VIDEO REVIEWS 2000

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All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar)
Beautiful People (Jasmin Didzar)
The Cider House Rules (Lass Hallström)
Fucking Åmål (Lukas Moodysson)
Happiness (Todd Solondz)
East is East (Damien O'Donnell)
If Only (Maria Ripoll)
Kitchen (Yim-Ho)
The Limey (Steven Soderberg)
Los Amantes Del Circulo Polar (Leos Carax)
Pola X (Julio Medem)
Waking Ned (Kirk Jones)

OTHER RECOMMENDED VIDEOS

For last year's video reviews go to 1999 Video Reviews


ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER
reviewed 01-04-00
When the teenage son of single mother Manuela (Cecilia Roth) is killed on his birthday following a performance of his favourite actress Huma Roja (Marisa Paredes) in A Streetcar Named Desire, Manuela goes off to Barcelona in search of his (transvestite) father, Lola, who is dying of AIDS-related illness. There, she becomes involved with friends of Lola's including his transexual best friend Agrado ("We got our tits together."), and meets up with Huma Roja... Directed by Pedro Almodovar All About My Mother is an absolutely beautiful film - a hommage to womanhood (in its many forms), motherhood, and the great Hollywood divas. