The Look of Love (18)

The latest collaboration of comic legend Steve Coogan and director Michael Winterbottom is out on DVD and Blu-ray this week.

The Look of Love (18) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

A personal passion project of Steve Coogan’s, The Look of Love reunites him with director Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, The Trip) to tell the tragicomic true story of Paul Raymond, the man who built a fortune on erotic theatre and clubs, owned half of Soho and became the richest man in the UK.

The character of Paul Raymond fits Coogan like a glove; he ticks all the boxes that drive him as a performer - he’s a vilified monster with a lesser known side that’s uncomfortably recognisable as universally human, and his line of business lands him in all manner of surreal and darkly humourous situations.  Winterbottom and Coogan are a dream team, and this was an obvious project for them, the director playing to the actor’s strengths in areas such as improvisation and comedy.

We are introduced to Raymond in his latter years, looking back on the wild ride of his life in the light of a family tragedy that suddenly frames things differently, and for a moment Raymond is quiet, sober and reflective.  The rest of the film is a whirlwind tour of his lavish lifestyle, dizzyingly presented through hyperkinetic editing and eye-popping colours, not to mention nudity in quantities that might have made Raymond himself blush.

Besides the classic song, the title refers to the performance of porn actresses as they’re required to appear to be enjoying what they are doing.  It’s a subtle insight into the falseness behind the marketing of human flesh, that’s still going strong today.  Raymond constantly ignores reminders of the importance of family and the damaging nature of his work, and it’s telling that in their research the filmmakers struggled to find anyone who was truly close to him.

As expected the supporting cast sometimes struggle to keep up with Coogan’s in depth and exploratory performance, particularly in the improvised scenes.  Still strong though are Tamsin Egerton as Amber, one of Raymond’s mistress/muses, and Chris Addison as photographer Tony Power.  British comics from Steven Fry to David Walliams fill out most of the other supporting parts - perhaps comedians are the only ones happy to touch this kind of hot material.

The delivery of the moral is heavy handed but true, King Midas being a parallel so obvious there’s even a scene where Raymond himself ponders it.  For a film that on one hand warns of the dangers of hedonism, it takes a surprising amount of relish providing gratuitous titillation of it’s own; an uncomfortable ambiguity that Coogan and Winterbottom are typically happy to settle for, but also one suggestive that there may yet be answers to the questions posed, even if the filmmakers stop short of discovering them.

DVD Extras: Deleted Scenes, Paul Raymond Timeline, Interviews with Cast and Crew

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

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!

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.