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Howards End (1992)
Howards End
Think this might be the pinnacle of the Merchant Ivory storytelling world (with thanks to E. M. Forster), as a strong ensemble cast assembles to tell a tale of Edwardian Britain that brings into stark focus a class system that is just beginning to show some cracks. "Wilcox" (Anthony Hopkins) is what I suppose you'd call nouveau riche. A millionaire industrialist who has acquired quite a few grand country properties from the increasingly impoverished aristocracy. When his first wife (Vanessa Redgrave) dies at the eponymous country cottage, she has apparently promised it to her friend "Margaret" (Emma Thompson) but the family choose to disregard the bequeathing letter and she is none the wiser. Meantime, her well meaning and quite fussy sister "Helen" (Helena Bonham-Carter) has become aware of the hard working clerk "Bast" (Samuel West) who is married, sympathetically but rather unlovingly, to "Jacky" (Nicola Duffett) and not without ambition. "Wilcox" is set upon remarrying, and it's "Margaret" who gets the nod. Thing is, though, can there ever be any chance of any real love between them, or indeed for any of them, as the family ghosts - past and present, come back to haunt them and poor "Bast"? It's a grand looking saga this, and it plays the politics of the day well as there are three initially distinct strata of society gradually intermingling, some more willingly than others, throughout the unfolding drama. I actually thought it was the engaging effort from Duffett that stole the show, but Redgrave also contributes well, if briefly, as the ailing "Mrs. Wilcox" and Samuel West also stands out, portraying his character as a decent man who is a fish-out-of water at the best of times, but even more adrift after entrusting himself and his affairs to "Helen". It's a characterful study of human nature that shows up hypocrisy and delivers kindness, showcases nicely all the artifice of the creative talent and is worth a watch.
Rude Boy (1980)
Rude Boy
If you are a fan of "The Clash" then you might get more from this fly-on-the-wall, partially dramatised, documentary that follows their ascendancy in the UK towards the end of the 1970s. To give it some sort of narrative, there's a fan inserted into the mix and he serves as a conduit to not just the story of the four piece's musical journey, but also to illustrate a Britain that was wallowing after many years of ineffective government, out of control trades unions, and on the cusp of electing Margaret Thatcher (who does feature now and again telling us about the safety of old ladies walking along the street). What's interesting about their conversations is that the band vacillate entertainingly from the banal gibberish of stoned, drunk, opinionated would-be rock stars to perfectly lucid men with astute views of society and the causes of the misery which many of us Brits experienced at the time. The drama doesn't really work so well, but when they are on stage the thing can be quite electric, and the bands engagement with a wide demographic delivering some potently observational lyrics; plenty of ripe and vivid language, and some poor soul sent to the hotel corridor so another could get laid in their shared room brings some humour to it too. It's far too long and indulgently paced though, and there's not enough music to really stop in from becoming a bit too repetitive. Needs a shortening to tighten up the story, but still interesting enough.
Le lycéen (2022)
Winter Boy
I think Paul Kircher really captures the vulnerability of his "Lucas" character well here. He lives with his parents - Juliet Binoche and Christophe Honoré until an accident robs them of his father. His brother "Quentin" (Vincent Lacoste) returns from his home in Paris and the family start to come to terms with their grief. That manifests itself in many ways amongst the threesome, and causes friction between them too. It's his brother who comes up with the idea of taking the seventeen year old "Lucas" for some time in the big city, and so off they go. He shares his small apartment with "Lilio" (Erwan Kepoa Falé) to whom the young man immediately takes a shine. We already know that he is gay, and his time in the city gives him chance to explore the cultural sites of the city, and to give his Grindr a bit of exercise too. The narrative is peppered with occasional flashbacks as the young man continues to struggle to come to terms with his loss, becomes increasingly more selfish and introspective; reckless and thoughtless and also a little unforgiving of the stress on his family too. A bit of a misdemeanour (for a measly 150 Euros) sees his brother send him back home and that's where things step up a gear and everyone gets a fright. Reality takes the family by the scruff of the neck - but hopefully it will start the young "Lucas" on some sort of path to continue his life more positively. Binoche features sparingly, but her every expression conveys emotion - whether that be sadness, grief, exasperation or love; and there is plenty of love amongst this family. Lacoste also fares well as "Quentin" must reconcile the needs of his own life with those of his family - not an easy task when your teenage brother has the hots for a flatmate ten years older. It's Kircher who steals this, though. There is a confidence about his performance that is engaging to watch. He does elicit sympathy but you do want to just give him a slap at times, too. His behaviour isn't malevolent, but it's not so much of a melodramatic "cry for help", either. It's about his sorrow, his sadness and all of their emptiness, and the bitterness of those feelings. Who knew people still wore turquoise underpants, either! Maybe a little on the long side, but I reckon this actor might be around for a while to come.
