The latest from
the Georges Simenon of French film making, veteran Claude Chabrol.Specialist in mysteries set in a particular
class of people, this story of a murder among the rich and the influential in
Lyon fits into his pattern.Two men, old
roué writer Charles Saint-Denis who is a user and hedonist and young and crazy
heir Paul Gaudens battle for the love of attractive weather girl Gabrielle
Deneige.The film is about all she has
to learn about the way the world and people in their own worlds work. What
starts as a light romance ends up as a rather lugubrious tragedy.Good acting from several in the cast.Ludivine Sagnier has a great cinematic face
and is quite believable in her role, Benoit Magimel enjoys creating the screwed
up Paul Gaudens, Caroline Silhol does a great job of his tense and ultimately
ruthless mother and Mathilde May as the writer’s agent makes a welcome return
to my screen at least.
The ending is
somewhat off-putting but the film is decent enough overall to merit watching
even if it is very much the same type of film Chabrol always makes.
For those of us
who remembered the lavish TV adaptation of the early 80’s that made a name for
Jeremy Irons and even featured Sir Laurence Olivier if I remember well, this
squeezed in film version had a lot to live up to.It does in part and yet lacks some of the
rich detail of the former.We tend here
to get rather less subtle doses of the Catholic guilt and mores of the
original, and less characterisation of most of the roles.What matters a lot here are the actors.Emma Thompson dominates her scenes as Lady
Marchment and does a very good job.Michael Gambon is less impressive as the ailing lord of the manorOf the younger crew I found Matthew Goode
acceptable as Ryder, if rather wet, Ben Whishaw very good as Sebastian Flyte,
though quite a lot less charming than Antony Andrews’ version.Hayley Atwill as Julia is OK but lacks
something in stature.
Overall, a
solid, watchable and interesting movie without bringing the house down.
The most talked
about Woody Allen in some years as the director now uses Barcelona as the
setting for his romantic comedy with all its twists.There is very little new in this time of
Light Rohmerian moral tale.There is the
same variety of characters some more one-dimensional than others, the same
occasional great one liners, the same slightly neurotic edge to the story
telling.We do have a variety of
attractive backdrops, all very much of a tourist brochure nature and some good
acting, especially from the local imports, Javier Bardem and Penelope
Cruz.The latter has a lot of fun with
the role of a crazy artist and ex-wife of Bardem and her scenes crackle with
energy.
All this leaves
us with an enjoyable little movie, not among Woody’s best but far from his
worse.
Lovely moving
film about an economics professor (Walter), excellently played by Richard
Jenkins, who upon discovering squatters in his New York flat, sees his life
take a few sharp turns.He befriends the
young couple, Tarek, a Syrian street musician and his Senegalese girlfriend and
starts learning African drumming which unlocks his heart.Tarek is then arrested as an illegal
immigrant and things get serious.Mouna,
Tarek’s mother comes to town and Walter has to help her get her son released.But it is not so simple when the US
bureaucracy post-9/11 is in full flight.This is a film about humanity, about trusting strangers, about opening
doors, about going through open doors and discovering how people you have
nothing to do with on the surface can be some of the most important people in
your life.Beautiful acting by the three
leads and a beautiful film all round.
Away from Her (Can 07) – Telling portrayal of what happens to an Alzheimer’s sufferer and more than anything to those around her
In the Valley of Elah (US 07) – This is more a mystery than anything else but it opens up many issues about military procedures and the Iraq war in the process.
Indigènes (Algeria/France/Morocco/Belgium 06) – Almost a historical document on the role of the pieds noirs from France’s North African colonies in fighting for France in WW2
La próxima estación (Argentina 08) Moving and well constructed documentary on the decline of the railways in Argentina and the corrupt and inefficient role of the state in allowing this to happen.
Persepolis (France 07) Cartoon story of an Iranian girl who defies the revolution to do her own thing.Conveys a lot of information and feelings in a humorous way
Sicko (US 07)Michael Moore goes for the US health system and despite his usual excesses he makes some excellent points
Still Life (China 06)Although this is fiction, it plays as a documentary on the plight of those living and working in the Three Gorges River Valley in China where entire towns are being destroyed as they build the world’s biggest dam and plan to flood the whole area.Very moving and very real.
The Band’s Visit (Israel/France 07) A simple tale of an Egyptian police band stranded in a desolate Israeli town and how they communicate with the locals.A small gem on lessons for humanity and how we are all alike.
