final outcome or the ease with which Douglas accepted it. I have never warmed to his father as an actor, despite his appearing in some remarkable movies, and I think I feel the same way about the son. He is certainly able, but in no way likeable.

So Joe, you did your job and got at least one viewer to pay attention and seek out a particular movie. It's not your fault that I was unable to enthuse on the same terms.

Tags: The Game, Michael and Kirk Douglas

Repo Man (1984)

2008-03-10T09:30:00.000Z

I must admit that I was not the least bit taken with this movie when I saw it originally way back when, but I have been hearing for so long as to what a cult item it has become, that I gave in and watched it again. An early feature from writer/director/actor Brit Alex Cox, who after "Sid and Nancy" more or less squandered his talent on unwatchable films, it certainly takes a skewed look at 80's America. Emilio Estevez is a foul-mouthed young punk and out of work when he meets up with Harry Dean Stanton -- for whom I have a great deal of time, especially after his magic moment in "The Straight Story". Stanton is part of a group of misfits who make their living by repossessing cars and he takes the initially reluctant Estevez under his wing, filling his head with the importance of the 'Repo Man's Rules of Behaviour'.

This is just the framework for a screwy sci-fi scenario where a disgruntled scientist has stolen an alien corpse from Roswell and it is burning up radiation in the trunk of his car; with a 20,000 dollar bounty, everyone is in pursuit from the FBI to a pair of brotherly car thieves to the repo men. There is a lovely scene right at the beginning when a highway patrol guy pulls the car over, opens the boot, and nothing is left of him but a pair of smoking boots. There are lots of nice touches, like cans bearing labels reading 'food' or 'beer' and there is some smart dialogue as well, kind of a 1980's Kevin Smith approach. But a little of this movie goes a long way and it really ends up just being silly. I guess the net result is that I'm pleased to have watched it again, but I think I can easily wait another twenty years before repeating the exercise.

Tags: Repo Man, Alex Cox, Harry Dean Stanton

Strayed (2003)

2008-03-08T11:45:00.000Z

This French film by director Andre Techine provides an eye-popping role for Emmanuelle Beart, but was in many ways a very disturbing experience full of apprehension for the viewer. The time is 1940 and having been widowed early in the war, she is fleeing the German advance on Paris with her cosseted 13-year old son and rather bratty daughter. When their car is strafed by enemy fighters and dozens around them killed, the three lose everything and have no idea where to turn, until they are helped by a resourceful teenager, played by Gaspard Ulliel whom I reviewed recently in his role as the young Hannibal Lector. There is something not quite right about him with his shaven head, rude manner, and fainting fits, but they gratefully accept his help and settle into an abandoned mansion which he has broken into.

Beart is deeply upset at his presence, especially after she finds that he has scavenged a gun and a grenade amongst his daily foraging, but she is also grateful that he manages to find food for her family and on the surface she tries to think of him as an older son. However there is a pulsating visceral attraction between them, which eventually leads to very rough sex; although she was 40 when this movie was made, Beart still possesses a lush body and is not afraid to show it. From here onward things go from bad to worse when it becomes clear that the war has been over for several days as far as France is concerned and when the authorities intervene. Without giving away the downbeat ending, I will only say that the film stops fairly abuptly with Beart still trying to protect the now somewhat tarnished innocence of her children. To be honest, although it was well made, I really didn't like this movie; it made me feel afraid much of the time and just a little bit dirty.

Tags: Strayed, Emmanuelle Beart

Phantom of Death (1988)

2008-03-06T09:55:00.000Z

This Italian oddity, also known in English as "Off Balance", is finally available in an uncut version, although the DVD is unfortunately dubbed; however, since the two lead actors, Michael York and Donald Pleasance, are English, the net result is less disastrous than it might have been. Directed by Ruggero Deodato, one of the more reliable goremeisters, responsible for video nasties like "Cannibal Holocaust", there is an ample quota of nicely filmed red stuff.

York -- one might parenthetically ask here, whatever became of his career, since his leading man days -- plays a 35-year old lionized concert pianist. When his hair starts falling out in chunks, he discovers that he has been incubating an aging disease which unleashes his hidden psycho. The make-up effects as he becomes more and more aged and hideous are actually pretty convincing. Pleasence plays his typical late-career role of a frustrated policeman on the killer's trail, but always one step behind. When York's love interest, giallo stalwart Edwige Fenech, announces that she is pregnant, York feels he must kill her and the foetus as well since it will bear his tainted blood; this was preceded by a scene in which he sees a young child who suffers from the same ailment with the body of a youngster but the face of an elderly man -- which was enough to upset the best of us (although such oddities seem to be standard television fare nowadays). This is hardly a great film, but it certainly had its bloody moments, one of which was played twice to make sure that we understood its significance -- or something!

Tags: Deodato, Michael York, Italian horror

Apartment Zero (1989)

2008-03-04T06:39:00.000Z

I might have been back on line sooner if my computer hadn't moved up the Swanee during my absence with my broadband connection gone walkies; it seemed to take forever and a lot of stress to be put right, but here I am only slightly the worse for wear.

I haven't seen this film for several many years and guess it would comfortably fit into the cult viewing category apart from the fact that it is really little-known. It is written and directed by one Martin Donovan, not the actor who started off in Hal Hartley movies, but the pseudonym for an Argentinian-born writer who co-wrote this screenplay with 26-year old David Koepp, who has gone on to write the latest Indiana Jones spectacular. But enough of that; what about the film? It is set in contemporary Buenos Aires, where it was filmed in English, and stars Colin Firth of all people as a more than repressed repertory movie theatre owner. (If nothing else this film would appeal to me for all the movie paraphenalia on display and the movie games that Firth's character Adrian likes to play.) Set shortly after the traumatic days of political turmoil in Argentina, Firth's ploy is to pretend that he is English as one way of removing himself from the unpleasantness of those days.

He lives in an apartment block peopled with grotesques from whom he tries to keep his distance, but financial pressures (his Mum is dying in hospital) force him to look for a flatmate and into his life comes dishy Hart Bochner's Jack. Jack is everything (on the surface) that Adrian is not -- outgoing, friendly with all the neighbours, and too willing to try to be whatever Adrian would like him to be. It is not long before we discover his true and rather sinister background as a government assassin, but this does not prepare us for the inconsistencies of Adrian's behaviour or the very strong and very weird ending. Definitely one to seek out, although as far as I know it is not yet on DVD; this is something of a pity, since my copy is an edit-down from the original theatrical release which I would love to see.

Tags: Apartment Zero, cult movies, Colin Firth

Clerks II (2006)

2008-02-27T09:46:00.000Z

I am beginning to suspect that somewhere in my aging feminine form lurks a 20-year old lad struggling to escape. How else to explain the fact that I found the above movie so amusing and engaging, while at the same time generally abhoring the dumbed-down humour and emphasis on bodily functions so prevalent in other contemporary flicks. I was enchanted by the original Clerks when I first saw it -- a breath of fresh air, both well-written and laugh-out-loud with its memorable blue-collar characters.

Well, Brian O'Halloran is back as Dante, Jeff Anderson is back as Randal, and Jason Mewes and the director, Kevin Smith, are back as your friendly local drug-dealers Jay and Silent Bob. Not that any of these actors have much of a cinema career outside of Smith's films (and parenthetically I was amused to see Smith himself cast as a computer-nerd freak in the recent 4th "Die Hard" film), but their personas are so well-established that it is like welcoming back old -- if not very reputable -- friends. In this movie, the convenience store where Dante and Randal worked has burned down and they now work at a cheesy burger joint managed by Rosario Dawson. Dante is about to leave for Florida with his pushy fiancee played by Smith's own wife without any vanity, and neither Randal nor Dawson want to lose him. Randal decides to organise a farewell performance by a donkey act (inter-species erotics or something like that) and chaos ensues before the completely satisfactory conclusion.

Again the script is disrespectful, rude, and smart, full of film and comic book allusions so dear to Smith's fans and we have the usual obligatory cameos from Ben Affleck and Jason Lee (although no sign of Matt Damon who is possibly now too A-list to oblige). All in all it's a good-natured romp which definitely appeals to the young lad in each of us.

I shall be away for a few days, so no more raves or rantings until after the weekend...

Tags: Clerks II, Kevin Smith

The Oscars

2008-02-25T17:09:00.000Z

Watching the Oscar ceremony is always a highlight of my viewing year, even if great dollops of the proceedings are a colossal bore. However I'm not sufficiently keen to force myself to stay up all night to allow for the time differential; I record it on the hard disc and watch it at my leisure the next morning. This year's 80th celebration felt a little subdued (maybe it's the hangover from the writers' strike) and the usual compilations lacked some verve; however, there were still some fine moments and I was especially pleased that the Coen Brothers did so well, taking best adapted screenplay, best director, and best picture. I was a little afraid that "There Will be Blood" might get in the way of their overdue recognition. Pity they didn't win best editing as well, since it would have been amusing to find out how the nominated editor would accept his award, since he doesn't exist and is only the said brothers under a pseudonym.

