The Dictator - Sacha Baron Cohen

‘The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.’ The film raises some laughs, often in spite of yourself but the only really bit of decent satire was when he (The Dictator) lists the advantages of America becoming a dictatorship – tortured foreign suspects, fixed elections, 1% of the population own virtually all the wealth of the country etc … all of which has already happened of course.

Marley; dir.Kevin Macdonald

My favourite Bob Marley joke is either:

Q: How does Bob Marley like his doughnuts?
A: Wi' jam in!
or
Q: What did Bob Marley say when his wife left him and took the TV?
A: No Woman No Sky.

My favourite song is definately Redemption Song...or possibly Three Little Birds.
Anyway I digress, as someone who likes Bob Marley rather than loves him I was expecting to enjoy this documentary but not sure how much. It's certainly long at about two and a half hours and its not a hagiography, Marley's many girlfriends are featured along with his wife. There is much interesting footage, including the (violent) Jamaican election of 1976 and a Marley concert to celebrate Zimbabwe's independance in 1980. There are also interviews with Bunny Wailer and Lee 'scratch' Perry who are both always good value but its the music of the third world's first superstar that shines through.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

The latest film by Aardman Animation (Wrong Trousers, Chicken Run) is a very funny tale of an inept pirate captain, Pirate Captain, and his crew and their efforts to win the pirate of the year award. A very inventive, intelligent film with plenty of jokes for the adults to enjoy as well as the kids.

Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis - Leytonstone pop-up cinema

Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis was shown as for the monthly (February) offering by Leytonstone pop-up cinema. A very funny French film which explores the clichés of the ‘frozen’ north of the country and the characters who live there.

 

For those of you in the area Leytonstone pop-up cinema pops up again next Weds 7^th March with what looks like another cracker, Memories of Underdevelopment, a Cuban film from 1968.

 

http://www.leytonstonefilmclub.com/

The Descendants: dir. Alexander Payne; Carnage: dir. Roman Polanski

In honour of Oscar's day I thought I'd briefly review a couple of films I've seen recently. The Descendants, starring George Clooney is up for a number of Oscars. Clooney plays a husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his life when his wife suffers a boating accident. A decent film but to be honest I didn't really see it as an Oscar contender.

I thought Carnage was the better film, it is very much like a play, all the action takes place in the living room of an apartment.  Two supposed liberal couples, whose son's have a fight at school, decide to react in a mature fashion and sort out the problem. However they gradually descend into argument as, first the couples start to fight, and then, as alliances shift and problems within the realtionships come out, squabbles break out between the couples which is all quite amusing. There is a nice ending as well as the adults fight the two boys, who have not been seen before, are shown together at school having obviously just sorted the problem out as children do.

As for the Oscars I think The Artist will become the first silent film to win since 1929. Personally I would go for Gary Oldman as best actor for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy although I suspect George Clooney will win and Meryl Streep best actress for The Iron Lady (which I would've included on the best movie shortlist but for some reason the Academy didn't ask me).

For what it's worth the six films I enjoyed most in the last year (my Oscar shortlist) were:

1. The Rum Diary
2. Midnight in Paris
3. Hugo
4. The Iron Lady
5. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The Artist; dir. Michel Hazanavicius

A film that charts a changing world in much the same way as Under The Greenwood Tree and Cider with Rosie did, this time about the coming of the talkies to replace silent movies rather than the replacement of people by machines or the coming of the motor car. It has had great reviews by the critics but as a silent film I was interested to see whether it could hold the ordinary punter's attention for an hour and a half. After all we're not used to sitting through silent films these days and at the end of the day they're not made anymore because, in a Darwinian sense they were out-competed by something better suited to survive. I was also interested to decide if it is an enjoyable rather than a 'great piece of art' beloved of the critics. It did not disappoint on either count, a thoroughly enjoyable film about Hollywood at the end of the 1920's at the end of the silent era.

Shame; dir.Steve McQueen

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a sex addict but with a fairly well ordered life of internet porn and prostitutes, the only time he nearly has sex with someone who is interested in a relationship he doesn't manage to find wood (as Irving Welsh or the Inbetweeners would put it).

