Billy Liar (12)

A personal favourite, the iconic British comedy Billy Liar is released in the UK on Blu-ray and DVD today to celebrate it's 50th anniversary.

Billy Liar (12) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Oscar winning director John Schlesinger, best known for Midnight Cowboy (1969) had an early triumph in 1963 with Billy Liar, a challenger for the following year’s Dr. Strangelove as the funniest film ever made.  Tom Courtenay stars as the eponymous hero, a compulsive liar with two fiancées on the go and a vivid imagination in which he is ruler of his own country, ‘Ambrosia’.

Alive with humour and charm, the film feels decades ahead of it’s time in terms of cinematic inventiveness, with Schlesinger announcing himself as a powerful and innovative filmmaker.  The script by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, adapted from Waterhouse’s novel, warmly presents what is now a slice of history: the inner workings of a post-war English town.  The story is of the awkward but inevitable rise of a new generation, born from the freedom of a country victorious after the Second World War and kicking against the creativity-stifling recovery period that followed.

Billy holds a job as a file clerk at the local undertakers, but his ambitions lie elsewhere.  He believes he has what it takes to catch the attention of his favourite comic actor, London based Danny Boon.  The scene in which Billy prepares to tell his boss what he really wants to do in life is genuinely sidesplitting, and one of the most memorable in the film.

Courtenay makes palpable Billy’s frustration at being trapped in such a closed community, with a family who’s aspirations reach no further than his mother’s hopes of having her favourite song played on the radio (something unlikely to happen since Billy forgot to post her request letter).  It’s impossible not to root for him to escape to London and take on the world.

The only person who truly knows Billy is not one of his duo of brides to be, but the alluring free spirit Liz (a young Julie Christie).  She alone is wise to Billy’s playful but alienating penchant to fib, and she disarms him into revealing his vulnerabilities and even inviting her to help govern his beloved Ambrosia.  “I turn over a new leaf everyday” Billy confides in her, “but the blotches soak through.”  She is the perfect foil for Billy’s character, and challenges him to take action and strike out.  Billy’s fantasies however are as much fuelled by guilt at not doing right by his family as they are by his ego, and his loyalties become divided.

Fifty years on Billy Liar remains as irresistible as its titular rogue, and for anyone who can relate to the tension he feels between going his own way and supporting his bewildered but loving family, it’s a film destined to hold a special place in their heart.

Blu-ray extras: Remembering Billy Liar with Tom Courtenay and Helen Fraser, Interview with Richard Ayoade, A look through the Keith Waterhouse Archive with British Library Curator Zoe Wilcox, Interview with Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley, Stills Gallery, Trailer

Army of Shadows (12)

The restored French classic L'armée des ombres is re-released on Blu-ray this Monday.

Army of Shadows (12) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Having been critically panned on release in France in 1969 and subsequently denied a theatrical run in the US, after a thorough restoration over thirty five years later, Army of Shadows has finally found recognition.  It is director Jean-Pierre Melville’s final word on the French resistance in wartime France, of which he himself was a member.

Lino Ventura plays Philippe Gerbier, a chief in the French resistance in German occupied France, 1942.  We first meet Gerbier on his way to a prison camp, having been betrayed by one of his subordinates.  From here Melville unravels a harrowing tale of ethical dilemmas, split loyalties and courage of a type that only those who lived through such times can fully comprehend.

A bleak portrait is painted of life for the resistance members, one of near futility as their efforts seem to consist almost solely of evading capture and risking their lives with no reliable way of knowing who to trust, only to find out that the powers that be consider them of little use against the German war machine.  Melville poses questions such as whether ones own life has any value in the grand scheme of things, particularly if one feels of little use to anyone alive.  The tension between personal friendships and loyalty to a cause is also explored, leaving you with unsettlingly ambiguous thoughts that hint at the kinds of things that kept the resistance members awake at night.

Melville’s typically sparse and minimalist mise-en-scène reinforces the chillingly matter of fact atmosphere.  Characters pace through scenes, their footsteps echoing as the camera lingers in a way that leaves the audience room for a quiet sobriety of thought, of a kind that the fast cutting and handheld camerawork of more recent war films can only dream.

Éric Demarsan’s haunting score is evocative of Cold War-esque melancholy secrecy.  The icy strings and poignant piano melody weave a non-specific yet memorable soundscape to reflect the troubled and cagey characters.  The performances throughout are superbly restrained and affecting, particularly those of Ventura in the lead and Simone Signoret as resistance member Mathilde, a character whose personal ethical hell is perhaps the most sympathetic.

While slow and intellectually demanding, like a ponderous game of chess, Army of Shadows remains a treasure trove for anyone looking for a vivid and challenging insight into the experiences of the French resistance, told in a beautiful cinematic style which is now sadly all but forgotten.

Blu-ray extras: Army of Shadows - The Hidden Side of the Story (Documentary), Booklet on the movie written by Ginette Vincendeau (Professor and Film Critic)

Lincoln (12A)

Spielberg's latest masterpiece (really!) is still in cinemas... catch it before it bags a load of Oscars on the 24th!

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

Lincoln (12A)

Steven Spielberg had to ask three times to convince Daniel Day-Lewis to don the iconic stovepipe, believing Lincoln wouldn’t be worth filming without the talents of the worlds best actor.  The film centres on the abolition of the slave trade, and we first meet Lincoln visiting his battle weary troops, finding black soldiers as earnest and loyal as any.  From there we witness his uphill struggle to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, to outlaw slavery once and for all. 

Like all exceptional biographical films, Lincoln doesn’t simply follow the character from cradle to grave, but tells the story of the choices he made under the greatest pressures of his life, thus revealing the man’s heart.  Spielberg has never made a more mature and thoughtful film, with his carefully tempered use of harrowing battle scenes and gory images serving to demonstrate the cost of the Civil War, and the high stakes with which Lincoln was faced.