I was not unpleasantly surprised to find that the acting awards -- Day-Lewis, Bardem, Cotillard, and Swinton -- duplicated those at the BAFTAs, and while the male accolades were expected, the female ones were something of a shock to those anticipated. I do wonder how the American Academy feels to see all of the acting Oscars going to non-American actors, and even if favourites Christie and Blanchett had won, there still would have been no U.S. talent taking the top prizes. For one very small moment I did hope that Johnny Depp might just have pipped Day-Lewis to the post since his roles are a lot more fun, but perhaps he plays too tongue-in-cheek to be taken seriously by the Academy voters. Still I hope that his day will come.

The remainder of the awards seemed to be business as usual -- and since I've not yet seen the nominated documentaries nor foreign films, I don't know whether the best man won as it were. The only other award that might have pleased me would be to have seen Ruby Dee take best supporting actress; it would have been a sentimental choice as she is a grand, old lady, but it was never really on the cards.

Tags: The Oscars, Coen Brothers, Non-American winners

After Midnight (2004)

2008-02-23T06:50:00.000Z

On paper this Italian movie should have been right up my alley, being set at Turin's Italian National Museum of Cinema and intercut with nostalgic clips from silent cinema especially from the divine Buster. However I was left with something of a niggling feeling that the writer-director Davide Ferrario was trying just a wee bit too hard to be winning and winsome, and this was not helped by an intrusive narrator playing nudge-nudge, wink-wink with the viewer to make certain we got most of the cinema references. What was almost certainly intended as a celebration of the glories of cinema and how it can transform our lives turned out to be done with a respectful but somewhat heavy hand.

There are three main characters: Martino the night watchman at the museum who spends his evenings exploring its delights, Amanda a fast-food worker whom Martino has worshipped from the sidelines, and her lover a petty thief referred to as The Angel. After an incident at work where she scalds her boss and is on the lam from the police, she takes refuge at the museum and soon falls under its spell and the silent devotion of Martino (who seldom says anything and who takes his wooing cues from Keaton). Soon she finds that she is in love with two men and when she is able to leave her sanctuary, the three characters try to work out their predicament. The numerous veiled references to "Jules et Jim" are to me a little excessive as the actors here lack some charisma.

There is in fact a fourth main character, the museum itself, the 19th Century architectural folly known as the Mole Antonelliana. The building with its imaginative layout and displays had far more appeal than the somewhat pedestrian protagonists, although Martino as a Buster-clone was not without charm. All in all, this was a respectful homage to film history, but not quite the masterpiece it could have been.

Tags: Mole Antonelliana, silent movies, After Midnight

A Couple of German Films

2008-02-20T10:33:00.000Z

No, I haven't got around to "The Lives of Others" yet which is sitting somewhere in my backlog awaiting my attention, but I did watch two lesser-known German movies which, while very different from each other, surprisingly proved interesting in their own ways.

First up came "Schultze Gets the Blues" (2003), a first effort from writer-director Michael Schorr. This one was a fairly quiet, leisurely and quirky movie and could only appeal to the patient viewer. Three middle-aged friends in a back-of-beyond German mining town are retired on the same day and find time heavy on their hands. Schultze lives alone and has only his accordion for solace. One day on the radio he hears a snatch of zydeco and can't get the rhythm or the melody out of his head or his fingers. This doesn't go down well with the local community whose musical tastes are limited to oomp-pah-pah. The town is twinned with an East Texan town with a heavy germanic heritage and they elect to send Schultze to attend the local American music festival. He uses this as a stepping stone to hire a small boat and to proceed through the swamps to find his new musical inspiration. Since he has virtually no English, Schultze doesn't say a lot but carries on in search of that evasive tune. To say any more would be to spoil the pleasure that another patient viewer might find in seeking out this little but very worthwhile movie.

In jarring contrast, I then watched "Atomised" (2006) which is the English title for a German film based on a novel by cult French writer and misanthrope Michel Houellebecq. It was also known on the festival circuit as "Elementary Particles" which is probably closer to the German, although neither title gives the potential viewer much of a clue as to what is in store. Two half-brothers, Bruno played by Moritz Bleibtreu and Michael played by Christian Ulman, do not know of each other's existence until they are in their teens. Their feckless mother who spends most of each year at hippy communes in Poona has abandoned them to grandparents to raise them. While Michael grows into some sort of mathematical genius whose ideas will revolutionise genetics, Bruno becomes a sex-obsessed, bitter, and racist teacher, unable to cope with his many failures, and an occasional mental inpatient. Their joint story is picked up when they are in their thirties and it is clear that there is a strong bond between them despite their many differences. Michael has been in love since childhood with Franka Potente but was too shy to accept her adolescent approaches and is still a virgin. Bruno on the other hand will screw anything in skirts, although he is so clumsy socially that he has lost his wife and child and is often rejected; on a sex holiday he meets Martina Gedeck an older but sexually voracious woman and he thinks he has met his true love. Tragedy threatens both brothers' relationships, but where Michael and his love find a worthwhile way of life, Bruno according to the end captions spends the rest of his days in institutions warmed only by the ghost of a woman that only he can see. This film was full of many interesting ideas and while occasionally as nihilistic as the author on whose book it was based, still an extremely absorbing 100-odd minutes.

Tags: German Movies, Schultze and the Blues, Houellebecq

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

2008-02-18T12:08:00.000Z

The title of this film is taken from the misspelt graffiti on the wall next to the daycare center where Will Smith leaves his young son each working day. His character interprets this line from the Declaration of Independence as meaning that happiness is not a God-given right but something that must be actively pursued. And boy does he actively pursue it in this movie!

When wife Thandie Newton walks out on Smith who is unable to sufficiently provide for her and their son, he not only insists upon keeping the boy with him but also drags him from pillar to post until a happier future is ensured. This movie is intended to be morally uplifting and moving and to demonstrate that the American Dream can be a reality, but possibly because I knew upfront that the film would finish with the requisite happy ending, I found it just a wee bit difficult to root for the determined Smith. Now there is no denying that he is an able and likeable actor and that he probably totally deserved the Oscar nod that he had for this role, but the movie was in fact a little depressing at times, as the brave young kid -- beautifully played by Smith's own son -- loses increasingly less satisfactory homes and has to spend his nights in homeless shelters or even worse in toilets. All the while Smith is putting on a brave front at his six-month stockbroking internship, refuses to let on the difficulties he is encountering, and continues to believe in their future I suppose the fact that he needs to produce a series of white lies to appease his mentors is neither here nor there when one is searching for one's dream.

Tags: Will Smith, the American dream

"Paradise Lost" (2006)

2008-02-16T12:33:00.000Z

I've seen so many rubbishy flicks over the last few days, that I have had trouble getting myself to write anything about them. The above movie was a "make-weight" with some other DVDs purchased (I was probably misled by the cover quotes about it being the best horror film of the year - ha!); it wasn't until I got it home that I realised that this was the UK title for the American movie called "Turistas". If I'd known that up front, it never would have found its way into my player to add to the overall crappiness of my recent viewing.

The film fits broadly into the new genre labeled "torture porn" and was about tourists (in Brazil here) being waylaid and harvested for their body parts. Now I have no big objections to this genre as such; I've seen "Wolf Creek" and "Hostel" and did not find them totally irredeemable (although I have developed an absolute hatred for Eli Roth and his bigheadedness). Well, this movie was by and large just draggy and poorly acted and the gore factor was hardly high by anyone's standards-- partly because it was photographed so darkly and largely because the worst blood-letting seemed to take place off-screen. There was little new here to justify its existence -- and an incredibly long sequence with our intrepid group of nubile survivors trapped in an underwater cave seemed to go on forever. The cast were attractive but largely unknown to me; I did have hopes for lead female Melissa George who was so very good in "Waz", but she was just another theoretically expendable actor here.

I guess this disc will join the growing collection of those kept but never to be watched again, which is one step up from those which are immediately consigned to the waste bin. I must be more careful with my selections in future -- except I probably won't be!

Tags: Turistas, torture porn, Eli Roth

A Good Year (2006)

2008-02-13T06:40:00.000Z

The critics had a good shot at putting people off this movie since it was not the sort of wham-bam high-action cooperation that is normal for director Ridley Scott and favourite actor Russell Crowe, but come the day it was a fine, enjoyable, and totally likeable film. Based on the Peter Mayle novel of life in Provence, Crowe is first shown as a 'master of the universe' City type without a care for anything bar ruthless business, who learns that his uncle whom he has not seen for many years has just died and left him his estate in France, his chateau, his vineyard. Crowe had just about forgotten the idyllic summers he spent there as a child (as portrayed by the winsome Freddie Highmore) with roguish uncle Albert Finney. So Crowe takes himself off to Provence to settle the estate, sell the dump as quickly as possible, and return to his ruthless stocktrading life.