Then his sister turns up; the two of them have a strange relationship, there are obviously issues from the past. She has been a self abuser who is over familiar with him, wanting to cuddle up in bed and he over-reacts, violently pushing her away. When she has sex with his boss he can't stand it and goes out for a hard run, almost seeming to punish himself. It all leaves you wondering if he is in love with her but the film offers no answers.

There is no Hollywood ending where he has therapy and comes to terms with his past and ends up in a nice cosy relationship. He continues punishing himself, getting beaten up after goading a man about his girlfriend in a nightclub. The lack of a conventional narrative and answers to questions makes for an interesting piece of art but possibly not the most entertaining film you'll ever watch, the lack of a conventional storyline means it becomes a list of his sexual shenigans at times. An interesting film that you're pleased to have checked out rather than one you come out of having really enjoyed.

The Iron Lady, dir. Phyllida Lloyd

I was a bit reticent about seeing The Iron Lady, worried that it would be an hagiography of Margaret Thatcher, something that would've been hard to stomach. The fact that Norman Tebbitt said he dislikes it was the first clue that this may be a film worth seeing and in fact it turned out to be a must see with superb performances by Meryl Streep as Thatcher and Jim Broadbent as her husband Dennis.

The film goes through her career becoming a female MP in a male world to the west's first woman Prime Minister and then her ousting from office (the scene at the Cabinet meeting when she tells Geoffrey Howe to go and pay 85% of his money in tax to THE FRENCH if he likes europe so much was an absolute joy). The events dipicted all seem a long time ago now but she divided opinions to such an extent that she still inspire's admiration or hatred depending on point of view. I'm sure I can't be the only one who had that the thought of 'if only he'd given her a lift home' when her friend Airey Neave was blown up by the Irish National Liberation Army car bomb as he left the House of Commons in 1979 (only weeks before she got elected and brought in the 'greed is good' free markets that have led us to the mess we're in now).

The really interesting part of the film is its treatment of her dementia, cutting from her present confused state, with Dennis appearing to her even though he died 8 years previously, back to her years in power. Even though she struggles to remember recent events and is often confused you can still see the old Thatcher coming through in her treatment of others. The film is essentially about the human aging process, the fight against the dieing of the light that no one can avoid in the end whoever you are.

Dreams of a Life, dir.Carol Morley‏

Dreams of a Life is a drama documentary about Joyce Vincent, who died aged 38 in her bedsit in London in 2003. Her body lay undiscovered for three years and the film raises's questions of how this could have happened. She was outgoing and vivacious, had friends and family but could apparently disappear and die without anyone noticing. The film interviewed friends who obviously cared for her but it also left some questions unanswered as she met some undesirable characters later in her life but they, unsurprisingly, refused to be interviewed.

 

The film asks some interesting and uncomfortable questions about a modern society in which something like this could happen but I got the impression that in this case it was more to do with the individual concerned than the lack of community in 21^st century, social networked, Britain. She seemed to have a propensity to want to move on, leaving friends and family behind and she drifted in and out of peoples lives. I suppose that couldn’t have happened in a medieval village so in that sense it is a modern problem but lots of people like the possibility of being anonymous in the big city and, just trying to be positive about modern life for a moment, perhaps in the medieval village she might have been burned as a witch for being unusual.

 

A powerful, compelling and thought-provoking film.

Biutiful, dir.Alejandro Gonzslez Inarritu

Biutiful was shown as Leytonstone Pop-Up cinema's December offering. The story of an underworld businessman, Uxbal, played by Javier Bardem, it is unrimittingly bleak throughout. Set in the run down parts of Barcelona, Uxbal moves among corrupt police, Chinese sweatshop owners and illegal African street hawkers. He also copes with his estranged wife's bipolar disorder, cares for his two children and has to deal with the fact that the heaters he procured to provide warmth for the Chinese illegal immigrants who live in an airless basement, were faulty and caused the death of 25. It really couldn't get any worse for poor old Uxbal...and then the doctor gives him the news that he has terminal cancer. Like I said, the film is unrimittingly bleak. Yet it is very enjoyable, full of compassion and human feeling, it grabs your attention and never lets go.

Joyful Noise, dir.Todd Graff.