El ángel (2018)
El ángel
Lorenzo Ferro really does deliver well here and is pretty convincing as the curly-haired, butter-wouldn't-melt, Argentinian lad (Carlos) who at the age of seventeen already had his parent's piano stuffed full of ill-gotten pesos. His childhood within a respectable family suggested nothing out of the ordinary til he went to school and met the charismatic petty crook Ramón (Chino Darín). He is infatuated, and there's pretty much nothing he won't do to get and keep his new friend's attention. When that starts to involve his having access to guns, and cars and drugs... The rest of the film is creatively augmented historical fact as this young man discovers violence is a route to riches and success, and that leads to killing and that - well the rushes of blood to the head are addictive. You really could imagine the character delivering the communion wafers on a Sunday and smiling at the babies, yet he was really far more adept with a pistol at eyeball range. His apprehension itself only served to further fuel his desire for acclamation. The media had him on every front page and every television station. He even manages to escape - but that, too, seems little more than a publicity stunt. The production is a bit rough around the edges; the attempts to imply some sort of sexual fluidity to Carlos don't work so well, and there's too much dialogue but Ferro's performance as man for whom taking other lives meant nothing was, I felt, quite sociopathically engaging.
The Bostonians (1984)
The Bostonians
There's a lovely line in this otherwise unremarkable adaptation of the Henry James novel from Vanessa Redgrave who announces something along the lines of being eternally grateful for not having the vote! It did make me smile. That, sadly, is about all that did as we trudge through this stylish but turgid story of the embryonic American suffragette movement. Amidst this struggle for enfranchisement, the bright "Verena" (Madeleine Potter) is facing the affections of the more traditional "Basil" (Christopher Reeve), himself a man who she ought to have little time for. Might there be the slightest chance that something might develop between them? Initially, there is some sparky conversation amongst the well-heeled citizens and there is potency in some of the dialogue, but boy - after about half an hour the whole things slows to a glacial pace; is seriously over-written and even the usually charismatic Jessica Tandy ("Miss Birdseye") struggles to breath life into what ought to have been a sharp and wittily constructed dramatisation of a story about politics, empowerment and - yes, romance too. Reeve is as wooden as a washboard which doesn't help and though Potter does give it her all, the film just lacks spark, pace or oomph. As ever with Merchant Ivory films, the things looks a million dollars, but there's no excusing the weaknesses all around here and it takes for ever, too.