However this movie is meant to be a gentle comedy, and while one does not normally associate Crowe with comedic roles, he does in fact -- being a good actor if not necessarily a charming one -- make a good stab at it. He "meets cute" with local cafe owner Marion Cotillard in non-Piaf mode in an explosive Ridley Scott way when he accidentally runs her bike off the road while he is gabbing on his phone and she retaliates by nearly drowning him while he is stuck in a deep unused swimming pool. Things do however look up from there and we watch the attraction between them grow. The rest of the cast including his vicious City staff, the old retainers on the estate, Tom Holland as his greedy estate agent friend, and Abbie Cornish as a would-be American cousin all do their part to make this an unexpectedly pleasant watch. Don't believe the critics: this movie definitely has its moments and comes as a charming aside in the Scott-Crowe canon.

Tags: A Good Year, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe

The Baftas

2008-02-11T09:43:00.000Z

When there seemed a good chance that the Oscar ceremony this year might go the same way as the Golden Globes, there was great anticipation that this year's Bafta awards would attract the Hollywood A-list who were suffering from red carpet withdrawal syndrome. Amusingly this did not prove to be the case and the American talent that showed up for last night's awards did not appear to include many of those actually in contention; however the group did include some lesser personages who were given presenting duties for no good reason. I fail to see what Sylvester Stallone or Kate Hudson or Cuba Gooding Jr. added to this British occasion.

A few years back the British Academy moved their ceremony date forward so that it would precede the Oscars and be taken more seriously. I do watch it each year and I am usually amused by its home-grown and often amateurish approach to international glory; I don't mean this cruelly. There is enough British talent around to avoid aping Hollywood. The presenter this year was Jonathan "Woss" who is an improvement in my book on Stephen Fry who is usually so self-consciously bright and precious. So while I'm at it, let me give you some of my further "take" on the proceedings:

"Atonement" was up for the largest number of awards but only won one major one, namely best picture. Would someone please explain to me how this is different from best British picture for which it was also nominated, but didn't win.

There was a suspicious consistency to the major award winners actually being present, perhaps this explained some of the Hollywood absences -- it was almost as if the organisers ensured that the main winners would be in the audience. In the acting categories these were Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Javier Bardem, and Tilda Swinton and at least one Coen brother in the best director category.

The big surprise -- to prove that Bafta can still produce them -- was the best acting nod to Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose" over home-grown talent Keira Knightley and Julie Christie, both of whom were present. She seemed as generally flabbergasted as the rest of the audience, which was rather sweet.

Bafta made a big deal about boasting that "The Lives of Others" was up for four awards which could not happen at this year's Oscars. Maybe that's because that German film was a winner at last year's Academy Award ceremony.

Do I think that last night's awards foresage the Oscar results in just under two weeks? Not really. I would be more than surprised if "Atonement" was judged best pic, although Day-Lewis and Bardem seem a lock, and positively amazed (though not unhappy) if Cotillard duplicated her success.

One last question for you. Cate Blanchett has been nominated both here and in the U.S. for best actress as "Elizabeth" and best supporting actress for her Bob Dylan turn in "I'm not There" (neither of which she won yesterday). How can one of five or six actors who split the leading role in a biopic be considered a supporting actor. There are some weird definitions extant.

Tags: The Baftas, British film

Madhouse (1974)

2008-02-09T12:24:00.000Z

For some reason I had made a note to watch this film again, but having done so I could not begin to tell you why. Mind you it is always something of a delight to watch Vincent Price, who although he has been in movies since the late 30s and was not always associated with horror films is always never less than watchable with his velvet voice of menace, even in rather disposable movies like this one.

In it he plays a horror icon called Doctor Death who went 'round the twist after his fiancee was decapitated and spent a number of years in the loony bin of the title. On his release he agrees to appear in some television specials to help out his old friend, financially-strapped Peter Cushing, an ex-actor who turned to screenwriting for the Doctor Death series. The series is being produced by Robert Quarry a former porn director whom Price blames for his slagging off his fiancee just before her death. We quickly are shown a cloaked and gloved figure murdering other bosomy blondes and are meant to assume that Price is still well and truly gaga; it doesn't take much of a Sherlock Holmes to guess the real culprit early on. One lovely part of this movie involves showing clips from some of Price's far better movies when he co-starred with two other horror icons Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff; these serve to remind one of Price's very strange career.

A writer, a gourmet, an art collector, and a general bon vivant, Price had many more strings to his bow than just being a famous scare-monger. Yet he made a number of highly memorable movies, particularly with Roger Corman's Poe cycle. He was also an early inspiration for film-maker Tim Burton which can't be a bad thing either. So am I glad that I saw this movie a second time? Well, I must admit that it was worth it just to be charmed yet again by Price's elegance.

Tags: Madhouse, Vincent Price, horror

Zoom (2006)

2008-02-06T10:10:00.000Z

A few weeks back I watched a totally idiotic movie called 'The Adventures of Captain Zoom' or something like that about a fourth-rate actor from a cardboard sci-fi television series back in the 50s who is whisked away to a threatened planet as its potential saviour. Not a particularly original premise and certainly not a particularly clever film. So when I saw the above movie listed in the schedules I thought this had to be more of the same and if you take the IMDb's rating as a guide (3 out of 10) you could well expect this to be in the same category as "Ishtar" or "Howard the Duck", but on a smaller budget -- well, I must disagree. There are times when a bit of silliness can hit the spot.

In terms of rip-off movies, this could be perceived as another in the "X-Men" vein where child misfits are trained to develop their special abilities, although this one was really played for laughs. If one tries to ignore an over-the-top Rip Torn playing a mad army type and a fat and unfunny Chevy Chase playing his lead scientist, one is left with a bolshie yet ultimately caring Tim Allen as an over-the hill ex-superhero who has lost his powers and Courteney Cox as a klutzy psychologist trying to train only four youngsters who must save the world from the return of Allen's gone-bad older brother. Of the children, the only one I recognized was chubby Spencer Breslin as the boy who could extend his body parts to gigantic size in a wonderfully amusing way. He was joined by a bolshie teenager who could become invisible, a rather sweet high school outcast who could control objects, and a tiny little girl with the strength of a Titan. To save their being exposed to behaviour-changing drugs as Allen and his brother were many years previously, he manages to inspire them to become a fighting family with true family loyalties and indeed they do save the day. OK, this will not enter the mainstream as one of the great films but it was pleasant and amusing enough not to be consigned to the turkeys either. Yes, there are times when a dose of silliness may be just what the doctor ordered -- and I did laugh out loud more than once. So there!

Tags: Zoom, Tim Allen, silly movies

The Good Shepherd (2006)

2008-02-04T11:35:00.000Z

Is it in order for me to comment on a film that I've only seen in part? Well, yes, since this journal is posted primarily for my own benefit and since the number of readers seems to be diminishing. La de dah! At least I shall be able to look back and find out what absorbed me (or otherwise) in earlier times. Or something! The truth is that I only saw about two-thirds of this movie and had all I could do to stay awake and pay attention. Sometimes when this happens, I then go back and watch the end of the film in question, but in this instance I have no desire to do so. Instead I have read the plot outline to cover the missed portion and will try to explain why this movie shall forever remain half-seen.

I'm not the greatest fan of non-linear storytelling, although sometimes it serves a purpose. In this instance it only seemed to blur the action and to take away from any potential dramatic suspense. It's a recreation of how the Office of Strategic Services evolved into the CIA, as embodied by a fictional operative played by Matt Damon. Starting with the Bay of Pigs fiasco, it weaves forward and back to Damon's days at Yale and his recruitment into a basically WASP circle through to the unlikely denouement when the traitor within is exposed. While I am not saying that Damon was bad in his role, his character was largely such an unemotional cypher that it was difficult to feel any involvement with a man for whom 'patriotism' was all and who would sacrifice just about everything in its cause.

Directed by Robert DeNiro, who also appears in a small role, the film seems to me over-ambitious with its many sub-plots (not all resolved) and large but generally able cast, including Angelina Jolie as Damon's wife in a fairly thankless role. I seem to be running against the herd in saying that this film did not work for me; I crave intelligent cinema as much as the next guy, but I like to feel that a film has either entertained or enlightened or challenged me. This one failed on all counts.

Tags: The Good Shepherd, Matt Damon, non-linear storytelling

The Osterman Weekend (1983)

2008-02-02T12:10:00.000Z

Sam Peckinpah directed some of the most violent yet most elegiac movies of the 60s and 70s if one accepts that these two adjectives are not a contradiction of terms. He will be long remembered for films like "The Wild Bunch", "Straw Dogs", "The Getaway", "Ride the High Country", and my own favourite amongst his gentler movies "The Ballad of Cable Hogue". One understands that he was a notorious drinker and all-round troublemaker and after the relative flop of "Convoy" back in 1978, he made no movies for five years until this, his last one. Unfortunately he was unable to end his career on a high note and he died a year later.