A film so steeped in politics risks being dry and laborious, and while there are scenes that require a greater than average investment of attention, they always pay off tenfold thanks to Spielberg’s decision not to shoot until Tony Kushner’s script had been fine tuned to perfection.  The wit and sparkle with which history is brought to life is remarkable, and sets a new standard for historical biopics.

Day-Lewis’ performance has been roundly lauded as uncanny, but there’s no chance of distraction from the story despite awe of his performance, because Day-Lewis has uncovered a character so authentically humble that you forget you’re watching a film, and experience something of what the man himself might have been like.  Tommy Lee Jones is also on top form as Thaddeus Stevens, injecting his incisive insults with delicious venom; just one example of the delightful humour Kushner uses to bring periodic levity.

Another film about slavery is on release concurrently with Lincoln, Django Unchained.  While Django represents a fictional and unrighteous attack on slavery, Lincoln is the opposite, telling a true story of a righteous assault on evil.  Important questions are raised as Lincoln ponders that we don’t choose to be born, and are perhaps therefore made for our time with a specific job to do.  It’s food for thought for Christians considering God’s purpose in their lives, and Lincoln’s ultimate triumph is an encouragement to fight injustice even against odds which, from an earthly perspective, seem insurmountable.

Short Circuit (PG)

This 80s classic was my favourite film when I was about 6, and it's out on Blu-ray and DVD today!

Short Circuit (PG) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Eighties cult classic Short Circuit is pure daft fun.  Packed with goofy American humour and anchored by a warm hearted moral about the universality of morality, the movie is a childhood favourite for many and sure to become one for generations to come.

‘Number Five’ begins existence as a lifeless robot, built to do the army’s bidding and act as a cutting edge military deterrent.  Suddenly lightening strikes (literally), flooding consciousness through his circuits and gifting him with a squeaky voice and instantaneous lust for life.  The now living machine sets off on a hyper-curious exploration of the world, initially oblivious to the panicking armed forces hot on his tail.

Newton Crosby is Number Five’s charming genius inventor, modestly portrayed by a subdued Steve Guttenburg, and Ben Jebituya is his stereotypical nerdy assistant-cum-sidekick, who is to prone to making arguably excessively racy jokes for a PG rated film.

The onscreen oestrogen and obligatory love interest comes in the shape of Stephanie Speck, an animal loving, UFO believing pseudo-hippy.  Her heart is won by Number Five’s malice-free nature, and they enjoy a dance in front of director John Badham’s own Saturday Night Fever, playing on the television. Ally Sheedy fills Speck’s character with no small measure of irresistibility, delivering a spritely and memorable performance in a film where for the most part the best actor is the robot.

Though patchy in quality, the script is nothing if not upbeat and much mirth is to be had from Number Five’s zany and surreal one-liners (“Hey, laser-lips, your mama was a snowblower”)!  Director John Badham’s life affirming mid-career effort is heavily indebted to Steven Spielberg's far superior E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, released four years previously.  Upon discovering Number Five outside her house, Speck even thinks he is an alien, and is delighted as he swiftly picks up human ways.  The film does however carve it’s own unique spot in eighties movie history, with an impressive character design crowned with ingeniously emotive ‘eyebrows’.

Anyone with at least one working eyeball will notice the plain-as-day similarities between Number Five and WALL-E, with their caterpillar perambulators and binocular optics.  Pixar’s Andrew Stanton stated that he ‘may have been subconsciously influenced’ by Short Circuit, presumably using the subconscious as a metaphor for tracing paper.  The bottom line of the matter is of course that Short Circuit came first, but WALL-E is the better film.

It won’t move your soul, unless you’re under five, and it won’t teach you anything new, unless you know less than a dead piece of metal, but Short Circuit is mostly harmless escapism fit for all the family (bar a few blue gags).  It’s worth a look, and the kids will love it.

Blu-ray & DVD extras: Commentary by director John Badham and writers S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock, Original theatrical trailer, ‘The Creation of Number 5’, Cast and crew interviews, Behind the scenes featurette

Room 237 (15)

This curious documentary about arguably the greatest horror film of all time is out in cinemas today!

Room 237 (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Some films stay with you forever, and ever, and ever.  So reads the cleverly referential tagline for Room 237, a whistle stop tour of nine conspiracy theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece, The Shining.  Many films have been pored over in search of hidden meanings, but apparently none more so than Kubrick’s ode to terror, with interpretations ranging from the bizarre (it’s really about the moon landings!) to the almost believable.

Documentary filmmaker and horror fanatic Rodney Ascher has assembled a film that essentially consists of audio interviews accompanied by visuals from Kubrick’s films.  There is also the occasional filler footage, which is largely unimaginative and borderline amateurish.  This is kept to a minimum however, and Kubrick’s peerless imagery is allowed to speak for itself, making Room 237, more than anything else, a reminder of how breathtaking Kubrick’s cinematography is.

The soundtrack is an array of tributes to 1970s horror music, which works for the film but isn’t quite on topic, as The Shining featured an innovative mix of contemporary classical music and Wendy Carlos’ dread inspiring electronic compositions.  Few of the interviewees are notable, all apparently experts in very obscure fields (hermetic and alchemical traditions for example!), the exception being ABC news correspondent Bill Blakemore, one of the few contributors with anything bordering on plausible to say.

The so called ‘hidden meanings’ are mostly absurd to the point of being comical.  Ascher presents his subject matter with tongue-in-cheek, pokerfaced gravity, helping make the film palatable to a wider audience as a humourous insight into the minds of conspiracy theorists.  One theory stands out as being true however, as The Shining is to an extent a metaphorical allegory of the genocide of the Native Americans.  Throwing a little truth into the mix of madness makes the audience sensitive to the possibility that there might be shreds of truth in the other explorations, helping to keep you engaged and open minded with the thought that Room 237 might not just be a kaleidoscope of rambling nutters.

