|
|
 |
| |
| Death becomes her |
THE CORPSE BRIDE - Directed by Tim Burton
Certificate PG
STOP motion animation directed by Tim Burton and animator Mike Johnson
featuring the voices of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter headline
this lurid but loving take on a Russian fairytale.
When nouveau riche fishmongers the Van Dorts decide that their
ineffectual son Victor (Depp) needs to marry, a meek but true bride
(voiced by Emily Watson) is selected from one of the town’s
once wealthy but now impoverished families.
After botching the all-important and complicated wedding vows, Victor
goes into the woods to practice – and inadvertently gets the
vows spoken correctly just as he places the wedding ring on the
skeletal hand of a beautiful girl (Bonham Carter).
Although striking one as rather nauseating necrophilia in concept,
this is a lively feature with more verve and fluidity than Burton’s
groundbreaking animated tale A Nightmare Before Christmas (the same
title which saw Mike Johnson come onboard as an animator).
The ‘dead zone’ where the dearly departed reside is more
colourful and much more fun than the grey real world; for certain,
the corpse bride herself is not only much sexier than Victor’s
living betrothed wife, she is also, paradoxically, brimming with
life.
A technical marvel that looks as if it were grown rather than crafted,
The Corpse Bride isn’t too frightening for smaller children
– hence its PG rating.
Its nifty pace and snappy songs – along with all the dry dancing
bones – offset any creep factor.
Amid death and decay, Burton shows that romance can flourish –
and, without giving too much away, this tale is more uplifting than
one might think from a film with the word ‘corpse’ in
the title.
Finding all the girls Bill’s loved
before
BROKEN FLOWERS - Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Certificate 15
DIRECTOR Jim Jarmusch has written a doozie of a film starring
Bill Murray.
Murray plays a bachelor who, when confronted with the possibility
of meeting a son he didn’t know existed, decides to visit all
of his ex-girlfriends.
This is not only to figure out who the mother is, but also to fix
history in a way – to sort through the mistakes and heartbreaks
that inevitably happen in the love war between men and women.
With his typical quiet demeanor and sly comic looks, Murray slinks
back into the lives of his former loves just as his current girlfriend
(a small appearance by Julie Delpy, one which gives her a kind of
cult status in its brevity and clarity) walks out his front door
with a suitcase.
Next door neighbour Winston (Jeffrey Wright) has a beautiful wife
and family – and a penchant for sleuthing. He’s not only
encouraged our hero to seek out the women of his past, he’s
also booked the car, the flights, made the itinerary and been the
coordinator of the whole journey. Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone (pictured
above with Murray), Frances Conroy and Tilda Swinton are the four
lucky – or otherwise – women who shared our hero's life.
What Broken Flowers does best is uncover the mystery of masculine
feeling, the sense of relationships which remain enigmatic in recollection.
It brings to the surface that uneasy if often daily sense that we’re
not really present in our own lives and by the time we realise that,
it may be too late. Certainly, Jarmusch has made a masterpiece here
– a lilting, light yet serious ballad balanced on Murray’s
performance which is as precise as a tightrope walker’s tread
on the wire.
Also showing
Dreamer
Based on a true tale, Dakota Fanning co-stars with Kurt Russell
(pictured above), Elisabeth Shue and Kris Kristofferson in a wholesome
yet astonishingly realistic story of redemption centring on a broken
racehorse. Horse lovers will find little to criticise here: for
the rest of us, this is a record of the vicissitudes of life as
depicted with four legs and a tail.
Sky High
Kurt Russell's having a great week with another release, this time
a sort of Spy Kids rip-off with Russell being the super dad to two
young 'uns who may or may not follow in the family superhero footsteps.
A truly enjoyable romp written with surprising logic.
Nanny McPhee
Emma Thompson adapts the ‘Nurse Matilda’ book series for
children, then dons warts and a big nose to portray the magical
governess in charge of a gaggle of children belonging to widower
Colin Firth. A wholesome, high quality outing by Waking Ned director
Kirk Jones.
Into The Blue
The luscious Jessica Alba (pictured below) – who can actually
act – stars in this sultry thriller involving the theft of
drugs found in a sunken airplane. With great bodies and great locations,
this film looks great but doesn't go anywhere but south. John Stockwell
(Blue Crush) directs with Paul Walker co-starring.
Pick of the indies
Beautiful Boxer
The debut of Thai director Ekachai Uekrongtham centres on the famous
true life story of Parinya Charoenphol, a poor boy who became a
kickboxing champion to get enough money for his sex change before
he entered his 20s.
When first we see Nong Toom (his nickname) making his family laugh
by innocently donning the clothing of a lady dancer. Later, the
problem of gender identity rears its head when he take lip gloss
into his brief stop at a monastery.
But it is only when he wins a local kickboxing contest that Toom
sees not only a way to help his impoverished family but also a way
to become a real woman.
Entering an intensive training school run by a diabolical coach,
Toom starts to win – and gain notoriety by using makeup and
women’s clothing to shake up his opponents.
This is a tale of astonishing emotional power. Real life Thai boxer
Asanee Suwan trained for over a year to bring this story to the
screen with credibility – not an easy job when the lead character
demands both animal grace and amazing strength.
The point of Beautiful Boxer is not how a man became a woman against
all odds: it is more a study of those traits we so easily categorise
at masculine or feminine – and how little there is between
them at times.
Odeon Panton Street, Call 08712 244 007. |
|
Give power to the people
POST-war, early 1950s Britain was still experiencing food rationing
and was a disillusioning place for English gourmands. The war had
destroyed the restaurant trade and, with few exceptions, post-war
eateries made the worst of a bad situation.
FULL STORY
|