I've seen 'Osterman' before, but thought it was worth another go out of my respect for Peckinpah's earlier movies; while it had a few moments, it was still something of an incomprehensible mess. Based on a convoluted novel from author Robert Ludlum, we have CIA operative John Hurt, whose wife we have seen murdered in the opening scenes, approaching well-know TV interviewer Rutger Hauer to help him expose three of Hauer's best buddies who he claims are Russian spies; these friends are played by Craig T. Nelson, Dennis Hopper, and Chris Sarandon. Since the four always meet for an annual weekend together, Hurt convinces Hauer to let him establish surveillance. As it turns out after a ridiculous amount of violence and death, the whole charade was an attempt by Hurt to gain revenge on CIA bigwig Burt Lancaster, whom he blames for his wife's murder. It's all horribly unsatisfying and one can only hope that the original book was easier to understand. I really wished old Sam could have faded away with a superior return to directing.

Tags: The Osterman Weekend, Sam Peckinpah, CIA

Juno (2007)

2008-01-31T10:51:00.000Z

This relatively small movie has turned out to be the American sleeper hit of the winter and has even more amazingly been nominated for four Oscars: best film, best director, best actress, and best original screenplay. Let me tell you immediately that it is unlikely to win best film despite being a totally entertaining movie and I am a little dubious of awarding an Oscar to a young director for only his second film (Jason Reitman, son of Ghostbuster). However the acting nod to barely known 20-year old Ellen Page and to screenwriter Diablo Cody for her first script are probably well-warranted, since both are remarkable.

Page plays a 16-year old high school junior who finds herself pregnant after some good-natured exploratory sex with her "best friend" Michael Cera -- two outsider nerds that are painted as real people. She can't face the thought of an abortion when a picketing teenager points out that the foetus 'has fingernails' and finds a local couple from a free-listing paper who are eager to adopt. The couple are played by an ever-so-needy Jennifer Garner and her would-be rocker husband Jason Bateman, who we discover have their own reality problems. There are also two wonderful turns from J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as Juno's dad and supportive stepmother. All of the characters are so engaging in their own ways and Page's Juno in particular so rounded that one watches yet another movie about teenaged pregnancy with complete absorption.

Much of this is due to the very sharp screenplay from erstwhile lapdancer and improbably-named Diablo Cody, but her real name Brook Busey seems equally unlikely. She is either a major new talent or someone who has struck lucky without even trying, but her dialogue sparkles with wit and intelligence. In the end not much has changed, but we have come to know and in Juno's case love some very ordinary yet remarkable folk.

Tags: Juno, sleeper hit, Ellen Page, Diablo Cody

Bobby (2006)

2008-01-29T12:06:00.000Z

I knew that this film covering the hours leading to Bobby Kennedy's assassination on the California Primary Day in 1968 has long been a dream project for actor-director Emilio Estevez, but I wasn't expecting too much considering some of his earlier dire directing efforts. I must admit that I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Working with an ensemble of some twenty-odd lead actors, most of whom were more than familiar faces, he creates a series of interlocking stories amongst the staff and guests at the Ambassador Hotel which served as Kennedy's campaign headquarters. While some of these tales are more gripping than others, they all contribute to the hustle and bustle of the day. The movie is not quite on the level of a Robert Altman ensemble flick, but it's a damn good try. Some of the actors who gave surprisingly better performances than I would have expected were Demi Moore as an addicted diva, Sharon Stone as the hotel's hairdresser, Ashton Kutcher as a hippy drug dealer, and Freddy Rodriguez as one of the Mexican kitchen staff (his performance alone was, I thought, worth the price of admission). It was also lovely to see a very elderly Harry Belafonte back on the screen as he visited with old friend and ex-hotel manager Anthony Hopkins.

Estevez made the wise decision of only using stock newsreel footage to show the charismatic Kennedy, but he also made excellent use of his voice; the audio of his outlining his hopes for the future over the shocked reactions to the shooting made for a very moving and effective finale. I must confess that I was never aware that Kennedy was not the only victim that evening and that some of the characters that we had come to know were also unwary targets. By and large, I think Estevez can feel proud that he was able to fulfill his dream so effectively.

Tags: Bobby, Emilio Estevez, ensemble casts

The Corn is Green (1945)

2008-01-27T12:03:00.000Z

This somewhat stagey film version of the Emlyn Williams play is still something of a master-class of screen acting. When the movie was about to be made, the studio would not accept the middle-aged and renowned actress who originated the role and insisted on casting Bette Davis who at only 37 had to be made up as older and less attractive. However you can "dowdy-up" Davis as much as you like, but her acting chops shine through and make her beautiful.

It's the story of a spinster schoolteacher who comes to a local Welsh mining village to bring some sort of education to those whose chances had been somewhat limited previously, including some of the town's oldies and many of the young and rowdy miners. Amongst these Davis finds one potentially brilliant student, played by John Dall in his first screen role, and tutors him and encourages him to try for a scholarship to Oxford -- where the "toffs" go. The whole village becomes intoxicated by his chances for success, as something that will bring some achievement to all of them. The one person who couldn't care less is played by Joan Lorring as the sluttish housemaid who willfully seduces Dall during one of his periods of doubt, gets pregnant, and blackmails Davis to keep the secret from her prize pupil.

Oddly enough both Dall and Lorring received Oscar nods for best supporting actor and actress, though neither won and neither made much further impact in films, although Dall was pretty believable in "Rope" soon after. No fuss was made of Davis' great acting skills, and she is more than ably supported by Nigel Bruce as the not-too-bright town squire and a very young Mildred Dunnock as a teaching assistant. Katharine Hepburn reprised the role for a TV version of the play in 1979 and that's not too shabby a display of charismatic acting either.

Something else that makes this movie memorable to me is its terrific use of classic Welsh folk songs as they underline the life of the village.

Tags: The Corn is Green, Betty Davis, forgotten actors

Simpatico (1999)

2008-01-25T06:41:00.000Z

Some movies disappear off the face of the earth but not always deservedly so. The late night BBC screening a few days ago was the first reappearance of this movie, which with its high-powered cast -- Jeff Bridges, Nick Nolte, Sharon Stone, Albert Finney, and Catherine Keener -- and source from a Sam Sheperd play might have promised so much more. While all five actors have their moments, at times they seem to be acting in different films, and only Finney and Keener really impress.

It doesn't help that the story is confusing and that the backstory is told to us in dribs and drabs. It seems that when Bridges, Nolte and Stone were teenagers (and they are embodied in three younger actors who just could never have grown up to be those three) they embraced a horse-racing scam and made some quick money which changed their lives, but not necessarily for the better. To get away with the scam, having failed to bribe racing commissioner Finney with an insufficient monetary sop, they used the young Stone to compromise him sexually with some pretty pornographic photos. Years on Finney has resurfaced under a pseudonym, Bridges is a successful breeder with an unsuccessful marriage to Stone (who was Nolte's squeeze), and Nolte is pretty much a disheveled down-and-out involved in a non-sexual relationship with Keener. He still hangs on to the incriminating negatives and dreams of revenge. However how the three main characters finally end up seems both strange and unbelievable and their motives are in so many ways beyond the viewer's comprehension, as are Finney's, who refuses to be intimidated by past indiscretions. I still think that Bridges is a fine and underrated actor, but his was an impossible role to understand in this shiny but finally muddled mess.

Tags: Simpatico, Jeff Bridges, racing scam

The Front (1974)

2008-01-23T10:15:00.000Z

I have occasionally thought about this movie in the many years since I first watched it and thought I should give it another go. And I'm pleased that I did. It's an early Woody Allen role but not in a film written or directed by him. He plays a pretty unsuccessful nerd working as a restaurant cashier and part-time bookie, when old school friend and successful TV writer Michael Murphy visits and tells him that he has been blacklisted. The film takes place in the early 1950s at the time of the McCarthy communist witch-hunts and the movie starts with a breezy montage set to a Sinatra tune of images from the period only marginally suggesting the paranoia of the time.

Murphy asks Allen to "front" for him, i.e. he'll continue writing his scripts, but Allen will pretend to be their author for a percentage of the proceeds. This works so well that Allen is soon fronting for another two talented but blacklisted writers and is beginning to enjoy the rewards of cash and prestige. It is only when he himself becomes the focus of the Un-American committee tribunal that he understands the freedoms that are indeed at stake and finally becomes a "mensch". This movie seems to divide critics down the middle between those that feel that it is a brilliant recreation of a troubled time in America and those who think that it just isn't funny enough. It does have its humourous moments, but in no way should anyone expect a flat-out comedy, despite Allen assuming his typical smartass persona.

The director (Martin Ritt), the screenwriter (Walter Bernstein, who was Oscar-nominated for the screenplay), and at least four of the actors were themselves victims of the blacklist and unable to work for many years. The actors include Zero Mostel who is one of the main leads, playing a much-loved television comedian who finds himself shunned for past deeds that he doesn't even remember. His is a showy role and the devastating effects of the blacklist on his normally ebullient personality are another reason why this movie is more tragedy than comedy. The only uplifting factor is the thought that so many of the talents involved were able to make this film some twenty years after the events depicted.

