So this is my new blog, but for the sake of posterity I’m going to try and import all the articles on my old blog, The Ark, which is hosted by The Digital Fix. So don’t be too surprised if a bunch of old stuff suddenly appears. New stuff on its way very soon. Probably.
Category: Uncategorized
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At the Cinema: November 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
The first part of the final Harry Potter tale is a decent fantasy adventure, darker than earlier entries but continuing the series’ tradition of exciting action set-pieces and an impossibly strong cast of British talent. It lacks a cliffhanger climax worthy of its epic scale, but it’s solid stuff all the same. Bring on Part II. 4/5
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Nicely observed comedy drama focusing on a lesbian couple and their children conceived by a sperm donor. When that donor suddenly appears on the scene, dramatic consequences for the family ensue. Strong performances from the whole cast, particularly Bening, Moore and Ruffalo, and a fine script co-written by director Cholodenko make this well worth seeing, though it has little new to say outside of the central relationship on which the story hangs. 4/5
Skyline (2010)
Hilariously bad sci-fi action pic that mixes up elements from other SF films (War of the Worlds, Independence Day, District 9, Transformers etc.) and tries to create an original epic adventure. Unfortunately, with dire dialogue, unlikeable characters and wooden performances, it’s impossible to sympathise with the humans. The awful script and direction often end up inducing laughter (especially towards the end) until you just wish the invading creatures would do the universe a favour and wipe out humanity. There are admittedly a couple of good action sequences, and for B-movie fun it’s not a complete waste of space. But when you start ripping off Michael Bay, you know you’re in trouble. 2/5
The Girl Who Played with Fire (2010)
Sequel to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo lacks the confident pacing and gloss of the earlier film, and has a plot that is even harder to follow and is somehow less interesting. However it is still a hugely enjoyable ride, building on the plot threads of its predecessor and retaining the same tone of darkness and duplicity. 3/5
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)
Superb updating of the old-fashioned investigative journalism thriller, harking back to slow-burning dramas like All The President’s Men. Starts slowly, but quickly becomes a gripping family conspiracy yarn. The central mystery is occasionally difficult to keep track of (the suspects are all members of an extended family), but the film is beautifully shot and paced, and very well acted, especially by the two leads: Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. 5/5
Another Year (2010)
Thoroughly absorbing and entertaining Mike Leigh slice-of-life drama, featuring strong performances (including an unforgettable turn by Lesley Manville) and a storyline that deftly plays with the full spectrum of emotion, from humour to heartfelt pain and everything in between. Low-key of course, but completely captivating. 5/5
Burke and Hare (2010)
Intermittently amusing retelling of the infamous real-life 19th century Edinburgh body snatchers. Part comedy-horror, part straightforward adaptation, its choppy narrative is compensated for by a strong and eclectic cast. Serkis is especially good value. 3/5
Let Me In (2010)
Decent US/UK remake of the acclaimed Swedish horror Let The Right One In. Manages to retain much of the atmosphere of the original, but loses some of the subtlety in favour of more explicit horror (and unconvincing CGI). May not be the equal of its fairytale-esque predecessor, but still a fine effort. 4/5
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At the Cinema: October 2010
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Passable sequel to the hit ghost chiller from 2009. More of the same, only bigger budgeted and less imaginative. 3/5
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
Flabby, patchy but entertaining sequel to the classic 80s yuppie critique. Great whenever Douglas is onscreen, which is not nearly enough. Not nearly as scathing on the causes of the recent banking crisis as might be expected from Oliver Stone either. But still a thoughtful and enjoyable take on how close the world’s economy came close to collapse. 3/5
Buried (2010)
Nerve-jangling thriller about a man who wakes up inside a coffin 6 feet under. He (and the audience) stay there for the entire 90 minutes trying to find a way out. Well written and inventively shot. 4/5
The Social Network (2010)
Gripping, highly entertaining retelling of the story of Facebook’s birth and rapid ascendancy to internet phenomenon. Brilliantly written and directed. 5/5
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Braindead third sequel in the ongoing Resident Evil series. Badly plotted and badly written, but then what’s new? 2/5
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At the Cinema: September 2010
Made in Dagenham (2010)
An enjoyably uplifting piece, crowd-pleasing in all the right moments and effectively capturing a key turning point in twentieth century history. Solid performances all round too. 4/5
The Hole (2010)
Joe Dante’s latest works best as a sort of horror pick-and-mix for the younger crowd. Some good scary moments for older kids, and still fun for grown-ups too. 3/5
The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010)
Quirky, entertaining comic-book-adaptation from Luc Besson. Good fun in parts, especially towards the end, but never really gels in to a satisfying whole. 3/5
Winter’s Bone (2010)
Haunting, bleak drama that is beautifully acted and directed. Absolutely gripping viewing. 5/5
Tamara Drewe (2010)
Amusing comedy drama set in rural England – a sort of Bridget Jones meets The Archers. Slightly darker than you might expect, but no less fun for it. Roger Allam and Tamsin Greig on top form. 4/5
Metropolis (1927)
All-time classic sci-fi masterpiece, a visionary work of art that continues to astound and impress today. Influential in the extreme, the genius of Metropolis lies in its ambition – an epic story told on an epic scale. In its longer restored version, its narrative becomes clearer and – paradoxically – tighter. Truly grand. 5/5
The Expendables (2010)
Daft action thriller featuring a who’s who of Hollywood muscle-men. The plot is threadbare and makes little sense, but who cares? The action packs a punch, and Sly’s crew of mercenaries look cool while blowing stuff up. Basically, it’s brain-off Friday night popcorn fun. 3/5
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At the Cinema: August 2010
The Leopard (1963)
Magisterial, langorous historical epic set in 1860s Sicily as a single Italian state is being created by Garibaldi and his army. Burt Lancaster is excellent as the patriarch of an aristocratic family who realises the old world is passing in to history, and he must work with the new order to ensure his family’s survival. Exquisitely shot, this is up there with Gone with the Wind in terms of masterful melodrama – though where Scarlett O’Hara was all fiery determination, Lancaster’s Prince is more weary acceptance. It might be long, but the final ball sequence is more than worth the wait. 5/5
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Edgar Wright strikes again with this warm, witty ode to young love and Nineties computer console games. Scott (Cera) is a young 20-something aspiring rock star who had his heart broken by a former girlfirend, started dating a high schooler, and then falls head over heels with the ethereal Ramona (Winstead). But he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to start properly dating her. Imagine Spaced blended with manga and Sonic the Hedgehog, and you might get an idea of how this odd-yet-endearing romantic action comedy plays out. It might run out of steam a little towards the end, yet there’s no doubting Wright’s imaginative directorial style. 4/5
The Illusionist (2010)
Beautifully evocative, gently melancholic animated fable about the passing of the music hall era at the end of the fifties. Moving from Paris to the remote Scottish Highlands, and then to Edinburgh, a stage magician goes in search of an ever-dwindling audience in an era that is turning its back on the entertainments of old in favour of television and rock ‘n’ roll. On his travels he meets a young girl who is fascinated by his acts of magic and tags along for the ride. Poignant yet delightful. 4/5
Piranha (2010)
Extremely silly, extremely gory remake of the semi-classic 70s Jaws rip-off. Lots of blood and boobs, delivered with tongue gently in cheek, which makes it a hoot to watch with an audience that are in on the joke. Special mentions must go to Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd who bring their years of experience to bear in small but pivotal roles. Shame about the rubbish 3D, though. 3/5
Salt (2010)
Above average action thriller starring Angelina Jolie as a spy who is implicated as a Russian sleeper agent and is forced to go on the run. Lots of fun action in the Bourne mold, with some nice twists along the way. 3/5
The Last Airbender (2010)
Utterly terrible fantasy adventure from M. Night Shyamalan, adapted from the popular cartoon series. Badly scripted and badly directed, with uninvolving action and so-so performances. Avoid. 1/5
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At the Cinema: July 2010
The Karate Kid (2010)
Decent enough remake of the 80s hit, though it follows the original almost beat for beat. It’s also a bit too long, but Jackie Chan is good in the role of the mentor and Smith is fine as the kid. 3/5
The A-Team (2010)
Enjoyable action thriller based on the classic 80s tv series. A good cast make the most of their roles, with Cooper and Copley particularly good, while the action is suitably OTT. 3/5
Inception (2010)
Masterful sci-fi action thriller which bends the viewer’s brain on a journey through dreams and illusions. Director Christopher Nolan is always on top of the story, even when its Russian doll-style story structure gets increasingly complex, thanks to brilliant editing and a sure-footed adherence to its own rules. DiCaprio has never been better, and the rest of the cast are all on top form too. 5/5
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Superlative second sequel to the daddy of all CGI feature toons, Toy Story. Pixar’s winning streak continues with this emotional and hilarious tale of toys coming to terms with their owner becoming an adult. As good a part three as is possible to make, it works on every conceivable level. One can only hope that this is the final part too; it’s the farewell that these beloved characters deserve. 5/5
Predators (2010)
Solid second sequel to the 1987 Schwarzenegger action classic Predator. Enough action, suspense and story innovation to make this an enjoyable Friday night flick. 3/5
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At the Cinema: June 2010
Get Him to the Greek (2010)
Reasonably amusing comedy starring Russell Brand reprising his character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Aldous Snow. It has enough laughs to get by, but not much more. Brand is fine, but he’s never really let off the leash. 3/5
Rashomon (1950)
Fascinating, influential drama which despite its age still has the power to provoke and astonish. 5/5
Breathless (À bout de souffle) (1960)
Extremely influential, extremely cool. 5/5
Brooklyn’s Finest (2009)
Solid, suspenseful thriller about three cops struggling to deal with the ambiguous nature of good and evil in their work as law enforcers. A bit overcooked at times, with clichéd characters aplenty, but the gripping set-pieces make up for any plot deficiencies. 3/5
Shrek Forever After (2010)
Passable third sequel to the fantastic original raises the odd smile but is otherwise forgettable fluff. Despite the ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ alternate setting, we’ve seen it all before, and it was much funnier a few years ago. 2/5
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On the Archers – the films of Powell & Pressburger
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll no doubt have seen me blathering on about a course I recently attended on Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, organised by the Cambridge Film Consortium, and run at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse. My general knowledge of film being woefully deficient in too many areas, I knew very little about the work of the Archers (as they are also known – it being the name of their production partnership). I did catch the restored version of The Red Shoes last year on the big screen; and a few years back I was fortunate enough to see Jack Cardiff attend a screening and Q&A of Black Narcissus, though naturally it didn’t mean as much to me then as it would do now. But beyond this, I hadn’t seen any of their works.
I’m not foolish enough to attempt a full-scale critical evaluation of their work on the back of a day and a half’s study and a few dvd screenings, so instead I’m simply going to jot down a few personal thoughts on what I saw as their main points of interest.
Glorious Technicolor!
The first thing that strikes you about the most famous films of P&P is their extraordinary luminesence. Aided by some of the finest craftsmen in the British film industry, in particular cinematographer Jack Cardiff, Powell and Pressburger delivered a series of films that were unequalled by their contemporaries. In particular, their three post-war melodramas – A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948) – are stunning achievements even by today’s standards. The awe-inspiring grandeur of the afterlife in AMOLAD, the remote windswept Himalayan convent in BN, and the wonderful, full-blown fantasy ballet sequence in TRS are all remarkable achievements that have withstood the test of time. The ambition and beauty of these films cannot be questioned.