Quartet (1981)
Quartet
"Marya" (Isabelle Adjani) finds herself out on a limb when her husband "Stephane" (Anthony Higgins) is incarcerated for a year for some art fraud. Luckily (or not) she is taken pity on by "H. J." (Alan Bates) and his doting wife "Lois" (Maggie Smith). They invite her into their lives but quickly, she realises that he has a bit of a wandering eye and that though his wife is fully aware, she is too afraid of losing him to intervene. "Marya" doesn't welcome his attentions, indeed she makes it clear that she's not the slightest interest at all, but a combination of circumstances and her foreign birth (she is originally from the Caribbean) make it tough for her to find acceptance or a job. Despite repeated attempts to flee, she finds herself drawn more and more into his toxic manipulations - even once her husband is released from prison. "Stephane" is under no illusions as to the scenario and so now it's choice time for everyone who has got used to the situation and the lifestyle. Thing is, here, it's all so gorgeously filmed, costumed and designed but the delivery of the story is entirely sterile. Bates, especially when he tries to get emotional, is frankly pretty terrible and Smith's character is just so weak and feeble that she has little to get her teeth into the role beyond playing (well) a porcelain shadow of a woman. It's probably Adjani who disappoints most, though. She's as flat as a pancake with her performance, coupled with the rest of the lacklustre direction, presenting us with something that is very much a victory for style over substance.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
The Strangers: Chapter 1
The heavy trailing of this and the fact that it's part one does little to help any sense of menace as we follow the young "Maya" (Madelaine Petsch) and boyfriend "Ryan" (Froy Gutierrez) on their road trip to Portland. She's heading to start a new job as an architect, and it looks like she might have been responsible for manscaping her boyfriend's perfect visage as this annoyingly loved up and clingy couple arrive at a remote rural diner. They're not married, which seems to rile the locals and when they go to leave, their brand new car won't start. Ha! Luckily, there's an air b'n'b nearby. A remote cabin fully equipped with all the home comforts - even some Dolly to play on vinyl. They're famished so he borrows a motor bike to go fetch some burgers, she's left behind and that's where the paranoia sets in. Is she being watched? Is she alone? Will "Ryan" get back before she has finished smoking a dodgy joint, listening to an entire LP and having a long shower? Was the burger joint in California? Anyway, it's soon clear that they are in some danger and together they must use all their skill and guile to stay alive! The scenario works a bit like "Cabin in the Woods". The moonlit forest serving as a backdrop for some ridiculous choices and some woefully bad acting/writing. It does manage to engender a slight degree of peril near the conclusion, but there's really nothing at all new here and from fairly early on it is clear just what part two will be all about. Not terrible, but really predicable and disappointingly flat.
Oslo, 31. august (2011)
Oslo, August 31st
Anders Danielsen Lie offers a really quite intense performance here as the recovering drug addict "Anders". His physicians think he's sufficiently improved to be able to spend a day, unsupervised, in Oslo, with family and friends and to have an interview for a job. Initially it all goes well. He drops in on "Thomas" (Hans Olav Brenner) and his family and is geared up (not literally) for his interview. That's where the wheels come off and we spend the rest of his day as he reminisces about the past, encounters some of those important to that past and gradually appears to be coming to terms with what he considers best for his future. Joachim Trier uses the gentle pacing of this drama to allow Lie to slowly demonstrate his character's sense of introspection and considered self-destruction. This isn't an ill-educated man who grew up in squalor or depravity, this is an erudite and engaging "Anders" who comes from a decent, loving, home that's not without it's ups and downs, but ought to have provided him with more of an emotional robustness that we are presented with here. There is a solid cast of supporting actors - Malin Crépin ("Malin") strong amongst them, as his brain appears to be putting his house in order. It's not an easy film to sit through. It's traumatic in a delicate and measured sort of way, and Lie delivers us a persona with whom it's easy enough to empathise and want to give a good shake to, too.
28 Days Later... (2002)
28 Days Later...
Despite being warned that a group of monkeys about to be released from a lab by some anti-vivisectionists are laced with disease, they let one of them out anyway and next thing it's a month later and "Jim" (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in hospital all by himself. There's not a soul to be seen, anywhere. He can't spend the entire film wandering about naked, so finds some scrubs and goes exploring - gradually gleaning information about the plague that led to the evacuation of the cities and to his current isolation. It's not as if he had anything to do with the release of this virus, but he now has to deal with it's consequences. Luckily he encounters "Selena" (Naomie Harris) and "Mark" (Noah Huntley) who save him from a marauding mob (think "Omega Man" from 1971) and their risky adventures begin trying to find what's left of humanity and hopefully safety. A wind-up radio broadcast gives them some hope, and off they travel with newfound friends "Frank" (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter "Hannah" (Megan Burns) in their black taxi (so of course, it takes a circuitous route) to Manchester. Their arrival visits tragedy on the small group but also introduces them to the last bastions of military security - under the command of "Maj. West" (Christopher Eccleston). Pretty swiftly they realise that very little of this new scenario is much safer for them and their thoughts turn to leaving...! This is quite an effective apocalyptic tale of corrupted science and morals and uses, for most of the first section of the film, dialogue sparingly allowing the eerie photography and soundtrack of a largely abandoned London to set the scene for us. Thereafter the writing isn't the best, but the benign sense of menace exuded by Eccleston and the confidence of both Harris and the young Burns work well at giving us an almost claustrophobic sense of peril, especially as we drift to a denouement that is cleverly constructed to make us think. It's bleak and threatening at times, not without the odd dark humour and in the end presents us with quite an intriguing look at humanity in many of it's less attractive, more visceral, guises. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland keep a few twists for the tale at the end, too, and Murphy holds it all together in an understatedly potent fashion.