We went to a preview screening of Joyful Noise, a film due to be released in early 2012. I found it a bit predictable and not very funny although the music was good. Judging by the reaction of the rest of the audience they found it funnier than I did. I have copied the cast and plot from Wikipedia below.

Cast
Queen Latifah as Vi Rose Hill
Dolly Parton as G.G. Sparrow
Keke Palmer as Olivia Hill, Vi's daughter
Jeremy Jordan as Randy Garrity, Sparrow's grandson
Dexter Darden as Walter Hill
Courtney B. Vance as Pastor Dale
Kris Kristofferson as Bernard Sparrow
Teairra Monroe as Auburn Scott
Jesse L. Martin
Judd Lormand as Officer Darrel Lino
Francis Jue as Ang Hsu

After the untimely death of a small-town choir director (Kris Kristofferson) in Georgia, Vi Rose Hill, a no-nonsense single mother of two teens (Latifah) takes control of the choir, using the traditional Gospel style that their Pastor Dale (Courtney B. Vance) approves of. However, the director's widow, G.G. Sparrow (Parton), believes she should have been given the position. G.G. also happens to be the major donor to their church. Tough times in the town lead to budget problems that threaten to close down the choir.

Vi Rose has a son, Walter (Dexter Darden), who has Asperger's syndrome, and a talented, pretty and anxious-to-date teenage daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer). G.G. has recently begun caring for her rebellious grandson, Randy (Jeremy Jordan). A romance blossoms between Olivia and Randy, who, like most of the young people in the choir, support G.G.'s push to modernize the choir's style. Each of the young people, however, has a rival suitor. Ultimately, the two women overcome their differences and steer the choir toward a slot in the annual national "Joyful Noise" choir competition.

The Rum Diary: dir. Bruce Robinson

Based on a book by Hunter S Thompson the film is directed by, and screenplay written by, Bruce Robinson of Withnail and I fame - how could it go wrong? Adapted by Robinson as a tribute to Thompson I had read a review that said it was a bit muddled but personally I loved it. More conventional than you might expect given the subject but it shows the chaotic lifestyle lived by Thompson and his fellow journalists in Puerto Rico. Johnny Depp is great as Thompson's alter ego, Paul Kemp, of course but Depp's is just one of many good performances. When Thompson/Kemp drops acid for the first time his eyes are opened and his journalism becomes focused on exposing the 'bastards'.

I'm generally of the opinion that films don't need to be more than 90 mins long but this one is 2 hours and the time raced by which I think is the bottom line indicator of how good a film is (an entirely subjective measure of course).

Weekend: dir Andrew Haigh

A master achievement by Anndrew Haigh – The portrayal of Gay Life very true with all the ingredients, promiscuity, drugs and alcohol making a mighty fine blend of entertainment. The scenes were well cut to ensure maximum impact without being pornography and the dialogue tinged with some funny one liners kept you focused without the need for campery. All in all a real life advert, and a very good film to watch.

RL

I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Ok - Leytonstone Pop-Up Cinema

Dir: Chan-wook Park. (2006) South Korea

A young woman who believes she's a cyborg hears voices and harms herself while at work making radios. She's hospitalised in a mental institution where she eats nothing and talks to inanimate objects. She's Young-goon, granddaughter of a woman who thought she was a mouse (and whose dentures Young-goon wears) and a mother who's a butcher without much social grace. Young-goon comes to the attention of Il-sun, a ping-pong playing patient at the institution who makes it his goal to get her to eat.

The above is the synopsis we were given as we went into the cinema. It hints that this is an unusual film but it doesn't, and possibly can't, capture the full bizarre crazyness of it. It is set in a memtal institution I suppose but at times it does feel like you're laughing at mental illness and you ask yourself if that is right. But this is a moving film exploring human frailty as well as being, at times, very funny.

