Once in a while a film comes along which can be summed up in just one word. For Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest venture that word is simply "beautiful". The French film director is in a league of his own when it comes to creating modern day fairy tales which are peppered with just enough brutal realism to stop them from becoming the usual nauseating drivel of the romantic genre. With Amelie he reminded us that film-making is an art form and now Jeunet's Bafta-nominated film A Very Long Engagement proves that he is more than just a one-trick pony. Reuniting us with Amelie star, the adorable doll-like Audrey Tautou, the film is essentially a love story told in a quirky, sometimes fantastical way, with romance, comedy and raw brutality all in equal measure. A few years ago, foreign language films failed to make the mainstream but with the demise of the Hollywood blockbuster as audiences demanded more than special effects, A Very Long Engagement goes back to the tradition of storytelling and gives us characters we can't help but fall in love with. In short, it will have you spellbound. Based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot, the film is set in France near the end of the First World War and follows Mathilde (Tatou) as she embarks on a relentless search for her fiancé Manech (Gaspard Ulliel) who is presumed dead in No Man's Land. Manech is one of five French soldiers who have been court-marshaled under mysterious circumstances and are left to fend for themselves after being thrown out of the Allied trenches as punishment for their "betrayal". But Mathilde refuses to believe that Manech is dead. Sustained by her love and enduring passion for him, she sets out with dogged determination to discover the truth about his fate. What follows is an intriguing mystery and tender tale which is visually stunning and beautifully crafted with an almost enchanting quality. That's not to say A Very Long Engagement is all sweetness and light. Scenes set in the trenches are both gruesome and stomach-churning but succeed in conveying the true horror and reality of war. While you quickly forget that you are reading subtitles, initially there is quite a lot of information to take in and the opening scenes do feel a little overwhelming, but don't let this put you off - it's a film well worth seeing through. Jodie Foster pops up as a soldier's widow with a fluently French and understated performance, and Chantal Neuwirth and Dominique Pinon are wonderful as Mathilde's warm and supportive aunt and uncle. There are also some lovely charming comic moments thanks to the family postman.
Reviews
6 Reviews
I Heart Huckabees
(2004)
Another case of the emperor's new clothes?
19 March 2006
This is one of those films that you'll either really love or simply hate. It's certainly one of the zaniest movies I have ever watched. I don't usually like knowing too much about a film before I go to see it but my advice is, if you do decide to see Huckabees, you might be better to familiarise yourself with the plot or risk getting a little confused. Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), head of the Open Spaces Coalition, has been experiencing an alarming series of coincidences - the meaning of which escapes him. He seeks the help of two existential detectives, husband and wife team Bernard and Vivian Jaffe, played by Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin. The eccentric duo effectively follow Albert around and spy on him to familiarise them with his life and relationships. They also examine his conflict with Brad Stand (Jude Law), an executive intent on climbing the corporate ladder at retail superstore Huckabees. When Brad also hires the detectives, they dig deep into his seemingly perfect life and his relationship with his model girlfriend, the voice of Huckabees, Dawn Campbell (Naomi Watts). While the rather bizarre antics of some characters - particularly that of rebel firefighter Tommy, played by Mark Wahlberg - did raise a few laughs, I found myself feeling totally baffled by this movie and looking around the cinema to see if anyone else was also wondering what it was all about. Director David O Russell (Three Kings) taps into the territory of Michael Gondry but comparisons with Gondry and Charlie Kaufman's beautifully-crafted and memorable Eternal Sunshine are wholly unwarranted. My favourite scene of Huckabees was when Albert, with the help of the Jaffes' nemesis Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), confronts his parents about painful childhood memories - not because of any acting greatness but simply because it was one of the few scenes I could actually understand. But maybe that was just me. Fans of this movie will argue that it is thought-provoking and not meant to be taken too seriously but personally, I don't even think it does what films are meant to do first and foremost, and that is entertain. The characters also failed to engage the audience or draw us into their world - quite frankly, I didn't care what happened to any of them, the film just didn't go anywhere. If you like your movies to leave you mystified and only so slightly amused, then this could be the film for you. Otherwise, I'd give it a miss and wait until it comes on TV at Christmas, six years from now. It's certainly worth the wait.
The Interpreter
(2005)
A thinking person's thriller
19 March 2006
Entry to the United Nations headquarters in New York (and being directed by Sydney Pollack) was enough to make Nicole Kidman sign up for this enjoyable, if not a little formulaic, political thriller. Hollywood's golden girl teams up with man of the moment Sean Penn in this well-paced and intense tale which unfolds against a backdrop of international terror and unashamedly draws parallels with the current political situation in Zimbabwe. Kidman adopts a satisfactory South African accent for the role of Silvia Broome, a UN interpreter who overhears a plot to assassinate a controversial African leader during his visit to the United States. Penn is Tobin Keller, a Secret Service agent assigned to investigate Silvia's claims and protect her from the assassins. But is Silvia telling the truth? Silvia's life is turned upside down as she becomes a target for the killers but a suspicious Kellar digs deeper into her past in a bid to find out what she is hiding. Pollack (who has a small part in the movie) scored a massive coup when he convinced Kofi Annan to allow filming inside the UN building for the first time. Even Alfred Hitchcock had to improvise when making the classic Cary Grant North By North West. The movie has some very strong opening scenes, shot on location in South Africa, and instantly grabs our attention. When the action moves to New York, Pollack (who brought us Tootsie, Out Of Africa and The Firm) creates an old-whorled vibe with grainy shots more reminiscent of the 70s, deliberately avoiding the neon lights of the Big Apple to create a dulled-down mood that sits much better with the film's content. Kidman and Penn handle their material well, putting in solid performances and the pair square up nicely on screen. Predictably, and annoyingly so, however, a chemistry develops between the two making for some scenes which would have been better left on the cutting room floor. Let's face it, the old adage of two strangers being brought together by circumstance and suddenly being able to open up and shed their baggage has all been done before. The moral of the story is also a little bit too Hollywood. We can admire its good intentions and even buy into the idea that we can change the world with words and diplomacy but it all becomes a bit nonsensical. But it is the movies after all and it's difficult to find fault with Pollack who has opted for a dialect-driven film as opposed to high-octane action scenes - although they do make a welcome appearance as the film reaches its climax. This is the thinking person's thriller and it's definitely worth a viewing.