Tags: The Front, Woody Allen, The Blacklist

The Broadway Melody (1929)

2008-01-20T12:09:00.000Z

Although I have seen the Broadway Melody movies tagged 1936, 1938, and 1940, I had never seen this progenitor, so it was with some excitement that I put in the shiny disc. Now I can not try to persuade you for a minute that this is a particularly good film, but it is of such historic importance that it made my day. It is probably the first feature-length all-talkie movie to be given broad distribution and therefore the first all-talkie experience for most viewers of the day. Things have, of course, looked up since then. It's the trite show-biz tale of two sisters who come to the Great White Way from the boondocks, how they try to make their mark on Broadway, and the love story between the older sister's so-called fiance and his attraction to her younger sister. Despite no major names in the cast, this was still an exuberant experience because of the catchy musical score and the rather super art-deco sets.

The three leads were Charles King, a vaudeville performer who made very few film appearances (just as well since he is not much of an actor), Anita Page as the younger sister who had a few early 30s roles but whose career more or less finished mid-decade, and Bessie Love who had been in movies since 1915, appearing in such silent classics as "Intolerance" and "The Lost World", but who moved to London in the mid-30s and only took cameo parts subsequently. Both she and Page bring an honest energy to their roles and probably both deserved more exciting subsequent careers.

The continuing treat was with the extras on this American disc. These included five short films of musical revues which featured a wealth of mainly non-talent, apart from a black singer who could have competed with Paul Robeson. However pride of place goes to a fairly long short titled "The Dogway Melody" which played out a similar story to the main film with all of the roles taken by dogs!!! Now I know that it is now considered horribly incorrect to have dogs prancing around on their hind legs and dressed in human finery, but this feature was done with such affection -- including a black dog imitating Al Jolson -- that I could only sit back and smile at the conceit.

Tags: Broadway Melody, Bessie Love, performing dogs

L'Poche d'Argent (1976)

2008-01-18T10:17:00.000Z

This French film from director Francois Truffaut is also known as "Pocket Money" and "Small Change" and is an affectionate look at a group of schoolboys (and one or two memorable girls) in a small provincial town. Truffaut has always demonstrated an interest and an insight into childhood and the stories we follow in this episodic movie are all warmly told, even that of the outcast young thief whose sorry home life is eventually revealed. This is a film of great humour and insight with a number of very cute actors not acting "Hollywood cute", as we see them interact with their teachers, their friends, their parents, and their neighbours -- all of whom are richly drawn. There is one absolutely look-away-from the-screen moment when an infant is seen playing about on an unprotected ninth floor balcony, but Truffault wants us to understand the joys of childhood, not its tragedies, and this is not allowed to detract from the film's gentle and happy approach.

Tags: Truffault, childhood

Let's Go to Prison (2006)

2008-01-16T09:49:00.000Z

There are bad movies and bad movies. Some smell bad because of poor scripting or embarrassing acting or inept direction (or all three); others just start with such an idiotic concept that they can not help but fail. The above film (one of Sky's offerings this week) definitely falls into that category.

A small-time three-time loser (Dax Sheperd) comes out of prison and wants to take revenge on the judge who sent him away each time. When he finds that the guy is dead, he decides to exact punishment on the judge's son (Will Arnett) who's a pretty nasty bundle of self-importance anyhow. Shepard frames him on a disturbing-the-peace charge which is not properly defended by Arnett's lawyers who want to get him out of the way in their money-making foundation. Shepard then allows himself to become a four-time loser (I always thought that meant jail forever in America) so that he can bunk with Arnett and make his life a misery. Incidentally, this is meant to be a comedy! No, I do not know either of these actors either nor the director, Bob Odenkirk, who I believe is also an actor. The only cast names that rang any bells were Dylan Baker as the corrupt prison warden and Chi McBride as the big fat black who decides to make Arnett his girlfriend (actually the only well-conceived performance in this sorry shooting match). Shepard's character has the syllable "shit" as part of his surname; I doubt this was unintentional.

I also watched "Flushed Away" (2006) another of this week's offerings. While this is far from a bad movie, it is not particularly good either, despite its high-powered voice cast. The first computer-generated animation from Ardman, it is something of a misfire and lacks the charm of other works from that stable. I believe its failure was the main cause of that small British studio's link with Dreamworks being dissolved. Perhaps they can now return to the sort of movie that they do best without trying for pathetic international jokes.

Tags: bad movies, so-called comedies, Ardman

Hungarian Goulash

2008-01-14T09:59:00.000Z

As it turned out, yesterday was Hungary Day as far as my viewing went -- but I had lobster, not goulash for dinner. First I watched "Fateless", a 2003 holocaust movie following the trials and tribulations of a Budapest teenager when he is picked up and sent to various concentration camps. At well over two hours this was resolutely depressing, although very well made in black and white with a Morricone score. The lad only barely survived and was loaded on a cart ready for the crematorium when the camp was liberated; the Yank soldier with whom he interacted and who urged him not to return to Hungary turned out to be Daniel Craig (something of a shock that). But go back he does to discover what has become of his family. Oddly enough there was little bitterness in his memory as he recalled the small things that made his stay in the camps tolerable. This would definitely fall into the category of a "worthy" film, i.e. not one to be watched in terms of escape or entertainment.

In the evening we decided to watch "Satantango" (1994) by Hungarian director Bela Tarr which I bought Michael a Christmas or two ago, since he really liked Tarr's "Werckmeister Harmonies" (2000) which was a hard slog as far as I was concerned. Since "Satantango" runs seven hours (!), we only saw the first disc of three for just over the two hour mark. This movie may be considered Tarr's masterpiece and a film to be raved about, but several hours of watching black and white footage -- much of it more or less static -- of cows in a field or the back view of a drunken doctor walking to and from a shop was not an easy experience. As far as I can tell this film tells the interweaving stories of some inhabitants of a dead-end country village back in the 1980s. The American "intellectual" Susan Sontag claims that this is the greatest movie ever made and says she makes a point of watching it at least once a year; I suspect this is just another case of a so called great thinker being pretentious. And just think, there are still two discs to plough through. Super!

Tags: Hungarian, Fateless, Bela Tarr, Satantango

Grindhouse

2008-01-12T11:39:00.000Z

If I lived in the USA, I am sure that I would have gone to see the above Tarantino-Rodriguez project in the cinema, especially if I had known that its relative lack of success in that market would have resulted in the two main films being presented separately in the rest of the world. And while one would have hoped that the two parts might be reunited with their linking cod trailers for the film's DVD release, this now seems very unlikely, especially since both parts -- but especially the Tarantino one -- have been padded out for their international releases. Did these two movie buffs not need reminding that so-called grindhouse features seldom ran more than a scant 90 minutes (if that) and would not have pushed the two hour mark.

As a second-best offering for those of us who could not see the original presentation (which is remarkably well-rated for a film which theoretically no one went to see and which is better-rated than the two individual movies on their own), the Prince Charles cinema has been showing "Death Proof" and "Planet Terror" back to back to partially recreate the experience. I am well pleased that I was able to see both movies, but would stoutly disagree with anyone who claimed that the former, Tarantino's baby, which had the wider release and marketing push was the better movie. "Death Proof" is definitely a movie of two halves with a barely-known cast, apart from Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike who gets his jollies by killing babes on the road. The build-up to his first road chase seems to go on forever, proof of the unnecessary puffing out of this tale for its individual release. The second half is also pretty slow but in a way more interesting if only for its movie buff references and the casting of Zoe Bell (Uma Thurman's stunt double from the Kill Bill movies) as one of the second posse of gals in cars who manage to outgun Stuntman Mike.

Rodriguez' "Planet Terror" has a rather better cast and is much better fun, especially for fans of bad sci-fi and heavy gore. One is put in the mood by the phony trailer for 'Machete' before the feature starts with icon Danny Trejo as a ruthless killer. The main film complete with its jokey missing reel tells of the fight for survival between a few well-armed Texans (or in Rose McGowan's case 'well-legged' since Freddy Rodriguez -- again -- fits her stump with a machine gun) and a growing bunch of mutant zombies. Despite striving for the grindhouse look of scratched negatives and dubious colour, the film is well-made despite itself and stands up as an over-the-top but very entertaining feature.

One final criticism: as a progenitor of the project, the director of one movie, and the producer of both, Tarantino manages to take on an acting role in both flicks and as we all know by now, the dude just can't act. Sheer vanity say I.

Tags: Grindhouse, Tarantino, Rodriguez

Sky Movies

2008-01-10T11:03:00.000Z

When Sky Movies made some major changes to their film channels about a year ago, I had a little moan. The main alteration was to promise five new movies per week on the so-called Premiere Channel, with virtually no premieres whatsoever on the remaining eleven channels; there are a few exceptions on the so-called Indie Channel, but nothing notable. At least they are now moving the timings about each week which results in some choice during the peak viewing hours and saves having to set the films being screened at unsocial hours.