The Revolving Door (1969)
The Revolving Door
There are some quite startling statistics used to underpin the thread of the narration here. The routine dispensation of justice onto minor offenders who's defence has had about five minutes to prepare, who's prosecutors have had just about the same amount of time to proceed and the judge (probably with repetitive strain injury) who can deal with over 25,000 of these misdemeanours in one calendar year. It's an hand-held camera job for the most part exposing the audience to a wide variety of people who have fallen foul of the law. Some for the first time, some who are clearly hoping for a place to sleep and a decent meal as it's conceivably safer (and warmer) for them inside one of the basic, and ageing, correctional facilities. The writing is pretty cynical about the relative merits of this production-line process and after about ten minutes, it's not hard to see why. Resources are relentlessly tied up in a vicious circle that offers little hope to anyone. It's an aptly named documentary that is dry as a bone, but worth a watch.
A Space to Grow (1968)
A Space to Grow
Henry Fonda narrated this really quite dry documentary looking at the state of opportunity for young people from less privileged backgrounds in the American Mid-West. Centred around a group of curious and aware students in their late teens, it follows their educational processes, their debates with each other, their politics - inducing reason and anger in equal measure, before rounding off with some well-intentioned, if a little earnest, commentary from educators about how education can and will improve the lot of just about everyone in an American society that is still rife with segregation. Time has really left this behind, and it is now little better than a group of opinionated kids performing to camera offering - as we all did - the gospel according to me.
A Way Out of the Wilderness (1968)
A Way Out of the Wilderness
Some of the language here is a bit on the pejorative side, but the underlying message contained in this documentary is quite effective at illustrating the problems of the profoundly handicapped people for whom society really only has one solution. Institutionalising them. A single camera follows the daily trials and tribulations of people struggling with disabilities that affect everything from their brain function to their mobility. What's a little more distinctive here is that the focus is more on able-bodied people learning to adapt to their world, not the other way round. Can we find common ground, but more on terms easily accessible and acceptable to people who cannot (or will not) understand? Belligerence is rife and the skills of the professionals here is to peacefully mitigate tha,t keeping tempers down, options open and allowing for all to retain their dignity. The production is basic, but that's fine - it allows the focus to fall squarely on the "patients" and the patience. It's dated, but it's still an useful retrospective on just how scared we were of stigma and the unknown.
La maison de Jean-Jacques (1967)
The House That Jack Built
This has a cumulative narration a little like the "12 Days of Christmas" as each sentence evolves then repeats the preceding one. That makes for quite an entertaining appraisal of the life of "Jack" as he lives in an house just like everyone else's and goes to work to pay the bills day in, day out. Then his car blows up and he trades in the wreck for some beans! His wife goes potty and he's relegated to the floor that night. In the morning, yep, there's a beanstalk that "Jack" climbs and his encounter with the "giant" sends him scurrying back down with a mirror that he's pinched. This gives him self confidence, a belief that he can achieve anything and next thing, well his house is a bit different from his neighbours - but is he fulfilled? The animation is a bit limited, I felt, but the pace of the thing; the fun narration and the underlying story of grass always being greener and the futile search for perfection is quite well delivered.
Rise (2014)
Rise
Will (Nathan Wilson) is a young nurse imprisoned for rape after a drunken one night stand. Protesting his innocence, he must adapt to the harsh realities of prison life while his barristers try to organise an appeal. Fortunately, he falls in with Jimmy (Martin Sacks) who, after a bit of hostility, becomes his pal and protector. He also discovers God, or the Christian faith at any rate, whilst incarcerated and we watch his personality and maturity develop over the next 1¾ hours. Somehow it doesn't quite work, though. It is oddly sterile. Why do the pair bond? The religious undertones are so subtle as to be almost irrelevant and though it does deal with serious issues - bullying, mental health and suicide, it does so with an almost soap-style of storytelling. The acting is fine, the drama is fine, the writing is fine - but that's about the height of it, really as it builds predictably to an ending that is hardly a ringing endorsement of the Australian justice system. It's a decent debut effort from director Mack Lindon, but in itself, nothing very remarkable.
