|
|
 |
| |
| Not a movie for the prudes among
you |
BATTLE IN HEAVEN Directed by Carlos Reygadas
Certificate 18
Aidan
Flood and page samples from Martin Brooke’s recipes and
remedies |
It’s not easy to make a film which has the critics either
up in arms or in love with the movie but Mexican director Carlos
Reygadas’ elliptical, lyrical look at a man’s life as
it slowly falls apart is a film that must be seen if not enjoyed.
Rammed full of images that would be considered shock value in any
other film – urination, close-up fellatio, stabbing, masturbation,
car crashes and such – Reygadas takes these very elements to
weave a hypnotic spell of life unravelling, of tensions building
and of oppressive ennui.
Marcos (Marcos Hernandez) is a security guard who is in love with
high-class prostitute Ana for whose family he works. Marcos and
his wife Berta are not innocent, however. They’ve kidnapped
an infant who then dies, but even that doesn’t shift Marcos
from his inner stupor.
As the film unfolds, its narrative etching its way across the screen
with a languid pace, we’re drawn further and further into Marcos’s
world of bound-up silence.
Nothing is explained but nothing needs explanation; we have images
that tell the story, faces that convey the emotion and, of course,
the director’s trademark 360 degree pans. This is a detached
movie about the most dramatic events in one’s life and it is
a testament to Reygadas’ skill that he can take a vicious murder
in stride as much as the hefty lovemaking between Marcos and Berta.
If you’re wondering who to take with you to see this film,
don’t take your straight-laced friends.
It’s just anime magic
GHOSTS IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE Directed by Mamoru Oshii
Certificate PG
SO it’s a cartoon, right? Not quite. Those who think that
Mamoru Oshii’s astonishing work is something only for children
or for the black T-shirt brigade couldn’t be more mistaken.
The first animated film nominated for the Palme D’or at Cannes,
this colourful, mysterious, intriguing anime marvel shows the future
of cinematic animated design.
Two and three-dimensional techniques merge without a break to trick
the eye – is it ‘real’ is it ‘drawn’? –
to bring this tale of a cyborg fighting to keep what shreds of humanity
are left in the world of Earth 2032.
In this place, human souls inhabit robotic bodies while other segments
of society are made only of mechanised humans, a scenario that brings
with it its own heartbreaks and surprises.
More titillating is that our hero, Batou, a detective, is in charge
of the investigation of a bad gynoid – in essence, a robotic
prostitute who has killed her owner. What matters here is less the
ham-fisted philosophy or the plot which smacks of Bladerunner really:
the look of the thing, rearing up and glowing before the audience
like nothing ever filmed before is worth viewing on the large screen
– and maybe even from the front row.
Invention is nothing to Oshii – and when a human chest is hit
with a bullet only to spring open to show its robotic ribs, we are
to treat it as something natural and normal.
This is a brilliant take from a master filmmaker and, at least,
will make converts of anyone who thinks they need real live actors
to make a piece of filmic art.
Also showing
The Legend Of Zorro
It has Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas but this sequel
ain’t a patch on the first Zorro which, despite its silliness,
was a true rip-snorter. Now Alejandro (Banderas) and Elena (Zeta-Jones)
are married but, worn-out by keeping his identity from their son,
Elena takes up with an evil French aristocrat (Rufus Sewell). CGI’d
to the rafters at least there’s a cheap thrill watching Zorro’s
trusty horse jump onto a boxcar.
Saw 2
When folks saw how much money the original Saw – folks trapped
in a room where terrible things are done to them – made, it
was inevitable that Saw 2 would come along.
This time its not a room but a whole house of same. Enjoy the horror,
especially the room full of used sharp implements. Ouch.
Sophie Scholl
Using newly-discovered transcripts of the interrogation of Sophie
Scholl before her execution for high treason during World War II,
this remarkable, award-winning film by director Marc Rothemund stars
Julia Jentsch (The Edukators) as Scholl herself in the final six
days of her life.
Thumbsucker
What would you do with a 17-year-old who still sucks his thumb?
Made in the vein of Garden State, this is a delightful look at quirky
American youth which stars Lou Pucci, Vincent D’Onofrio and
Keanu Reeves in a role that demands he take the micky out of himself.
Who knew that trying to solve a bad habit could be so moreish?
Pick of the indies
The Times London Film Festival
There may not be that many days left of the The Times London Film
Festival but there are some sensational films showing next week
that any filmlover must see.
Saturday sees an unspooling of the much-heralded thriller Hidden,
starring Daniel Auteuil.
Sunday sees a screening of Walk The Line, the true life story of
American country music icon Johnny Cash, a biopic starring Joaquin
Phoenix who isn’t so much acting like Cash as being him.
On Monday, there’s The Brothers Grimm, director Terry Gilliam’s
latest offering. Tuesday comes along with an overflow of Hollywood
beauties such as Steve Martin in Shopgirl, a feature based on his
best-selling novel and perhaps the most interesting film of late
about men’s view of love in a modern metropolis.
There’s also Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan’s Where The
Truth Lies, a deep-set, sexy, shocking thriller starring Colin Frith
and an amazing turn from Kevin Bacon.
Tuesday also contains Short And Strange, a series of short films
chosen by Times film critic Wendy Ide and Stephen Leslie which are
sure to make you sit up and take notice.
Just because a festival has been running for a week and you‚ve
not gotten there doesn’t mean you’ve missed out.
Book your tickets now at http://www.lff.org.uk.
|
|
Get to work on your tannin
BORDEAUX winemakers – long regarded as the world’s greatest
– are in trouble. Government health campaigns and strict enforcement
of French drink driving laws are causing a dramatic decrease in French
wine consumption.
FULL STORY
It all comes down to cash
AFTER confessing to not being able to swim the other week, I was deluged
with offers of help.
FULL STORY
|