Die Hard film buffs and Kubrick devotees will get the most out of the film, as it directly appeals to the obsessive mindset of the kind of cineaste who likes nothing more than to slip film quotes into conversation, or to tell you that in Casablanca nobody ever actually says “Play it again, Sam”.  The market for this film isn’t quite that limited however, as conspiracy theories are brain food for some and outlandish entertainment for others.  Ascher’s film cleverly taps both these points of view, making it an amusing curiosity for all.  Even if you can’t swallow the ideas presented there is still fun to be had.  Now why not read this review backwards and find out what it was really about.

Les Enfants du Paradis (PG)

Timeless classic of French cinema, available on Blu-ray and DVD from Monday 17th September.

Les Enfants du Paradis (PG) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Voted ‘The best French film ever made’ by the French Film Academy, this stunningly restored edition of Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) is a sumptuous cinematic treat.  Garance, a courtesan and actress iconically played by Arletty, one of the great beauties of the twentieth century, is pursued by four very different yet equally amorous gents.

Principal among them and the only one for whom Garance has any reciprocal feeling, is the unappreciated but brilliant mime-artist Baptiste.  At their first meeting, the mime uses his performance skills to demonstrate Garance’s innocence when she is falsely accused of pickpocketing.  Their paths diverge however when Baptiste hesitates in wooing her, and they each settle for loveless relationships whilst longing that their paths might cross again.

Jean-Louis Barrault plays Baptiste, a character modelled on real life nineteenth century mime-artist Jean-Gaspard Deburau, whom Barrault had been fascinated by ever since hearing how he had beaten a street-boy to death for taunting him in front of his family.  The other male characters are largely also based on real people, such as intellectual criminal Pierre-François Lacenaire, who stakes his own claim to Garance’s heart.  The romance is a catalyst allowing these disparate characters to be explored in one story.

Director Marcel Carné is known for his affinity with the working classes, and though Les Enfants du Paradis is about the theatre, it is also about the paying masses on who’s dreams and fantasies actors and writers live.  The cheap-ticket holding common folk are even affectionately referred to as ‘the gods’, as their laughs and gasps at whatever drama unfolds on stage is acknowledged as the theatre’s true lifeblood.  The balconies where these ‘gods’ are seated were referred to colloquially as ‘paradis’, hence the actors are their dependent offspring.

The Oscar nominated script by Jacques Prévert is a soul-searching, despairing treasure-trove of wit and humour, with dazzling dialogue full of memory-branding lines.  The soft, abstract-shadow filled cinematography is an interesting contrast to the razor-sharp imagery that is in fashion today, and Maurice Thiriet’s fabulously restored score is a frenzy of orchestral emotion.

Many will likely be daunted at the prospect of an old black and white French film that runs over three hours and takes place largely in the confines of a theatre setting, but anyone who gives it a half a chance is sure to have their hearts won over.  It is unashamedly melodramatic but uproariously entertaining, not to mention technically dazzling and even something of a miracle, given that it was shot during the years of France’s Nazi occupation.

The anguish filled finale is every bit as much a sledgehammer to the heart as those of better known dark classics like The Third Man and Brazil.  At one point a character muses “Audiences want something new... novelty, what does that mean?”  Les Enfants du Paradis could be that something for present day audiences, a rediscovered relic of cinema from another time and place.

Blu-ray & DVD extras: Theatre, Love and War: Making Les Enfants du Paradis, Once Upon a Time... Les Enfants du Paradis, The Restoration, The Restoration - Before and After, Trailer

Dexter Fletcher's Directing Tips - Part I

Earlier this month I had the privilege of interviewing veteran British actor Dexter Fletcher at the prestigious St. Ermin's Hotel in London.  He began his career as a child actor in classics such as Bugsy Malone and The Elephant Man, before progressing to adult roles in the likes of Band of Brothers and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.  He recently made his impressive directorial debut with the critically acclaimed low budget gangster drama Wild Bill, after the success of which he claims to have caught ‘the directing bug’ and is already hard at work helming his next project.  As a filmmaker I was keen to learn from his experience, and here I'll share the first half of his top ten directing tips.  Check back soon for the rest!  Wild Bill was released on Blu-ray and DVD on the 23rd July.  (Picture: Dexter Fletcher as SSgt. John Martin in Band of Brothers).

1. Settle on a project - what story do you want to tell and why?

“Filmmaking is storytelling” said Fletcher, and it is a fact that most budding filmmakers have a million and one ideas floating around their heads, but lack the decisiveness to settle on one and put the time and work into making it happen.  Fletcher had some helpful thoughts on how to overcome this common problem, “Choosing projects is about whether there’s a story in there that [you] can connect to and want to tell, because then you’re telling a story that means something to you.”

Filmmaking is far too much hard work to bother with if you don’t care about the story you’re telling!  Find material you connect with and go for it.

2. Be aware you’re making a product - how can you sell it?

Many fresh faced filmmakers want their work to be 100% Krzysztof Kieślowski and 0% James Cameron, and then wonder why they can’t find an audience, let alone make a living!  Depending on the balance of art and commercial viability in your personal dreams as a moviemaker, you might want to rethink that balance depending on where you see yourself in ten years: still working at Blockbuster and sharing your weekend passion projects with friends and family, or wining and dining with Brad and Angelina on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith 4!  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be auteur, but even the best know they need to make a buck.