Gran Torino (2008)
Gran Torino
It's curious that the main English language awards largely ignored this, yet it won both a David and a César in Europe and is definately one of Clint Eastwood's more characterful efforts. He is the curmudgeonly "Walt" who has recently lost his wife, has an arms-length relationship with his son and looks disapprovingly as his neighbourhood ceases to be the home of "Americans"! His prize possession is his Gran Tornino car and he doesn't take to kindly to Bee Vang's "Thao" (or "Toad") trying to pinch it. Quickly, though, he sees that this young man and his sister "Sue" (Ahney Her) are being bullied by their thuggish extended family - a gang of obnoxious would-be gangsters who drive the streets picking fights and taunting people. He decides to intervene and the rest of the story sees a bond develop between him and his new "family" based on a degree of mutual understanding, trust, and "Toad" becoming his slave for a fortnight by way of penance! We are given some clues along the way as to the grand designs of "Walt" as he sets up a denouement, after a brutal assault on "Sue", that will satisfy not just himself, but keep his neighbours safe too. It's not the most naturally written dialogue, indeed at times it's quite forced but the underlying premiss of bigotry and the attitudes of intolerance and bullying are well addressed. The characterisation of the distant and prejudiced "Walt" is delivered engagingly, and with some dark humour, by a star/director who has a point to make. There's also quite a gently potent effort from Christopher Carley as the local priest. He is trying to offer the perfunctory words of hope and comfort to this veteran and he perseveres despite the dog's abuse he receives from a man who no longer feels it necessary to commit to the niceties of society. Clearly, 'Walt" cares little for what is left of his life nor for any of his sins to be forgiven. It's about grief, relevance, community and I think it works. Give it a go.
Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961)
Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog
There's a statue of this wee Skye terrier in Edinburgh as testament to the loyalty and tenaciousness of this dog that couldn't care less about the civic rules that banned him from the graveyards of the city. It's the shepherd "Old Jock" (Alex Mackenzie) who has passed away and it's his grave that "Bobby" sleeps on each evening, doing a bit of useful ratting at the same time! Quickly he befriends the local tea-room owning "Traill" (Laurence Naismith) who knew his late master, but he has a harder task convincing the caretaker of the cemetery. "Brown" (Donald Crisp) is a bit of a stickler for (his own) rules, but the intervention of the police (Duncan Macrae) over who owns the dog soon sees a court hearing in front of none other than the Lord Provost (Andrew Cruickshank). It is he who must decide the fate of "Bobby" in the face of these two bickering old men whose initial stubbornness about not owning the dog has completely reversed itself! It does take a little while to get going; there are a few too many scenes of the dog running about the place, but once we get into gear this is a charmingly scored and depicted story that puts together a solid cast of familiar faces to support the on form Crisp, Naismith and the young Jameson Clark who's "Tammy" was a little like Dickens' "Tiny Tim" only not quite so earnest! It's a simple family story of loyalty, devotion and curmudgeonliness that's held up well.
The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2005)
The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby
Though this isn't a great dramatisation of the famous tale of Edinburgh lore, there's no getting way from the charm of the true story it's based on. "Bobby" is a scruffy looking terrier who steadfastly refuses to leave the graveside of his late master. Despite the best efforts of the cemetery keeper "James" (James Cosmo) to evict him, the dog persists, and gradually becomes quite a useful tool for vermin control. This doesn't convince the nasty "Johnson" (Ronald Pickup) who is determined to see the back of the little yapper. Eventually, he seeks recourse to the law of the land - and with doom looming, it falls to the children of the city to appeal to the Lord Provost (Christopher Lee). He's the Queen's representative and perhaps he can help? What really put me off here was the light. It's clearly been done on a budget, but it's not been done very well and with the rain showers clearly emanating from hoses the whole thing has a sort of yellowy hue that's oddly sterile to watch. Director John Henderson has assembled a decent enough cast of British regulars, though, and there's an engaging effort from newcomer Oliver Golding as his would-be saviour "Ewan" who must undergo the strains of oakum picking and his own tragedy, but still determines to keep the wee dog safe. There's a nice score from Mark Thomas to accompany it and though not really very memorable, it's still a decent rendition to watch on the television.