Midnight in Paris‏, dir Woody Allen

Midnight in Paris opens with an homage to Paris with a jazz soundtrack in much the same way as Manhattan opened with scenes of New York and the Gershwin soundtrack.
The main character Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is a would be novelist, in Paris with his finance & mother & father -in-law to be (the father-in-law is a right wing republican which enables Allen to get in possibly the first attack in a movie on the tea party). He travels back in time at night & meets characters from 1920's Paris, which leads to an amusing line before he realises what has happened when he can't believe the coincidence of meeting someone called F Scott Fitzgerald who has a wife named Zelda. He proceeds to meet all the arty types of 20's Paris including Hemingway, who is last seen drunk & trying to find someone to fight him, Gertrude Stein, Cole Porter, Picasso & Salvador Dali who is fixated on talking about the horn of a rhino.
Pender then travels back further in time to the 1890's and belle époque Paris & meets Toulouse-Lautrec. However he then realises that all this searching for a golden past just the allure of nostalgia & he should accept the present for what it is and create his own life.
I took a while to warm to Owen Wilson in the 'Woody Allen' role, I think possibly because the role was so similar to the ones Allen used to play but Wilson just isn't as funny.
The film was charming, beautiful and amusing, Allen's best, or, at least to me, most enjoyable for a long time.

No one knows about Persian Cats (2009), director Bahman Ghobadi

The film portrays a surprisingly vibrant youth culture in Tehran. It is
filmed in documentary style, without government permission and hand-held
cameras. The storyline is very simple: With the help of their manager
Nadar, two young indie rockers Negar and Ashkan look for passports,
visas and band members to play at a London concert. As part of their
quest, we are shown the full breadth of the music scene in Teheran, from
rap to indie rock. The bands portrayed, who all play themselves, produce
an excellent soundtrack. Although police oppression and poverty lurk in
the background, this is basically a very optimistic film, carried by the
courage, energy, creative power and liberal attitudes of the
protagonists.

Liza S

Johnny English Reborn

Rowen Atkinson's spoof on James Bond returns; it has been geting poor reviews from the critics but doing great numbers at the box office. You can see why it's reviews haven't been great as it isn't a great piece of art, it doesn't challenge perceptions or push boundaries but I suspect that the great British public who have been turning up in such large numbers enjoy it and that, surely, is the bottom line - it is funny. At times its merely amusing rather than laugh out loud but it is also has its very funny parts in a Clouseau-esc way, such as in the granny bashing scenes. The film also makes a wry comment on Britain's declining place in the world and the shift in power to the east with the renaming of MI-7 to 'Toshiba MI-7'.

The Inbetweeners movie

The boys decide to celebrate the finish of their exams and the end of school with a lads holiday to Malia in Crete with predictable results. Like the TV series it is crude & moronic, much like most 18 year old boys really, and very funny. The deep, philosophical message is enjoy your life because you only get one chance at it or as Neil astutely puts it 'I used to be religious until I realised that God is just dog spelt backwards'. Richard Dawkins eat your heart out!

One Day

Film of the best selling David Nicholl's book. The story of the two main protaganists is told through describing their life on the same day each year starting with the day of their graduation from Edinburgh University. It's a nice idea which works well in the book but as is so often the case the film of a book doesn't work so well on screen. The book can obviously go into greater depth to build up the characters but the film also somehow lacked many of the amusing moments that gave the book much of its charm.

The Skin I Live In, Pedro Almodóvar on general release from 28th August.

A couple of times recently at meetings where everyone had to introduce themselves, people were asked to name their favourite film, and my answer was "something by Pedro Almodóvar", so I was pleased to be able to watch a new one, The Skin I Live In.  It is a very good film, and certainly held my attention, though it is also quite disturbing.  

It is very inventive, with scenarios which seem scarcely credible.  If someone else had made the same plot it might have ended up feeling like a trashy shock B-movie, but in his hands it is surprisingly believable, and very well-made.  The film contains very disturbing scenes, but unusual aspects mean that the director is finding a new way of looking at events.   The characters include a doctor who is a very accomplished surgeon but uses his talents in unusual ways.

The star Elena Anaya, who had a lesser role in an earlier Almodóvar film, has been given much more prominence this time, and her lead role is well-deserved.  She is very beautiful, which is a necessary part of the role due to the unusual story.  No doubt her career will be given a boost in the same way that Penélope Cruz benefited from her work with the director.  It is also the first film Antonio Banderas has made with Almodóvar for many years; after Almodóvar launched him in films, he has come back from Hollywood to work with him again, and evidently they can still work well together.

Is it my favourite film?  Well no, although I don't know which individual one would be, it's a difficult question...

Pete S