The choice this week is a fairly typical one, consisting of one crummy animation which I shall skip (one of the innumerable Scooby Doo spin-offs), one film that I have seen previously (the pretty watchable "Night at the Museum"), and three movies new to me. One of these was a welcome surprise -- "Stranger than Fiction" which I have discussed below. The other two were watched on principle but with no great expectations. The first of these called "Grounded" here is actually called "Unaccompanied Minors" (2006) in the States and has an incredibly low IMDb rating. I knew about it vaguely: a no-name cast deals with the problem of unaccompanied children when an airport is forced by snow to shut down on Christmas eve. It started off as a nightmare of unruly children misbehaving abysmally and I thought that I might have to give up. However it soon focused on five very different kids who find themselves bonding during the night's adventures; perhaps I am getting soft in the head, but I thought it had an acceptable sweet core and that it was nearly a "feel good" picture. Mind you, it is absolutely typical of Sky that they should premiere a Christmas movie some three weeks late.

The other film new this week is "Harsh Times" (2006) which has a much, much higher IMDb rating but which is something of a hard watch. We all know by now that Christian Bale is a most versatile actor who will undertake any challenging role, and since he was one of the producers here, he must have willingly accepted the part of a totally amoral, damaged, sociopathic ex-soldier. This was a character that one could only hate and one knew from the start that there would be tears before bedtime. The other main roles were taken by the hispanic undertaker from 'Six Foot Under' (Freddy Rodriguez) and the hispanic housewife from 'Despearate Whatsits' (Eva Longoria), playing a married couple with definite commitment problems. If you get your jollies by watching out-of-control people robbing and killing, you might warm to this movie. Otherwise you can only sit back and admire the acting skills and then move on to something rather more appealing.

Tags: Sky Movies, ratings, Harsh Times, Christian Bale

Stranger than Fiction (2006)

2008-01-08T12:15:00.000Z

Thank goodness that my incessant film-viewing does bring the occasional very pleasant surprise. I didn't know much about this one and despite the fact that Emma Thompson is usually terrific, the rest of the cast made me have some doubts. Will Ferrell has been little less than annoying in his recent "comic" performances and Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah so often go over the top; even kooky Maggie Gyllenhaal can rapidly reach satiation point in her choice of the roles. So when I tell you that all of the above were wonderful, I'm really saying something.

For once Ferrell is able to demonstrate his acting skills as the poor dweeb who suddenly starts hearing an author's voice in his head and discovers that he is but a character in her next novel and that his death is imminent. The author in question is Thompson who has a severe case of writer's block and Latifah is her assistant sent by her publisher to chivy her along. Hoffman (in a thankfully restrained performance) plays a literary expert to whom Ferrell turns for help and Gyllenhaal is a creative baker whom Ferrell (as an IRS inspector) has to audit and to whom he becomes strangely attracted. At the same time that Ferrell starts to investigate the intrusive voice, he also begins to break out of the meaningless rut that his life has been. This first-time screenplay by Zach Helm (he has gone on to write and direct the new release "Mr. Magorium...") was very reminiscent of the clever scripts by Charlie Kaufman and made watching this movie both a literate and amusing experience. Surprises like this are always very welcome. More please!

Ping please...

Tags: Stranger than Fiction, Emma Thompson, Will Ferrell, ping, Dustin Hoffman

St. Trinian's (2007)

2008-01-06T14:54:00.000Z

Much against my better judgment, we went to see this new release at the cinema. Granted we had some free passes, but I probably should have followed my gut instinct and used these for something more worthwhile. Saying that I hated the movie is far too extreme; I just thought it was a complete waste of time -- a film without any sense of fun or glee. I admit that I shall always cherish Alastair Sim in the dual role of the headmistress and her somewhat shady brother and am quite prepared to admit that I might not even like the original film were I to see it now for the first time. However the the original movie, despite the diminishing returns of its sequels, had a certain charm and dare I say innocence which are sorely lacking from this updating.

Rupert Everett makes a bold go at the Sim role and nearly pulls it off, but Colin Firth in the role of the man from the Education Ministry only manages to embarrass himself, and man of the moment Russell Brand was nothing short of cringe-making in the Flash Harry role. Believe me, not every film needs to be "re-imagined", especially if they were not particularly great movies the first time around. As for all the schoolgirl totty on display -- possibly the only excuse for any modern-day success -- none of the many actresses were particularly notable for anything other than their looks -- and poor old Jodie Whittaker who made a big impact in "Venus" was particularly bad.

However if you would like a completely different take on this movie, read the users' comments on IMDB which are by and large rapturous. I never claimed to be at ease with popular taste and in this case I would appear to be the odd man out with a vengeance.

Tags: St. Trinian's, Alastair Sim, Rupert Everett

Anything Else (2003)

2008-01-04T11:37:00.000Z

I've been going on occasionally about the critical disrespect targeted at Woody Allen over the past decade or so and how so many of his more recent movies not only do not get a UK cinema release but don't even get a DVD release -- what I refer to as "falling between the cracks". Now most of his fans are pretty forgiving and I have in fact enjoyed his latter-day movies when I eventually catch up with them, but frankly, this one was terrible. In his guide, Leonard Maltin describes it as Woody's worst ever; however I would reserve that nadir for his "Hollywood Ending" (2002) which I saw on an airplane and which has never surfaced here.

So what is the problem here? As in several of his more recent movies, he uses a Woody Allen clone since as people never tire of pointing out, he is far too old to play the young lover. His choice here is Jason Biggs, best known for the "American Pie" series and hardly a charismatic choice, especially with old Woody in a supporting role. In fact, all of the casting is dislikeable. Whereas Woody normally opts for a starry cast (and actors line up to appear in his films), the only other "names" here are Christina Ricci, Danny DeVito, and Stockard Channing, and I can't decide which of them presents the most annoying character -- they're all pretty horrible. It's purportedly the doomed love story between gag-writer Biggs and Ricci, with her playing a neurotic would-be actress who withholds her sexual favours from Biggs, but who spreads them about elsewhere. DeVito is Biggs' useless manager who the Woody character pleads with him to drop and Stockard is Ricci's scatty mum who moves in with the couple.

Can I say anything positive? Well, Woody himself although playing a neurotic mess did come up with the occasional zinger and as always his choice of music was superb. That apart, it wasn't even a noble failure.

Where's the link???

Tags: Anything Else, Woody Allen, Jason Biggs, missing link

Threequels

2008-01-02T10:55:00.000Z

As a generalisation I do not go to the cinema to see sequels, the big exception being for Harry Potter movies (for my sins). Last summer was described as the year of the movie 'threequel' with new entries from some of previous years' biggest hits. Contrary to popular belief this was not the failure (except of course creatively) that was expected, with nearly all of them doing good business to offset their escalating costs. Thinking back, I did actually like the first entries of nearly all of these movies, finding them painless eye candy. I even, if the truth be told, liked the second entries. (Mind you, I'm not that certain about the Jason Bourne series which some people think the most successful of these.) So I decided to celebrate the new year by viewing two of the biggest grossers, "Shrek the Third" and "Pirates of the Caribbean at World's End".

I shall not sit here and try to convince you that either of these films represent great cinema, but there is not a lot wrong with either of them as plain entertainment. It is obvious that the charm of a new concept like Shrek's revisionist take on fairytales or Depp's camp interpretation of pirate captains can not continue to enchant in the same way, but that's not going to stop their moviemakers from trying. While Shrek's ogreish charm may be wearing a bit thin and while the film now seems to try harder to appeal to adults than to kids, there still is enough going to make most of its 90ish minutes easy viewing. And while on one level I hope that we have now seen the last of these characters, it would not surprise me to discover a fourth film or a spin-off movie, and I might even end up enjoying that one too.

As for the Pirates series, part three was the longest yet and definitely overstuffed in the attempt to mask the sheer incomprehensibility of the plot. Depp continues to amuse, even if the cameo from his role model Keith Richards proved something of a non-event. The rest of the cast also seems to be having fun, although I still fail to react to the would-be charms of Orlando Bloom. For me the big attraction was a role for Chow Yun Fat, the coolest man in the world and in his own way the biggest movie star, when one admits that movie fandom does not end outside the borders of the U.S. As always he was wonderful, although killed off far too soon for me. While I sincerely hope that this entry is indeed the last, I did feel that things were left for more to come. God help us!

Missing link...

Tags: Threequels, Shrek, Pirates, link gone

My Viewing Diary - Not

2007-12-31T11:49:00.000Z

I had planned to give you details of my viewing in the week or so since I last wrote, but evaluating the 24 (yes, that's right: 24) films I saw during this period, there is not a lot to inspire me to do so. These were made up as follows:

5 films that I've seen before including one good seasonal television movie "Christmas Eve" (1986) -- a late return to the screen for Loretta Young and a nice weepy conclusion. Of the others only "Sin City" (2005) kept me enthralled on its second viewing; I still find it a tour de force and a visual feast, despite what all the nasty critics think.

5 other television movies all equally forgetable and only watched "because they were there".