Some words of wisdom from Fletcher, “The art takes care of itself to a large extent, it’s the commerciality that you need to keep half an eye on.  You’re not just here to be an auteur and make an artistic piece of film that no one’s going to want to see... what’s the point of doing that?  Think about what’s going to be good in the trailer!  There’s a guy getting kicked in the balls in my film, it wasn’t my first choice but I was talking to an editor of trailers once and he’s like, ‘always the shot they want is someone getting kicked in the nuts.’  It’s a great trailer shot because everyone goes ‘ooh!’  It gets a response.  It seems kind of mercenary and calculated but there’s nothing wrong with it, you are making a product.”

3. Cast big names - what have you got to lose?

“Start with Brad Pitt and work your way down!” joked Fletcher, but he was serious too.  Apparently the first thing most investors asked about Wild Bill was ‘who’s in it?’  Make no mistake, star power counts.  Case in point, Gemma Arterton was originally cast in Wild Bill but couldn’t make it at the last minute.  Would the film have done bigger business at the box office had she made it?  You’d better believe it.  But how can directors yet to make their debut hope to cast known stars in their shoestring budget labours of love?  “The great thing about our industry is that the people who are involved in it genuinely love film...” said Fletcher, “if you’ve got a good script and a good story that you believe in, and a great opportunity for an actor to do something different, then you’ve got nothing to lose by asking them.  What I tried to do was offer great actors the chance to do something different.  If they love it and respond they’ll turn up for a sandwich and a good scene.”

There are plenty of examples of big name actors lending their talents to low budget productions for purely art’s sake, (see John Hurt in the 2011 short film Sailcloth).  So pick up the phone and make the call, because if you’ve got a top script the talent’s not as hard to tap as you think.

4. Get lucky - live in hope!

So many things have to go exactly right for a film to be made that it’s a miracle every time one is finished.  With that in mind, anyone who has made a film deserves respect for seeing the project through to the end (yes, even Uwe Boll), but one thing that never hurts is a little luck.  “Any moment you can get lucky!” said Fletcher.

Be it luck or divine providence, unplanned moments of brilliance can give your film a unique edge, and they do happen!  One such moment occurred on the set of Wild Bill, resulting in a shot of which Fletcher is especially proud: a paper aeroplane is thrown from high up a block of flats... the camera follows it perfectly as it soars through the air for twenty seconds plus.  It is a sensational shot.  However, such events cannot be bargained on, and Fletcher reminds us to be realistic, “Where there’s no luck, then adaptability is going to be the next option.”

5. Work hard and be flexible - roll with the punches

“Obviously there’re no guarantees for [luck] so you also have to work hard” said Fletcher.  A large part of walking the walk as a filmmaker is having the passion and commitment to put in the blood, sweat and long hours it takes to see a project through to completion.  Make no mistake, there can be just as much pressure on set as fun and then some, and it is true that when the going gets tough the tough get going.  “Save the stress for when you get home” continued Fletcher, acknowledging the pressure that he sometimes felt on the set of Wild Bill.  “You’re going to hit bumps and roadblocks all the way and it’s about making sure you can keep things moving.”

Don’t give up then, even when there are fraying tempers.  Just remember that if you keep your head, and aren’t afraid to improvise solutions, then everyone will be friends again by the end of the day.  Prime example, unexpected snow in London prevented Fletcher from shooting a crucial scene as planned.  Did he panic?  Far from it!  He improvised a swift relocation and shot the scene in a cafe instead.  It might sound like a compromise, but sometimes a spanner in the works can lead to an even more effective outcome than originally planned.  Let it happen, roll with it!  Just make sure that as much of the heart of your script makes it to the screen as possible.  The rest is peripheral.

To be concluded!  Meanwhile why not check out the trailer for Wild Bill.

(This article was originally written for FilmJuice and can be found here).

Dark Horse (15)

Polarising director Todd Solondz's latest 'sad comedy' hits UK cinemas this Friday 29th June.

Dark Horse (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Dark Horse, Todd Solondz’s latest philosophical romp is both a step in a new direction and a throwback to his glory days when he was renowned for his playfully (and painfully) harsh comedies Happiness and Storytelling.  Abe is a thirty-something man-child whose belated attempts at growing up manifest as well-intentioned mistakes and a naively fast-tracked romance.

Before Solondz reveals his trademark ‘awkward couple’ opening scene, he boldly declares this film will be different from his previous work by starting with a sarcastically over-the-top dance set-piece at a wedding.  It’s here that Abe meets the perpetually tranquilised Miranda (an on-form Selma Blair, effectively reprising her role as Vi from Storytelling).  Abe’s chat-up line?  “I don’t dance.  It’s just not my thing.”  Miranda’s response?  “...Uh huh.”  Cue fairy tale romance!

The central part of Abe is a talent showcase for the formidable Jordan Gelber, best known previously for his work on Boardwalk Empire.  Gelber successfully performs the unenviable task of making an unlikable character relatable and is deadpan enough to convince that Abe is truly oblivious to the achingly obvious errors that he makes.  Christopher Walken turns in an unusually quiet performance as Abe’s disappointed dad who has long given up hope that his son might be a late bloomer.

For fans looking for a dose of the cruel, puppy-strangling cynicism served with vitriolic panache that Solondz has become known for, it might come as something of a letdown that Dark Horse is a more mellow effort from the auteur.  If the film was a person, it would still have acid for blood, but it would be pumped by a warm heart.  For example, after going on a misanthropic rant, like letting pus bleed out from his angry, wounded soul (“we’re all horrible people!”) Abe is brought down to Earth by his well adjusted mother reminding him that she cares about him, even if no one else does.  It’s a scene where Solondz perhaps admits that his negative worldview might seem true on a generalised scale but not on an intimate one.