Ari Folman
pulls off a lot with this movie.He
takes documentary footage based on his desire to recount his experiences as a
foot soldier in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.Part of the problem is to work out exactly
what happened as he discovered that he and his mates all have selective
memories. So part of the film is getting alternative witnesses and footage to
get a better overall picture.The
learning from all this about selective memory is quite moving.But Folman adds a whole new dimension by
turning the film into an animated piece with an artistic style of movement and
a great soundtrack.The effect is unique
and it is a great anti-war film to boot.
A split between
American comedies that just do not come off despite the efforts of some very
talented actors and Latin do-good films that take heavy themes and just get
bogged down by making the characters and their speeches too unreal and forced.
Very much
reflecting the wider universe, 2008
in film was a year that seemed to give prominence to
violence and seemed to offer us films that failed to reach the sublime standard
of some years.We had films of great
technical prowess, we had small gems that cast light on shady corners but in
the end we were left with a selection that was not so attractive in content
terms as in many other years.So, we are
left to sort through the disappointment and find something to commend.So much of the good stuff seen was also so
full of violence that it became hard to accept and recommend.Can you praise a film that is technically
excellent but also repulsive?That
question emerged far more than just once.
Before going on
to the categories, some remarks.
A new category – that of Best
Comedy or Musical to compensate for all the gore in the mainstream stuff.
The return of the Worst of the
year.
A great dominance of US films
reflecting the distribution policies in Argentina, followed by
Argentine, French and British movies. Switzerland,
Chile, Lebanon, Algeria,
Luxembourg and Austria
among the places where films came from this year – more often in part than
in whole.Eastern Europe and Asia somewhat underrepresented.
Sweeney Todd
(7) and Eastern Promises (7)
lead the nominations, followed by Away
From Her (5)
Comments on
films that didn’t make the cut or deserve a mention:
Death at a Funeral – gets one nomination but probably deserves more;
a typical case of the sum almost being more than the parts.Saw it twice and despite all the cliches I
laughed a lot and felt it was a return to the British slapstick comedy of yore
Atonement – too pretty, too forced
A Mighty Heart – captures a mood and shows Jolie has got great
presence but not outstanding anywhere
Nue Proprieté – Isabelle Huppert in a bind.Violent in psychological ways and better than
perhaps critics or box office suggest.All too small though.
Caramel – wonderful to see Lebanon here.A chick flick – enjoyable and predictable.
Rendition – punchy and poignant political drama with Reese,
Meryl and others in fine form.Almost
there
Cassandra’s Dream – had one saving merit.Colin Farrell can act!
Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont – you like this and you want it to be rewarded for
Joan Plowright’s careful performance and the fine supports of Rupert Friend and
Anna Massey but it is all too twee and forced in this day and age.
El orfanato – gets one nod and it is scary but somehow also
finds better competition in each category.Enjoyable of its kind.
El otro – Argentine mood piece which doesn’t go very far
but captures a moment well.
La
Soledad – Award winning Spanish film that
really didn’t grab me at all
Die Falscher – Austrian Oscar winner – tightly put together and
a good story but its cinema by numbers feel leaves it largely out of the
nominations this year.
Irina Palm – Weird film that at times works and at times you
ask yourself, what are they doing?And
we are not talking avant garde, rather a melodrama with some unusual elements.
Shara – much touted Japanese film that despite some nice set pieces failed
to grab me at all.
Francesca e Nunziata – old made for television Italian saga showcasing
the talent of the legendary Sophia Loren.
Late Bloomers – unbelievable Swiss comedy that won you over by
feelgood factors not by authenticity.
The latest from
the Georges Simenon of French film making, veteran Claude Chabrol. Specialist in mysteries set in a particular
class of people, this story of a murder among the rich and the influential in
Lyon fits into his pattern. Two men, old
roué writer Charles Saint-Denis who is a user and hedonist and young and crazy
heir Paul Gaudens battle for the love of attractive weather girl Gabrielle
Deneige. The film is about all she has
to learn about the way the world and people in their own worlds work. What
starts as a light romance ends up as a rather lugubrious tragedy. Good acting from several in the cast. Ludivine Sagnier has a great cinematic face
and is quite believable in her role, Benoit Magimel 
enjoys creating the screwed
up Paul Gaudens, Caroline Silhol 
does a great job of his tense and ultimately
ruthless mother and Mathilde May 
as the writer’s agent makes a welcome return
to my screen at least.