Much melodrama
The melodramatic stories and scripts of the Archers can have the effect of putting off an audience, particularly a modern one. Yet it is just this quality of heightened drama that works so well when mixed in with Powell’s taste for the fantastical. Taken together, the viewer is whisked away in to a story that only has one foot in the real world. This is literally the case in AMOLAD, but equally exotic is the landscape and people the nuns try to civilize in the remote and alien environment of BN, while the aformentioned ballet sequence in TRS drops any pretence at realism and is all the better for it. One can only imagine the effect these scenes had on an audience worn down by the war and rationing.
A cast to die for
Not only did P&P employ a formidable technical crew, they also attracted strong casts. Roger Livesey worked with them on three occasions: I Know Where I’m Going!, A Matter of Life and Death and most memorably, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. It’s a shame he isn’t better known today. Many other actors returned to work for them: Googie Withers, Kathleen Byron, Marius Goring, Anton Walbrook, John Laurie – all delivered memorable performances in more than one Archers production. In particular, Powell’s films tended to provide strong roles for women. I Know Where I’m Going! starred Wendy Hiller as an independant woman knowlingly marrying a man purely for his money until fate intervenes, while The Red Shoes tells the story of a woman (Moira Shearer) having to choose between her marriage and her career. In this respect, P&P were somewhat ahead of their time.
Landscapes
Finally, the attraction Powell felt for landscapes and the people that lived there is quite evident. The remote Scottish islands featured in The Edge of the World (1937), The Spy in Black (1939), and I Know Where I’m Going (1945) are all testament to Powell’s romaticised view of their history, beauty and isolation, and the same goes for the wilds of Shropshire in Gone to Earth (1950) and Kent’s quiet splendour in A Canterbury Tale (1944). A mystical quality somehow connects the people with their land, and outsiders from the city must succumb to its charms – as seen in The Edge of the World, A Canterbury Tale, I Know Where I’m Going! and Gone to Earth.
It’s difficult to sum up the work of this most fruitful of filmmaking teams in so short an article, but I hope I covered some of the main points of interest. I would certainly recommend them to anyone with even a passing interest in the history of British cinema.
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At the Cinema: May 2010
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2010)
Quirky, exciting, darkly comedic thriller about a New Orleans cop who gets deeper and deeper in to trouble with the police, rival criminal gangs, his girlfriend and his family in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Great performance by Cage. 4/5
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Rather flat adaptation of the long-running computer game franchise. Stop-start nature of the plot, slightly wimpy hero and gibberish storyline overcome the potential fun of the premise. 2/5
Robin Hood (2010)
Rather dry and dull re-telling of the origins of the Robin Hood legend. Uneven pacing and uninteresting characters make this a disappointing adaptation. 2/5
Four Lions (2010)
Dark comedy (or light tragi-comedy if you prefer) about a group of Muslim men in northern England who are desparate to join the ranks Al-Qaeda and the like, and so plot to launch a suicide bomb attack. Trouble is, they are not the most competent of terrorists, and their efforts to strike at the evil West are foiled by their own idiocy. Director Chris Morris (The Day Today) has crafted a film that is as funny as it is thought-provoking, as well as occasionally very moving. Performances are all pitched perfectly, while the film itself neatly avoids offending either Muslims or victims of terrorism. It simply shows the would-be attackers for what they are: real people, misguided and flawed, but people all the same. 4/5
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Slightly messy but still enjoyable sequel to 2008’s Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr. returning to the role of Tony Stark, billionaire and not-so-secret superhero. This time, Stark faces two separate villains, Mickey Rourke as a Russian technical genius with a personal grudge against him, and Sam Rockwell’s businessman who is in competition for lucrative U.S. military contracts. Add to this the problem of Stark’s suit slowly poisoning him, problems with his business, and interest in his technology from covert governement agencies, and you have a very busy plate. The film does sag a bit in the middle, and feels a bit overly busy, but it remains fun all the way through. This is mostly down to Downey Jr, who fits the role of Stark perfectly, and whose energy and charisma keeps the story buzzing. Director Jon Favreau handles the action well, but crucially keeps the stuff inbetween engaging too. 3/5