However, movie-goers unversed in Solondz’s often shocking writing best stay away if hoping for anything resembling a ‘feel good factor.’  Don’t be deceived by the marketing calling the film a comedy, a ploy so often used to lure the unsuspecting to see films more likely to leave them in tears than in stitches (Synecdoche, New York is a prime example).  There is humour but it’s wrapped so tightly in tragedy that you’ll be chuckling through clenched teeth.  There’s palpable awkwardness at every turn and, though some find that kind of thing delicious, others find it nauseating.  Solondz knows this of course and both reactions are probably intended!

The director has put together another memorable soundtrack, the highlight being the recurring theme song that is Michael Kisur’s excellent ‘Who You Wanna Be’, used to ironic effect.  The film is infused with a more surreal edge than Solondz has toyed with before, the narrative draining away as the plughole of Abe’s subconscious is released, so that by the time the credits roll you’ll be wondering what really happened and what didn’t.

Dark Horse is a simultaneously tender and abrasive wake up call to those who have delayed starting their adult lives for the sake of clinging to some comforting remnant of childhood security.  Solondz latest ‘sad comedy’ provides plenty of pathos and is sure to divide audiences.  It wouldn’t be Solondz if it didn’t!

Brassed Off (15)

Classic British film from 1996 just re-released on Blu-ray and DVD!

Brassed Off (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Brassed Off is one of the best British films of the nineties, perhaps second only to Trainspotting in terms of homespun cinematic genius.  Set in the fictional South Yorkshire village of Grimley (obviously intended as the real life Grimethorpe, where much of the film was shot, and which at the time was the poorest village in the UK) the film follows a local miners’ brass band as they face financial hardships, and struggle for motivation when it comes to work, family and even the will to live, let alone keeping up their music.

Pete Postlethwaite’s star has hardly shone brighter than it does here.  He plays bandleader Danny, whose coal-filled lungs are only one of a number of problems threatening the existence of the band, the primary one being the imminent closure of the village pit, should its workers vote for redundancy over a financial viability review.  All the musicians are agreed: should the pit close and they lose their jobs, then they will disband forever. Music is first and foremost in Danny’s heart however, and he spurs the jaded men on to compete in the National Brass Band Championships, eyeing the final at the Royal Albert Hall with anticipated pride.

Director Mark Herman (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) expertly guides his audience on a journey of emotional highs and lows, making it impossible not to be cheering the band on as they fight to stay together and compete in the nationals.  The political message is mostly of the non-preachy kind, making it easy to sympathise with the trials of these men who face losing their jobs in the pits, with the script being loosely based on recent historical fact.

The weakest subplot is the romance between Andy and Gloria, played by Ewan McGregor and Tara Fitzgerald.  Thankfully this thread of the story is not overplayed, and more time is given to the gut wrenchingly emotional subplot that follows Danny’s son, Phil, who is locked in a downward spiral as he loses everything near and dear to him.  Even his dignity is left in tatters, as he has to resort to performing as a clown for children’s parties to keep the wolf from the door (barely).  Stephen Tompkinson fills the role with such intensity that you can’t but watch his scenes with gritted teeth.  Seeing him fume in full costume, red nose, baggy trousers and all is a sight to behold, and almost as painfully funny as it is moving.  The script takes this character to dark places indeed, only perhaps going too far during a climactic rampage in a Church.

The drama is woven between montages scored with sublime brass music, all performed by the actual Grimethorpe Brass Band.  This lends the film a warmth and gives it great character, but the montages get a little repetitive after the fourth or fifth one.

With hearty music that gets the blood going, irresistible English humour, tiptop performances and a powerful message, Brassed Off is a magnificent film and well worth a revisit.

Blu-ray extras: Theatrical trailer, Interviews, Subplots, Biographies, Photo Library

The Monk (15)

Out in UK cinemas tomorrow is French horror/drama The Monk (originally 'Le Moine').

The Monk (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

The Monk is the latest big screen adaptation of the classic gothic novel by Matthew Lewis. After being abandoned as a baby on the steps of a monastery in the 17th century, Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel) is raised as a monk and soon becomes renowned for his godly sermons and piety. As with all serious men of God, the Devil makes a beeline for him, relentlessly searching for a weakness.

Because Ambrosio was never exposed to the outside world, he has no experience of the perils and pleasures that those in his congregation must daily face and feel. This sets him up for a monstrous onslaught of temptations, thanks to the all too real influence of the Prince of Darkness himself. His troubles begin as a strange new face enters his life, in the form of Valerio, a soul who has suffered much and wants to withdraw from the world to be with God.

Cassel bottles up his usual angry energy, giving a brooding performance as the distant but intense Ambrosio. The supporting actors aren’t as strong, especially compared with this typically gripping turn by Cassel, but their efforts are plenty adequate to not be distracting.

Marking director Dominik Moll’s most ambitious project to date, The Monk offers a dark and oppressive vision of 17th century France. Fans of the book might be sorry to see that some of the more visceral thrills found in its pages have been replaced by a more subtle style of horror, one that creeps under the skin and leaves you feeling uneasy. Moll brings out the elements of the subject matter that provoke thoughts of real life horrors, things impossible to portray on screen; unseen terrors which we all must face. That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t provide thrills for the horror movie fan, it’s just that the focus is more on the impact that Ambrosio’s testing has on his character.

Alberto Iglesias scores The Monk with a bombastic and almost over the top soundtrack, full of ominous choral cues and Church-like echoes amping the eeriness. Patrick Blossier’s cinematography makes striking use of contrast, giving most of the film a dim and slightly sepia look, only turning the colour and brightness to eleven for a series of dream sequences. These could have done with a more creative effort from Moll as one would think that Ambrosio’s subconscious would be the perfect canvas on which to further highlight how far removed his impression of reality is from that of others.