Shi mian mai fu (2004)
House of Flying Daggers
Though the story isn't really very strong here the combination of beautiful visual effects and precision martial arts makes for an enjoyable depiction of Chinese mystical intrigue. "Mei" (Ziyi Zhang) is a mute dancer who attracts the attention of police captain "Jin" (Takeshi Kaneshiro) after she is very nearly raped at the "Peony Palace". She is also arrested but he helps her escape and into the dense forest they head, pursued by the police and fearful of the eponymous freedom fighters who are rumoured to dwell deep amongst the tall bamboo. Of course, as they travel they begin to fall in love but he's not quite ready for the surprise she delivers nor for his response as he must make a choice between his heart and his loyalty. Meantime, there's the jealous "Leo" (Andy Lau) on the scene who is determined to see his love stays with him or nobody! It's the stylish and vibrant look of this adventure that helps it stand out. The perfect choreography of the dances and the combat scenes couples well with some impressive imagery that tests and provokes just about all of our senses as the mystery unravels as easily as the folds in her intricately woven gown. I was slightly disappointed by the denouement which I think might be testament to the performances from the two travellers who managed to ensure I cared what happened to them as they twisted and twirled their way through the imaginatively photographed trees. It certainly benefits from a big screen and from it's big audio, too.
Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield
I suppose the first thing to warn of is - it is shot entirely POV, and for many (including me) that can prove to be really quite annoying at times (and particularly difficult to light effectively). The premiss is that "Jason" (Mike Vogel) and girlfriend "Lily" (Jessica Lucas) are living the happy lives of a young couple. When one night they set off to attend a leaving do for their pal "Rob" (Michael Stahl-David) their party is shattered by what seems like an earthquake, followed by a desperate hunt for his girlfriend "Beth" (Odette Annable) as something ginormous is stalking the streets of New York. The camera passes from person to person, so that does give us a different perspective of the ensuing mania - but actually I didn't find them a particularly engaging bunch of panic-stricken folks so I can't say I was very concerned for their safety. Some of the decisions they make - admittedly under a fair degree of duress - seem staggeringly risky and/or stupid; the sound editing overdoes the screeching and wailing to such an extent that the dialogue can be barely audible at times, and though well paced eventually, it still takes just a bit too long to actually get going. It is certainly an interesting concept, and if the style of cinematography doesn't drive you mad after twenty minutes, then I reckon you will quite enjoy the intimacy of the thing - at times, it is actually quite scary.