3 animated features new to me: the rotoscoped "A Scanner Darkly" (not my bag) plus "Hoodwinked" and Pixar's "Cars". Of these it is no surprise that I preferred the last, although not as satisfactory a movie as other Pixar efforts.

4 foreign movies including one horrendously-dubbed Jess Franco abortion (of which the less said the better). Of the others, "Joyeux Noel" (2005) didn't quite meet expectations despite its very moving middle section (too long and too much padding on either side), "The Score 2" (1999) a follow-up to the first Japanese heist movie with the same cast and suitably violent (just about everyone died brutally), and "Taxi 3" from Luc Besson's French franchise which was definitely a case of diminishing returns.

6 recentish movies including "Babel" (2006) -- interesting, but not the masterpiece that it thinks it is, "Ice Princess" (2005) -- far more entertaining than it had cause to be and an unexpected supporting role for 'Save the Cheerleader' for you "Heroes" buffs, and "The History Boys" (2006) which started slowly but evolved into a totally satisfactory experience -- well-acted and ultimately emotional. The other three have already descended into the "why did I waste my time" category.

That leaves one golden oldie which I had not viewed previously, "My Dear Secretary" from 1948, a would-be screwball comedy which was absolutely and totally charmless. The early Kirk Douglas just couldn't play comedy and the latter one only just managed an acceptable tongue-in-cheek.

So that's it for another year. With best wishes to all for a wonderful 2008...

Tags: Viewing Diary, 24 Movies, Happy New Year

Two very, very odd movies

2007-12-23T21:57:00.000Z

A recent article in "Sight and Sound" asked 75 film critics from around the world to nominate films which time has forgotten, hidden gems by and large unknown. "The Mad Fox" (1962) was one of these and when I noticed that the BFI's season dedicated to Japanese director Tomu Uchida included this movie, I was there -- but ever so disappointed. Perhaps the fable of a fortune-teller driven mad by murder marrying his dead lover's ringer who is actually a fox in human form was just too esoterically presented with its Kabuki wailing to register with my Western sensibilities or perhaps it was just too late in the day to accept the strange artifice on view. It reminded me of the similar "Princess Raccoon" but without that movie's charm or visual beauty.

A rather more successful National Film Theatre outing was to see "The Saragossa Manuscript" (1965), a film which has been on my "must see" list for years, and I am delighted that I now have done so. It is an adaptation of part of a massive Polish novel by Count Jan Potocki which was published in 1813 and is nearly beyond description. A young Belgian captain in 17th Century Spain wanders through a dreamlike barren landscape and stumbles upon a manuscript at a deserted inn which tells of the exploits of an ancestor. We begin to relive these through the various characters he encounters, but the movie is a series of Chinese boxes as each character begins to tell his tale leading to the characters introduced each wanting to tell their own tales. And so it rambles on and on until we eventually come back to what may or may not be current reality. On the way we mix with enchanting Muslim ladies, gaga aristos, rotting hanging corpses, mystics, and cabalists. Filmed in magnificent wide-screen black and white with a memorable Penderecki score, I felt as if I had been on some sort of magical drug trip without resorting to foreign substances. I don't normally choose to see films which are over three hours long -- and on one level I wonder why any film needs to be so extended -- but this one was a wondrous ride.

I'll be back some time before the New Year. In the meantime, have a happy holiday.. Disappeared...again

Tags: The Mad Fox, The Saragossa Manuscript, film oddities, where's the link?

Movies on TV This Christmas

2007-12-21T10:47:00.000Z

As in previous years, I offer my advice (for what it's worth) on the films showing on the box this holiday season. Of the literally hundreds of movies being screened, it is something of a washout from my point of view, since there are all of five premieres on terrestrial TV that I have not seen. Actually I shall watch all of these since I have high hopes for at least four of them, starting with "Merry Christmas/Joyeux Noel" tomorrow afternoon. I have heard some good things about this 'time out of war' film. The other possibilities are "The Ice Princess" (probably blah) and "The History Boys" on the 28th, "Anything Else" -- another ignored Woody Allen movie -- on 2 January, and "Strings", a promising puppet film, on the morning of 4 January.

The satellite selection is not much better since I have already seen all of Sky's "big" offerings and am left with a total of seven movies that I've not viewed previously over the period. Since two of these are animated and one is in rotoscope (a process I just can not warm to), that leaves pretty much "A Big Nothing" (one of the possible titles). What I am actually looking forward to most of all is an offering from German satellite, "Der Rosenkavalier" -- a silent opera from 1926. The thought of silent opera really grabs me!

Assuming that the rest of you are not quite so demented about movies as I am, I would recommend the following as the best terrestrial premieres over the period -- assuming you've not already seen them or have no desire to do so. I would start with "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" late evening tomorrow, something of an offbeat romp. Good family viewing on Christmas Eve afternoon on BBCl can be found with "Ella Enchanted" and "Lemony Snicket's..." For proper adult viewing, don't miss the Korean shocker "Oldboy" on Channel 4 late evening on the 24th. Back to recommended family viewing on Christmas Day on BBCl again with the double-bill of "Finding Nemo" and "Shrek 2". The Russian fantasy "Nightwatch" which I saw a few years back is on Channel 4 late on the 27th. A change of pace is on offer on BBC2 late on the 29th, with the Brazilian revenge drama "The Three Marias". A number of the Japanese animations are on over the period, but the best is "Princess Mononoke", again on 4, on the afternoon of the 3lst. Finally, I truly enjoyed "Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp as J.M. Barrie, showing on BBC2 on New Year's Day.

I feel duty-bound to warn you that there is some real dross amongst the other premiere showings. I'm thinking here of embarrassing offerings like "Garfield" and "The Cat in the Hat". Avoid!

I'll probably post at least once more before Christmas since I have National Film Theatre tickets for a couple of real oddities tonight and tomorrow night, but in the meantime may I wish you all a joyful holiday.

Tags: Christmas films, recommendations, silent opera

The Page Turner (2006)

2007-12-19T13:38:00.000Z

This slow but chilling French drama from director Denis Dercourt reminded me of the accomplished psychological films of Chabrol and the developing air of menace was nearly tangible. The story starts with a 10-year old butcher's daughter who is preparing for her first piano examination. She has incipient talent but the thoughtless behaviour of one of the judges -- a famed pianist who sign's an autograph for a fan during the girl's performance -- puts her off her stride, and she fails. She goes home and locks the piano, never to play again, but a grudge is slowly burning.

Flash forward some 10 years and the girl Natalie is now sedate but sexy Deborah Francois. She takes an internship at a law firm and inveigles herself into the senior partner's home as a temporary nanny; his wife, as we must assume Natalie already knew, is the same famous pianist, but one who is having a crisis of confidence after a serious car accident. Natalie ingratiates herself into the household looking after their piano-prodigy son and helping his mother, played by Catherine Frot, prepare for an important forthcoming concert by acting as her page turner. After the concert's success, Frot becomes more and more dependent upon her and is also oddly attracted to her, when Natalie makes minor advances. However the girl's lust for revenge continues to grow and does not manifest itself in the expected ways; she does not, for example, kill the boy's pet hen, when the audience is led to think that she might. Instead, the net result of her deeds is to lead to the destruction of Frot's career and marriage and to possibly ruin the musical future of the young boy as well. None of this is actually spelled out, but we have seen enough to know that her revenge will be devastatingly complete.

Tags: Page Turner, revenge

The Holiday (2006)

2007-12-17T10:55:00.000Z

This romantic comedy is so inoffensively pleasant that it is an easy watch despite any skepticism that the viewer may bring to the table. Two ladies disappointed in love -- Cameron Diaz, a successful movie trailer exec in L.A., and Kate Winslet, a successful newspaper writer in London -- decide to exchange homes for the Christmas holiday period, hoping that a change of scenery will be the cure for their male-induced blues. So Diaz ends up in a simple countrified cottage (as Yanks probably assume we all reside in) and Winslet ends up in a high-tech mansion (as of course we believe all Americans possess!) where each in turn finds a new love. Diaz's is in the handsome form of Jude Law, playing rather less egocentrically than in some of his other roles, and Winslet's in the unlikely chubby and droll form of Jack Black. Rather more time is devoted to the Diaz-Law duo and their chemistry is believably good, even if their roles are not much of a stretch for either of them. The growing attraction between Winslet and Black gets less screen time and in fact seems less likely, especially since he has a ditsy girlfriend still in the picture, but both characters are extremely likeable.

The most interesting part of the story is the relationship between Winslet and her new elderly neighbour, Eli Wallach, playing a famous screenwriter of yore, full of tales of Hollywood's golden years. She encourages him to accept an invitation to a tribute evening which he just could not face without her help. This part of the movie was very touching and I must confess that the film was generally well-written and the various characters well-rounded. It still remains something of a chick-flick, but it is none the worse for that and I was surprised to react as positively as I did. Not all movies are great cinema, but some are pretty good entertainment.