Unleashed
(2005)
Better left unleashed
19 March 2006
Most fans of cinema are all for suspending reality for the sake of a good movie, but really - Glasgow without any Scots? It's not really clear why screenwriter Luc Besson (the man who wrote and directed the 1994 cult favourite Leon) chose the city as his setting for Unleashed other than the gloomy sandstone buildings reflecting the grim storyline. Certainly there is the feeling that this Louis Leterrier directed flick might have worked better as a foreign film as it sits uncomfortably in the Hollywood mainstream with its diverse casting. Jet Li is in kicking form, doing what he does best. When he isn't crunching collar bones and round-housing his loan shark boss Bart's (Bob Hoskins) debtors, he's locked up in a cage under the floorboards, treated and behaving like a dog. Li plays Danny, who transforms from near-vegetative state to trained killer in the blink of an eye, as soon as Bart takes off his metal 'dog' collar. As the story unravels, albeit at painfully slow pace at times, we understand how Danny has come to have this harrowing existence. But the film lacks soul. Even a turn by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, who plays blind piano tuner, Sam, does little to rescue the shaky and unconvincing plot. It is hard to decide where to place this film thematically - plump for somewhere in between ET (scenes of Danny having to learn how to eat with a spoon and tell when a melon is ripe) and Crouching Tiger (for the cut 'em up action sequences) and you might just have it. The surreal 'fight club' scenes are really just a showcase for Li to display his martial arts prowess and, let's face it, he's pretty impressive. Choreographed by the legendary Yuen Wo Ping, who treated us to the unforgettable Matrix moves, the movie contains the longest ever fight sequence committed to film as well as some Nintendo-esquire punch ups. Freeman, as the man who takes Danny in in an attempt to give him a normal life, and his daughter Victoria (Kerry Condon), provide what are supposed to be the more poignant scenes aimed at giving the movie its meaning, however these are just a tad clichéd and predictable. It's also hard to believe that pyjama-clad assassins with Samurai swords are able to demolish an entire apartment block in broad daylight without the faintest sound of a police siren - not even when the baddies are drawing their last breath. Much like Louis Letterier's 2002 movie The Transporter, Unleashed is disappointing and unsatisfying, and only moderately entertaining.
In Her Shoes
(2005)
Not just a flick for chicks
19 March 2006
If you've read the hype and promo interviews for In Her Shoes, you'll know there's a big debate raging about whether or not this is just another "chick flick". Granted, any movie with the word 'shoes' in the title might lead you to assume that what you're getting is exactly that. But if that's all you're expecting from this Curtis Hanson-directed picture, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Far from being a homage to Jimmy Choo, Hanson (LA Confidential, 8Mile) may just have found the winning recipe for making a character-driven drama which doesn't descend into a soppy mess thanks to a generous splash of wry humour and convincing performances. Based on the best-selling novel by Jennifer Weiner, In Her Shoes is the story of two very different sisters, Maggie (Cameron Diaz) and Rose (Toni Collette), whose already under-strain relationship is left shattered by the actions of carefree party girl Maggie. Maggie, who gets by in life on her good looks and voracious appetite for men, couldn't be more different from the older and much more practical Rose, a frumpy workaholic lawyer who longs for a "real, grown up boyfriend". In fact, the only thing the siblings have in common is the same shoe size. Cameron Diaz may be this movie's leading lady but it's Toni Collette who shines. The Muriel's Wedding star steals the limelight with a stand-out performance, reminding us that this Ozzie-born, Oscar-nominated actress is surely destined for more than just a polite nod from Oscar in the very near future. And while Maggie relies solely on her beach babe beauty, it's nice to see Diaz, the self-confessed tomboy, dig a little deeper to carve out one of her more memorable movie roles. Veteran of the silver screen Shirley MacLaine even gets in on the act as the sisters' long lost grandmother Ella, the queen bee of a retired folks' home in sunny Florida, displaying yet more fine acting prowess. In Her Shoes is touching and funny in equal measures and while there will be some critics who will dismiss it as just some American sugar-coated schmaltz, it does a fine job in giving us characters we can all identify with and care about. It's also nice to see a movie which relies on a good script and solid three-dimensional characters to fill seats instead of high-octane action and CGI effects. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but for those who like to see actors do a spot of acting for a change and a movie with a little substance, then this might be the perfect fit.
Braveheart
(1995)
A must-see classic
9 May 2003
Braveheart is one of those films that comes along once in a while - you never get tired of watching it because each time you do, you discover something new that you never noticed before. This has to be one of Mel Gibson's greatest achievements to date, making his directorial debut in what has become a classic even though it is just eight years old! No one else could be quite as convincing in the role of William Wallace. This film has something for everyone - bloody battle scenes, love interests, humour, tragedy, believable characters, an amazing soundtrack and a script which couldn't fail to inspire! Of course it has had its critics as well who hit out at the 'historical inaccuracy' of the film - but who cares? It's a great movie and one which will stay in your movie collection for many years to come. Highly recommended!
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