The Monk is a haunting portrait of a tragically flawed character; a well-intentioned man who finds out the hard way that his faith wasn’t so strong after all. The film never pretends that evil isn’t a genuine power, a refreshing concept these days and one that disturbs with great precision. Go into this expecting to have your mind toyed with, as well as your emotions.

La Grande Illusion (U)

This influential French classic is out on DVD and Blu-ray next week, and currently on re-release in cinemas.

La Grande Illusion (U) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

La Grande Illusion, the undisputed masterpiece by pioneering French filmmaker Jean Renoir, looks better now than it ever has thanks to a breathtaking restoration. Famously an inspiration to future directing giants including Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese, in 75 years La Grande Illusion has lost none of its ability to move and surprise.

Based on true accounts of the First World War, including Renoir’s personal recollections, the story sees Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), Lieutenant Marechal (Jean Gabin) and Jewish banker Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio) captured behind enemy lines by the aristocratic Captain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim). They are put in a POW camp, and after an escape attempt are remanded at a maximum security fortress, under Rauffenstein’s command.

The colourful and contrasting characters that populate the story help make every scene gripping and entertaining. The great von Stroheim’s authoritative presence is as palpable as ever, and Fresnay brings an air of pure courage to the memorable Boeldieu. Little Early Peters who played the adorable Lotte towards the end of the film, sadly never saw the finished product, having died tragically from flu only weeks before the premiere.

Upon release in 1937 the film was considered a controversial and subversive indictment of war, prompting Joseph Goebbels to refer to Renoir as ‘Cinematic Public Enemy Number One’. Although eventually banned in Italy, La Grande Illusion was so well received at the Venice Film Festival that a new award called the Grand Jury Prize was devised and bestowed upon it, to avoid giving it the Mussolini Prize!

What sets the film apart from most war films is the way in which soldiers from both sides are presented with equal sympathy. French and Germans alike are portrayed as dutiful patriots, all too aware of the absurdity and human cost of the great conflict in which they find themselves. The gentlemanly friendship between the well-mannered but fearless Boeldieu and the weary Rauffenstein, painfully highlights the tragedy of would-be comrades cruelly pitted against each other by a seemingly endless war.

From his brilliantly choreographed camerawork to his intricate building of tension and character, Renoir’s cinematic influence has echoed throughout the 20th Century. When even the genius behind Citizen Kane calls a film the greatest ever made, there’s no taking it lightly! To this day La Grande Illusion is an innovative and essential classic, making the opportunity to revisit or discover it for the first time, unmissable.

Blu-ray extras: La Petite Marchande d’Allumettes from Jean Renoir (short film), Trailers: 1937 & 1958 (introduced by Jean Renoir), Francoise Giroud remembers shooting the film, Introduction by Ginette Vincendeau, Success and controversy, John Truby talks about La Grande Illusion, Restoring La Grande Illusion, The story of the original negative.

Life Is Beautiful (PG)

Italian modern classic Life Is Beautiful... out on Blu-ray Monday 2nd April!

Life Is Beautiful (PG) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni’s 1997 multi-Oscar winning triumph is a timeless modern fairytale. Set in 1930s Italy, Benigni plays the ingenious and good natured Guido. When the beautiful Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni’s wife) literally falls out of the sky and into his arms, Guido is instantly smitten. A series of gloriously fortunate events later the couple are married and have a son, and look likely to live happily ever after. However, after this uplifting opening the story takes a dark turn, as the Nazi’s whisk the young family off to a concentration camp. There Guido must use his vivid imagination to protect his wife and son from the surrounding horrors.

The first half of the film is crafted with such delightful creativity that the title seems beyond apt. Said title in fact originates from a quote by a holocaust survivor; a quote that helped to convince the filmmakers that it wasn’t inappropriate to make a comedy set during one of history’s darkest chapters.

Benigni’s slapstick combined with clever narrative contrivances make the opening hour fly by like a dream. The film’s tone then changes suddenly from a light and summery comedy, to a dark and harrowing recreation of the holocaust. This transition is jarring, perhaps deliberately so in order to contrast the graveness of the second half with the beauty of the first. With desperate heroism Guido maintains a ruse to his son that in fact they have gone to a holiday resort, where they must a play a game and win points. The implausibility of the story that seemed so appropriate earlier in the film, doesn’t quite work from this point onward. The filmmakers clearly realised this, because narration was added later to further explain that the story was intended as a fairytale.

All the contrivances, however brilliant, can’t help but add up to something of a predictable finale; a finale that highlights the one dimensionality of Guido as a character. But, the writing is such and the point of the story so obvious and noble, that these flaws can be overlooked.

The cast is uniformly fantastic, from Benigni’s heartwarming and Oscar winning central performance, to Giorgio Cantarini’s sublime debut as his little son. Interestingly, Cantarini went on to play the son of Maximus in Gladiator, likely giving him the finest filmography of any eight year old at the time! Nicoletta Braschi also shines as Guido’s devoted wife, playing her part perfectly in one of the most wonderfully touching romances ever seen on the silver screen.

The magic and warmth of Nicola Piovani’s unforgettable score makes it perhaps the most deserving of the film’s three Academy Awards, and the emotive cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli gives the film the feeling of a sumptuous classic.

Life Is Beautiful is an enchanting fable, and one of the most successful non-English language films to date. Uniquely poignant and full of joy, it firmly deserves its reputation as a must-see latter-day classic.

Blu-ray extras: Introduction by Martin Scorsese, Revisiting Life Is Beautiful - 15 years after featurette, Making of featurette, Trailer, B-roll.

The Living Wake (15)

Just out on DVD this week is the hilarious and thoughtful The Living Wake. FilmJuice are running a competition, so for your chance to win a copy just click here!