Cidade de Deus (2002)
Cidade de Deus
Told by way of an occasionally narrated retrospective, "Rocket" (Alexandre Rodrigues) tells us a story of his childhood in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Growing up in a community of newly built boxes, without power or plumbing, that reminded me of a row of concrete beach huts, the community is pretty lawless. The crime is largely to confined to pettier crimes, but as aspirations grow so does the scale of the criminality. A raid on a motel-cum-brothel is supposed to make everyone extra cash, but their inventive young watchman "Li'l Dice" (Douglas Silva) hates being left out and so does a little augmenting of his own. Brutal and attention grabbing. Next the cops crack down, bodies pile up and the societal order starts to change. It's this young man who grows up into the leading drug-peddling hoodlum amongst a now much more developed township where, tempered only by his more diplomatic childhood friend "Bené" (Phellipe Haagensen), the newly named "Li'l Zé" (Leandro Firmino) is ruling the roost. Curiously, his own form of government proves more stable for the residents, and although many are addicts there is a certain degree of law-and-order. Then the runts start to intervene. These are the young children with no hope, no families and only the dream of becoming their own version of "Li'l Zé" one day too. Gradually, the empire expands until it's only "Carrot" (Matheus Nachtergaele) who stands against him. When tragedy strikes very close to home for the kingpin, though, the easy peace between the two sections breaks out into an open warfare that drags in the sharpshooting army vet "Knockout Ned" (Seu Jorge), arms all the enthusiastic children and creates an environment that isn't safe for anyone and where the police keep their distance in the hope that they will just all just slaughter each other. It's lucky that "Rocket" can use a camera. His boss wants publicity to illustrate how dominant and powerful he is. The newspapers want the photographs too. If the young man can walk the tightrope carefully, he might find himself well placed to capitalise on his unique access to a story that by now is gripping their nation. This is a fascinatingly well put together depiction of the worst of human nature; a dog eat dog world, where traditional humanity is scarce and the virtues of a not so benign dictatorship are exposed for all to see. The characterisations are mostly brutal and exploitative, yet there is a place for love and loyalty too amidst a poverty stricken population that craves basics like food and running water and is oblivious to death in the streets. The story is well supplemented by some engaging supporting characters like "Steak n' Fries", "Goose", "Shaggy" and "Thiago" (Daniel Zettel or is it really Timothée Chalamet?). The writing delivers powerfully but sparingly. We don't have loads of waffling dialogue, and there's also quite a bit of dark humour contained to not so much lighten the mood as to enhance the perception amongst most of the population that kill or be killed was a perfectly reasonable mama. Firmino, Haagensen and Rodrigues deliver extremely well here in this most impressively photographed and intense look at a society where the top dog was only top by feeding and starving his followers. It's not especially graphic, I found, just a poignant look at survival of the fittest, the shrewdest and the luckiest. There's also a distinct lack of religiosity throughout, too! If you can see this at a cinema, then do - it's based on a true story and isn't an easy watch.
Hoard (2023)
Hoard
The young "Maria" (Lily-Beau Leach) lives with her loving mum (Hayley Squires) in an home full to the brim of junk. Some of it just bric-a-brac, some of it more distasteful and unhealthy, but the pair rub along well enough scavenging their way through skips and bins. "Maria" has a tough time at school and doesn't really fit in, so when an accident at home sees her put into foster care, she has quite a bit of adjusting to do under the care of the savvy "Michelle" (Samantha Spiro). Now we scoot forward to her late teens where she (now Saura Lightfoot-Leon) is still living with "Michelle" and seemingly quite a content. One morning it's announced that "Michael" (Joseph Quinn), who was a former charge, is coming to stay for a while whilst his housing is sorted out. He's a decent cove with a girlfriend expecting a baby. Almost immediately he arrives, the two click. Not quite in any conventional sense, but there does seem to be something between them, and understanding. It's this that starts "Maria" thinking of her past, pining for it even - especially when a delivery man presents her with something entirely unexpected in a small package! With the two of them living increasingly closely, how might their relationship develop? Now this isn't for the squeamish. Right from the start we experience the rather sticky downsides of their quite grubby way of life, and as the story moves to it's second phase it becomes a potent, if shallow, character study of two people that just don't conform. The problem for me here is that the drama goes nowhere. It's a sequence of observations of the life of a woman that I didn't feel I knew on any level at all. Her behaviour is unsettling but it seemed to me that was so that the audience could feel unsettled, squirm in our chairs a bit, rather than because the character of "Maria" was evolving in any way. Indeed she seems to retrogress as the film just becomes increasingly tasteless and contrived. It's rare to see people leave an arthouse cinema mid-film, but they did during this. I didn't, but I am not at all sure what the point was, or to whom this is aimed. It has it's moments and at times is really visceral, but sorry - by the end I found it all just a bit too introspective and dull.
