Jamie passion and passionfruit!

As the days go by since seeing this modern morality tale by Mike Leigh, it rises in my estimation.  Seeing how people react when confronted by an extremely optimistic person is fascinating.  Leigh’s film lags a little in places but delivers lots to chew over.  Sally Hawkins as Poppy, the optimist in question performs a tour-de-force managing to be engaging just when we thin she will be unbearable.  Eddie Marsan as Scott, the manic driving instructor is a little over-the-top but credible all the same and London does its bit for the backdrops.  Cracking script and some funny scenes.

* * * *

Gus Van Sant plays it relatively straight in this biopic of slain gay councillor, Harvey Milk.  No great frills or inspiration, just a solid recounting of his eight year rise to fame in San Francisco and his murder at the hands of a jealous/crazy colleague.  Somehow this film for all its correct retelling of the events fails to ignite any great sparks and often comes across as a well-made telefilm.  Van Sant is capable of much more.  Sean ‘Meryl Streep’ Penn creates another highly credible if dullish character, Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch show their chameleon stripes in good supporting roles while James Franco does little and Diego Luna is miscast as Jack his final lover.

* * * * (just)

Achingly beautiful and sad film about the plight of widows in India, set in 1938 with the rise of Gandhi.  A Brahmin law graduate (John Abraham) falls in love with a widow who lives in a special widows’ ashram where the rights of the women are not respected and they are treated according to 2000 year-old religious laws.  The catalyst for the union is an eight year-old, Chuyia (well-played by Sarala), who faces a lifetime in this house.  The film provoked much wrath when it was made and had to be shot in Sri Lanka.  The characters, the actors, the photography are all both real and beautiful showing a world trapped in beliefs that are probably no longer relevant and have been twisted to suit economic reasons.  As a piece of film making and a social tract it works very well and while not perhaps brilliant, this is a film with a lot to offer and a very particular mood.

* * * * +

Christopher Guest written and directed spoof on an independent film tipped for Oscar nominations and the consequent Hollywood hype machine.  In parts it is quite funny with some good caricatures of the typical Hollywood TV types but basically it never lifts off the ground.  I did like Catherine O’Hara and Harry Shearer in the leads.  Shame because the subject matter gives for much much more.

* * +

Mixed reviews for this film that is clearly an adaptation of a play but works onscreen because of its setting and its themes: goings on in the Catholic church in the US of 1964 and the issues of doubt and tolerance.  The screenplay is what you would expect and the maligned symbolism fits with the sense of a morality play as Father Flynn (the always effective Philip Seymour Hoffmann) and Sister Aloysius Beauvier (the sublime Meryl Streep) battle it out with her dogged determination to find the former guilty of paedophelia.  The central scene of the play is a stunner as Beauvier accompanies the mother of the boy in question on a walk and discovers a point of view that rocks her whole construction of the significance of the event.  Viola Davis is terrific as the mother and richly deserved her Oscar nom. Amy Adams as the naïve nun also does good work. It’s a bleak film which has the artifice of a play but which is so rich in meaning and implication and so well acted that I think the criticisms miss the point.  Definitely one of the better works this year.

* * * * +

Steven Soderbergh does a sober job on the first part of Che’s participation in the Cuban revolution.  Elegantly filmed but all rather soulless, the best two parts are the taking of Santa Clara and the speech given by Che at the UN.  Many famous actors appear in disguise and there is a sense of authenticity but I felt that the spark of magic that this character and the whole story should have was missing.  Benicio del Toro acts correctly but am also unconvinced that this was such a great performance.

* * *

A new twist on men-women relationships told with considerable perception and acted by a decent cast. Sure, it is clichéd but I did not find it so bad as many reviewers.  The choral nature of the film and Ken Kwapis´s direction keeps us entertained as we don’t dwell too long on any one story.  That said, it is no world beater and is sexist but Scarlett Johansson lights up the screen whenever she’s on and Affleck, Aniston, Barrymore, Connolly and the rest all do a good job. Some pertinent observations about relationships.

* * +

Correct documentary-like film on the famous interviews between disgraced ex-president Richard Nixon and cocky Brit TV presenter cum interviewer David Frost.  Very interesting to see the historical background to the programmes with Frost punting on the interviews to get his money back, revive his reputation and show that a foreigner could actually ask the questions that the Americans wanted to but didn’t dare ask.  The film in my opinion succeeds due to Frank Langella’s superb performance as Nixon.  Like Frost the character is an approximation in personality more than looks of the real person but Langella uses all his experience to give us an unforgettable experience.  I am much less sure of Martin Sheen as Frost.  While he captures the playboy and lightweight side, he is less convincing as an actor and seems to overdo certain set gestures and looks.  The supporting cast is good with Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon and Rebecca Hall shining, the script is up to scratch even if it is not a worldbreaker and the slightly grainy photography goes well for the era.

* * * *

Pleasant viewing but absolutely nothing to show surprise over in this British –US comedy drama.  Yes, it has a bit of everything-  Dustin Hoffmann is a bit like Ben Kingsley in Elegy, suddenly about 60 and lonely, rejected at work and resentful to the world for mistakes that were largely of his own making.  Along comes Emma Thompson with a more interesting character, the capable underachieving intelligent woman afraid of emotional commitment.  They spend a couple of days together which are the catalyst for Hoffmann rectifying the breach with his family and deciding to move on from his career and Thompson gets to open up and trust.  The script is a bit dodgy once or twice but the acting especially by Emma sees it through.

* * *

Efficient thriller about an Interpol agent on the trail of an international bank that is into gun running, money laundering, etc, etc.  Good lively pace and photography, great shootout scene but forgettable characters despite the efforts of Clive Owen, Naomi Watts and Armin Mueller-Stahl.

* * * +