Tags: The Holiday, chick-flicks

Pretty Poison (1968)

2007-12-15T14:51:00.000Z

What makes a cult movie? Certainly not just being well-liked or popular, but being less well-known than it deserves to be and being cherishable for probably all the wrong reasons. This little gem did virtually no business on its minimal release way back when, garnered a smallish following on the box, and only recently has come to DVD. It's a sharp little tale of fanciful thinking and mayhem and offers perfect roles for its two leads, Tuesday Weld at 25 playing a 17-year old high school senior and Anthony Perkins at 36 -- but looking far, far younger -- playing a young, disturbed man of indeterminate age. Some eight years after "Psycho", Perkins is back in the role of 'The Nutter' which will haunt him for the rest of his career.

Having recently been released from an institution where he has been for many years after an arson attack as a teenager, he takes work in the small Massachusetts town where lissome Weld catches his eye. Being something of a fantasist, he suggests to her that he is really an undercover CIA agent and she willingly joins him in his fantasy life. When he is dismissed from his job at the local lumber mill, he turns to sabotage with her assistance, during which she blithely kills the night watchman and lifts his gun. She promptly uses it to rid herself of her overbearing mother and assumes that Perkins will arrange the cover-up and will whirl her away into a realm of excitement. Instead, he is left facing the blame on his own, while Miss Innocence looks for her next bit of male escape. Perkins may be not quite the model citizen, but she is in fact the incipient psychopath. It's all rather grippingly done and amongst both actors' best roles. There was a time when I thought the young Perkins was charismatically gorgeous -- if not quite in the Tyrone Power class -- but I now realise that what I thought to be male beauty was really rather callow youth. Oh well, some of us grow up eventually, but I still do reckon this film.

Tags: Pretty Poison, Anthony Perkins, Tuesday Weld, cult movies

Two very recent flicks

2007-12-13T10:49:00.000Z

As luck would have it, I've viewed two very new releases within the past few days -- "Enchanted" and "The Golden Compass", however, it is a 'no contest' to tell you which I preferred.

"Enchanted" as the name would have it is a totally enchanting movie from Disney which draws on the Disney heritage, but with a post-modern spin. Our cartoon heroine from the old-fashioned, hand-drawn opening section is banished by wicked stepmother Susan Sarandon and finds herself adrift in New York City; as embodied by Amy Adams in a totally inappropriate bouffy dress, her naive and childish approach to life does not prepare her for the real world -- but cope she does, and brilliantly. This is not just or not even a story for kiddies, but a hip take on fairy tale conventions which should please even the sourest of adults with its clever updatings. Here she meets cynical lawyer Patrick Dempsey who ultimately finds her as irresistible as the rest of us, while her fairy-tale prince, handsome but extremely dim James Marsen, has followed her to this alternate world to 'save' her. The film is awash with Disney references for the film buff, but more importantly embodies a truly feel-good aura for the general viewer. Very, very highly recommended.

I have not read the trilogy on which "The Golden Compass" (the first of the three) is based, although I now think it is incumbent upon me to do so, despite being somewhat disappointed with this first cinema effort. A lot of money seems to have been thrown at the screen with frankly variable results -- there just doesn't seem to be the air of wonderment appropriate for the tale. Existing in a parallel world to ours, the young heroine travels afield when one of her playmates is captured by the wicked child grabbers who aim to destroy their daemons (their accompanying animal spirits). She travels North to the land ruled by CGI bears (they have a wonderful way of galumping along) for a section which sags badly and which seems to go on forever, before the picture grinds to a halt to make way for the next installment. There is a horrible Darth Vader moment when her true parentage is revealed, but that too seems something of an anti-climax. With Daniel Craig and Eva Green and Nicole Kidman in attendance, one did hope for something a little better and more involving and definitely something rather more magical

Tags: Enchanted, The Golden Compass, Disney Magic, Pullman non-Magic

Red Angel (1966)

2007-12-08T11:48:00.000Z

If you have been paying attention, you will know by now that war movies are just about my least favourite genre. You know the drill, take a bunch of loveable guys and kill them one at a time. However, I was completely blown away by this no-holds-barred Japanese film which is one of the most brutal films I've ever seen. Set in 1939 during the Sino-Japanese war, it follows the story of nurse Sakura Nishi, played by hauntingly beautiful Ayako Wakao, as she moves between an army rehab hospital and a bloody field hospital, and let me tell you now, this movie is no M*A*S*H. None of the horrors of war is skimped upon nor the traumas of those involved. Sakura is raped by patients who consider her no better than a "comfort woman" and a witness to the casual hacking off of arms and legs to purportedly save lives -- all graphically rendered. She takes pity on an armless patient who is unable to relieve his sexual urges and who, 'though married, knows he will never be allowed to go home, since letting the public see his condition would imply that Japan is losing the battle; her attempt on a single day trip with him away from the hospital to let him regain his self-respect as a man is wincingly graphic.

She also falls in love with an older doctor at the field hospital who relies on morphine as a solace for the abuse of his surgeon's skills and for his own impotency. Their relationship is amazingly tough, yet tender, as the mutilated bodies pile up and as an outbreak of cholera further decimates the ranks. Her name translates as 'Cherry Blossom' and he comments that it is impossible to imagine anyone other than a young woman with such a symbolic name. Even if she survives the inevitable carnage, she is bound to be an old soul after all that she has experienced.

The director, Yasuzo Masamura, although very prolific, is not one of the Japanese masters well-known in the West. He was also responsible for the oddball "Blind Beast" that dazzled me a few months back, and after this film, I do feel obliged to seek out more movies from his singular vision.

I shall be away until the end of the week -- but I shall be back before you know it! See you then...

Tags: Red Angel, Japanese film, war horrors

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

2007-12-06T15:55:00.000Z

I understand that this German-made, English-language film did virtually no business Stateside and more's the pity. Based on Patrick Suskind's 1985 novel and long considered unfilmable, I think director Tom Tykwer and his crew made a bold attempt to turn the book into cinema. The major problem was how to convey the sense of smell into visual images without resorting to gimmicks like Odorama or Smell-o-vision. But if you think about it, the author would have faced the same problem with the written word.

The story concerns one Jean-Baptiste Grenouille born into squalour beneath a fish stall in l8th Century Paris and blessed (or cursed) with an overly developed olfactory sense. Throughout his miserable early life he mentally catalogs the smell of everything around him and becomes obsessed with being able to capture the transitory sensations into more lasting ones. He apprentices himself to a master but past-it perfumier, played by Dustin Hoffman (in one of his less objectional incarnations, although still probably a bit OTT), who rapidly becomes aware of Grenouille's amazing talents and who looks to profit from them. Having learned all he can from Hoffman, he plans to travel to the perfume centre at Grasse and along the way discovers that he himself has no discernible odour. After a chance encounter with a comely market wench, he strives to bottle the essence of beauty and virtue into one undescribable odour -- hence the killings that follow and the very, very strange ending of the tale.

I think this is one instance where knowledge of the book is advantageous to the viewer (although like all adaptations, much is of necessity omitted). The movie relies heavily on John Hurt's voiceover narration at the start, although this is far from intrusive, to carry the tale along -- but the images and the music do give one a strange sense of actually being able to smell things as Grenouille does. Young Ben Whishaw who takes the lead is very, very good at portraying the strange, obsessed anti-hero. He is nowhere near as hideous as he is described in the novel, but perhaps this is just as well for a character who is almost never off-screen and constantly in our view. Something of a successful adaptation I think, but one which is obviously struggling to find its audience.

Tags: Perfume, Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, obsession

Casino Royale (2006)

2007-12-04T10:34:00.000Z

You probably recall the fuss when it was announced that Daniel Craig would be the next Bond, with opinion veering towards the negative. Then when the above film proved so successful and Craig was signed for umpteen further outings, the casting decision seems to have been justified. I am not so sure. I acknowledge that Craig has proved his acting chops in various roles and he makes a fine action hero here; however I can not bring myself to embrace him as the definitive Bond. He just seems too much of a ruffian or thug to fit in with previous Bonds; granted that the character is at heart a cold and calculating customer, previous incarnations have overlaid this with a suave exterior.

My other problem with this movie is with its position within the series. While the moviegoer has accepted the changing lead, I don't think we were ever asked to believe that Bond had only just received his 007 status. It's been too long since I read the novel on which this is based to remember if it was the first in the series and if in fact Bond had only just become a licensed killer, but the film does not feel like any sort of prequel since the setting appears more or less contemporary. I think the viewer brings too much baggage to the table to accept a completely different lead personality.

That said, Craig's is certainly a very modern and brutal take on the role and forgoes the usual corny quips. However the one bit that did make me smile was when he is asked if he would like his martini shaken or stirred and he replies, "do I look as if I care" or words to that effect. Eva Green made an acceptable heroine and we were allowed to see Bond's inner softy in their relationship. Very 2006 I'm sure, but not the Bond we all know so well. Finally I thought that the villain as played by Mads Mikkelsen was one of the least memorable of the series, but perhaps this is all part of giving us a Bond for our times.

Tags: Casino Royale, Daniel Craig, James Bond