IF (2024)
IF
"Bea" (Cailey Fleming) arrives to stay with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) so she can be near her father (John Krasinski) who is having cancer treatment at a nearby hospital. It's a fairly traumatic time for everyone, but it also becomes quite puzzling for the youngster when she encounters "Blosson", "Blue" (who's actually purple) and their handler "Cal" (Ryan Reynolds) living in the apartment upstairs. She quickly discovers what an "IF" is, and is introduced to loads of them, now adrift in a world where their original partners have grown up and forgotten them. "Cal" and his friends are trying to re-home these friendly and creative critters, and so "Bea" takes an hand helping out. Their first target for a new friend is the friendly "Benjamin". He's a patient in the same hospital as her dad, prone to breaking his bones and though outwardly cheery and good-natured, cuts a rather lonely sight in his room. As the story continues we begin to suspect that it's not just him that needs an "IF". Sure, it's derivative at times, but there's an engaging effort from the young Fleming and the sparing use of the colourful and well integrated visual effects along with some cheery scripting and a few amiable supporting characters that could easily inhabit any toy-box (I liked the bear and the tasting marshmallow) wired well. Also, Reynolds takes enough of a back seat not to impose his presence too firmly on the proceedings. It's an amiable story about family, loneliness and growing up that encourages folks to use and enjoy their imagination. I wasn't really expecting to, but I did quite enjoy this.
The Garfield Movie (2024)
The Garfield Movie
Seemingly abandoned by his dad in an alleyway in the rain, poor little "Garfield" espies the unsuspecting and lonely looking "Jon" having a pizza across the road. In a shot he's looking all sad and bedraggled at the windows, next he's demolished the man's dinner and finally coaxed him from his comfortable flat to a new house that they share with the dog "Odie". His life is just one idyllic round of snoozing, eating and watching "Catflix" until he and "Odie" are kidnapped. Why? Well it's only when they are rescued by a caped hero - who turns out to be his dad "Vic", and we then are introduced to the criminal mastermind that is "Jinx" who has an axe to grind, that we start to get to the bottom things. She spent ages in the pound and is looking for her pint of milk! Now "Garfield", "Odie" and "Vic" have to come up with plan to rob a well defended dairy to settle scores. Even if they succeed, can they trust the duplicitous "Jinx" and her two sinister hench-creatures? It's an amiable enough adventure movie, this, with plenty of daft escapades for the cats, a menacing security officer and even an old lovelorn bull ("Otto") who's seen better days. I found the story reminded me a bit of the "Wallace and Gromit" kind of mishap-ridden narrative and though it's probably twenty minutes too long to sustain a film that doesn't seem to ever want to end, it's got the usual messages to team-playing, family and loyalty and has some quite witty one-liners now and again.
The Good Shepherd (2006)
The Good Shepherd
So rather than spend a fortune on special disguises, plastic surgery and prosthetics, the secret of being a successful counter-intelligence agent is loads of Bryclream, a pair of thick-set spectacles and a fawn, knee-length, mac. That's what puts the c into overt! That theory sort works for Matt Damon here with this lacklustre drama set around the time in world history when the American government realised they needed to gather intelligence about whom their potential 20th century foes might be. He is "Edward Wilson", who after being sworn into some top secret masonic style of society at school finds himself learning the arts of espionage in a wartorn London, then to Berlin, the back to Uncle Sam where his accrued skills leave him well placed to root out Nazi sympathisers and Soviet agents and defectors. Initially he is full of the joys of spring, his task a patriotic duty. Increasingly, though, as his hastily arranged marriage to "Margaret" (the sparingly used Angelina Jolie) starts to suffer, cynicism creeps in and what semblance of decency he had begins to become subsumed into a determination to get results - regardless of the methods frequently employed by his sidekick "Ray" (John Turturro). Robert De Niro clearly has pulling power with his directorial promise, but most of the supporting cast add little to this muddling drama that trips over it's own cloak way too often looking for the dagger. Quite where Billy Crudup's accent came from is anyone's guess and the plodding nature of this rather wearisome, if stylishly filmed, drama makes it quite a slog to sit through. It's all just a bit too self-indulgent and presents us with a rather ungracious and arrogant side to an American superiority complex that I found a bit dull.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
What a gorgeous, gentle, film about the end of empire and of an era that showed a culture of respect and deference that has now long since vanished. Robert Donat always managed to portray the quintessential Englishman well - if, at times, in a little overly stilted fashion; and with Greer Garson's beautiful representation of a lady of the times this leaves us with a slightly warm feeling. Certainly, it doesn't not promote any equality amongst the sexes, but the "Blue Danube" scene has to be amongst the most romantic ever committed to film and it brings home the horrors of two wars poignantly, too.