The Living Wake (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

The Living Wake is an absurdist comedy of the highest order. K. Roth Binew (Mike O’Connell) is an eccentric with an expiry date. His Doctor has diagnosed him with a mysterious disease, the only known fact of which is the precise moment at which the sufferer will die. Accompanied by his friend and devotee Mills Joquin (Jesse Eisenberg) K. Roth spends his last day making a last ditch search for the meaning of life, and ensuring that once he’s gone he will not be forgotten.

K. Roth is a character of such inventive wit and passion that it’s hard to believe he’s on the verge of death. O’Connell perfectly inhabits the character, embracing every ridiculous implication of his nature. Without such a strong turn The Living Wake would have been a lesser affair, but as it is his performance makes the film a blast. Shunned by his family and desperate for recognition, K. Roth is a character custom-made for young artists to relate to.

Director Sol Tryon clearly drew inspiration from the works of Hal Ashby and Wes Anderson, particularly Harold and Maude and The Royal Tenenbaums. The way Tryon frames a shot is unmistakably reminiscent of the quirky yet matter of fact look that has become a signature of Anderson’s work; but Tryon keeps safely on the right side of the line between style stealing and paying homage.

The story’s whacky reality takes a few minutes to warm to, but once it gets going the film is consistently entertaining. Some of the supporting parts are underdeveloped and cheesy, but this is mostly redeemed by the strength and depth of the central characters.

Jesse Eisenberg brings a quieter brand of comedy to the show, expertly complementing O’Connell’s over the top performance with a less showy but equally effective one. Though sometimes mute, the rest of the time Mills makes no less clever use of the English language than K. Roth does. The script (jointly written by O’Connell and Peter Kline) is alive with wordplay and charm, achieving an impressive balance between its dark themes and surreal jokes.

O’Connell also contributed to the music, collaborating with Carter Little to produce a delightfully peculiar soundtrack interwoven with songs, lending the production a heightened dreamlike quality.

Though undeniably off the wall the film retains a sombre edge, as if lamenting the transience of life without ceasing to beguile its audience (just like K. Roth’s living wake). Tryon has crafted a production that enthralls with gags and mayhem, whilst subtly presenting a bleak and thought provoking worldview.

Tiny Furniture (15)

Out in cinemas this week: Tiny Furniture. Hardly worth the price of admission, but very much worth reading the review to find out why!

Tiny Furniture (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Lena Dunham’s second feature film as writer, director and star is a semi-autobiographical coming of age comedy. Technically it is several steps ahead of her last effort ‘Creative Nonfiction’, but covers much the same ground about the life of a young woman (Aura, played by Dunham) with a frustratingly unknowable future. In the former film she was a student, whereas here she is a graduate returning home to her family (played by Dunham’s actual family!) where she must either remember who she is, or discover who she is going to be.

Aura drifts lazily between different aspects of her new life, from finding work to relating to her family, and most of all looking for boys. Unsurprisingly the film presents a distinctly feminine point of view, with everything from dolling up to recently grown body parts getting a mention. Tiny Furniture is much more likely to appeal to female audiences.

Aura finds herself in adventures involving meeting new faces, experimenting with drugs, sex, and finding a job. She goes to parties, scolds her sister for filling the house with noisy teens, and invites a man she barely knows to live with her and share a bed. She fumbles through this early stage of her none too eventful life, getting burnt here, finding pleasure there... unsophisticatedly getting her bearings on her existence as many do. End of film; and that right there is the trouble... Tiny Furniture doesn’t have much substance. It’s like a dramatised diary entry of a woman in her mid-twenties put on screen for all to see... you don’t have to be a psychoanalyst to spot the exhibitionist in Lena Dunham.

The thing that is impressive is Dunham’s obvious growth as an artist. Where Creative Nonfiction looked frankly home made, this is shot with an elegant confidence rarely seen from young filmmakers. Though it may seem lacklustre, Tiny Furniture is a definite gauntlet for wannabe filmmakers everywhere to get off their posteriors, film the scripts saved on their coffee stained laptops and get them in front of an audience.

The curious soundtrack by newcomer Teddy Blanks is infectious and uplifting, a perfect fit for Dunham’s endearingly Woody Allen-esque mumblecore work. Edit-wise the film could have done without the final twenty minutes or so, with Dunham finally succumbing to repeating herself self-indulgently.

Although most will likely find it an overlong navel gazing fest, the cheeky laughs and likable, if not memorable, vibe make this an undiminishable achievement for Dunham.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (12A)

Best Picture Oscar nominee still in cinemas!

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (12A)

The latest film by director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) follows nine year old Oskar Schell as he struggles to cope with grief after losing his father on 9/11. Oskar may or may not suffer from Asperger’s syndrome, and needs to hone his interpersonal skills as well as face his many fears and phobias.

Tom Hanks plays Oskar’s father Thomas, a likable character deliberately played one dimensionally so as to portray Oskar’s feelings and memories of him. Oskar loves everything about his dad from his familiar behavioural quirks, to the ingenious outdoor ‘missions’ that he devises. These are elaborate treasure hunts for Oskar; so when post 9/11 the boy finds an old key of his dad’s without a lock, he sets about investigating its purpose, considering this his father’s final challenge.

Though played with startling passion by rising star Thomas Horn, Oskar makes something of a grating lead character. He carries a tambourine everywhere with which to calm his nerves, but for the audience it’s constant rattle is rather irritating. Sandra Bullock is very believable as Oskar’s widowed mother, and the legendary Max von Sydow is brilliant as a mysterious mute.

The film’s tone is one of intense sincerity, and while that might be necessary to remain reverent of 9/11, it forces the story to a place where it only rarely rings true. Daldry intended that the film be released in time for the tenth anniversary of 9/11, so now unfortunately the story feels belated. Had it been produced sooner after the fact then the film may well have had greater impact, but as it is the effect is dampened.

The world portrayed is one where questions do not always have answers, and where atrocities are as meaningless as Oskar’s efforts to understand them. It is true to life then, but only as perceived by souls living by sight alone. No comfort or consolation is presented, just the need to come to terms with the meaninglessness. This leaves the viewer feeling somewhat empty when the credits roll.

Others have called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close the weakest of this year’s Best Picture Oscar nominees, and with good reason. The story is untimely and delivers a mixed message, but the solid performances and harrowing depictions of the World Trade Centre attacks just about make it worth seeing.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (12)

The new documentary from the man who brought you Super Size Me is out on DVD & Blu-ray this Monday 27th February.

(Below is the film's full title below, for sponsorship reasons!)

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (12)
(This review on FilmJuice.com)

Morgan Spurlock’s latest documentary (brought to you by POM Wonderful...) is an uproarious look at product placement and advertising in the entertainment industries, itself funded by product placement and sponsorships! After a whirlwind introduction to its themes, we see Spurlock pitching the film’s concept to potential sponsors and branding partners. At this point he doesn’t know whether his ingenious idea will work: to reveal the inner workings of film advertising and co-promotion, whilst simultaneously pitching for funds to get the film made! As the poster declared, ‘He’s not selling out, he’s buying in.’

Spurlock’s aim was to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of advertising in the entertainment industries, and to unpack how the world’s biggest blockbusters (cough Avatar cough...) make their billions with the help of sponsors and branding. He more than succeeds, with unexpected facts and revelations galore about marketing. Candid interviews with big name directors from J.J. Abrams to Quentin Tarantino give the film added weight (Avatar producer Jon Landau probably declined to comment).

Anyone who has seen Spurlock’s acclaimed (and infamous) documentary Super Size Me, will be familiar with his breezy and engrossing style of filmmaking. This film builds on that style with even more polish and watchability. In his 2011 television series 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die, Spurlock coined the term ‘gateway documentary’, meaning a documentary so accessible and universal that it serves well as an introduction to the genre. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is so packed with infectious charm and ironic laughs, that it might just be the greatest gateway doc ever.

As Spurlock signs deal after deal with various sponsors, he soon faces a real conflict between maintaining artistic control (it’s made all too plain that sponsors couldn’t care less about art) and losing that control to the sponsors and branding partners, who use endless contracts to protect themselves against libel. Even though it’s obvious before watching that Spurlock succeeded in getting the film made, it remains fascinating to watch how he explores the line between selling out and buying in.

Particularly eyeopening is the Clockwork Orange-esque method used to vet and refine many Hollywood trailers and T.V. adverts, in order to provoke the most positive audience response possible. Test audiences are monitored by CAT scan machines whilst being shown various edits of unfinished trailers and adverts, with activity in the parts of their brain that elicit emotional responses recorded.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is mind tinglingly insightful, from facts on the deliberately stupefying effects of advertising (because it can’t work on the sceptical or questioning!) to the strange beauty of São Paulo in Brazil, where all outdoor advertising has been banned. If there’s a conclusion, it is that advertising is so pervasive in today’s world that to avoid it you either have to go to sleep, or to São Paolo.

Extras: Workin’ Nine to Five (am): POM Behind-the-Scenes, The Greatest Vacation Destination: Aruba, Deleted Scenes, Delving into the Consumer Unconscious: Extended Scene, The Greatest Commercials You’ll Ever See.

Jack Goes Boating (15)

Fantastic film from one of the best actors in the world, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Out on DVD & Blu-ray Monday 27th Feb.

Jack Goes Boating (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut is a blistering gem of a bittersweet romance. Adapted for the screen by Robert Glaudini from his own play of the same title, the story follows the love lives of four central characters. The titular Jack is a sensitive soul trying to make the best of his average life, and is inexperienced when it comes to relationships. One day he decides to take a chance and go on a blind date at the recommendation of close friend Clyde (John Ortiz). Connie, Jack’s date (the lovely Amy Ryan) hints that she’d love to go boating one day, and so Jack learns to swim so that he can make her wish come true.

Clyde and his wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) are almost parent-like figures to Jack, as they advise and enable him to woo Connie, with whom he hits it off from day one. They seem a perfect match, each as timid and unpretentious as the other. At the other end of the spectrum Clyde and Lucy’s marriage is showing some serious cracks, as past indiscretions gnaw on their minds and ruin the good that they have. Jack witnesses these painful realities and has to decide whether to take the enormous risks that go with starting a relationship. As always Hoffman plays the part with incomparable intensity.

The plot unfolds with a wealth of delicious dark humour, played to perfection by the accomplished thespians. The writing is a real treat, with some of the most interesting and believable dialogue this side of (vintage) Tarantino. The characters and their relationships are revealed layer by layer with such intricacy and finesse, that reading the screenplay could be compared to dismantling and admiring a fine Swiss cuckoo clock.

Hoffman, Ortiz and Rubin-Vega also starred in the stage play, so clearly it’s a story with characters close to their hearts. The character’s frailties and strengths are painted so vividly that even the absurdity that marks some of their behaviour rings true. At times the film feels a little too much like ‘the Philip Seymour Hoffman show’, with the director letting the camera dwell for longer than perhaps is necessary on his latest powerhouse performance. But on the other hand the man is an undeniable genius in front of the camera even he if he isn’t quite one behind it (yet), and so maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.

Hoffman’s fluid direction coupled with an efficient edit make the film all the more absorbing, and the soundtrack has all the charm and beauty of the very best low budget indies (think Little Miss Sunshine but with more variety). Simply put, Jack Goes Boating is an affecting, unmissable delight.

Extras: UK theatrical trailer, Philip Seymour Hoffman UK Press Conference, Cast interviews.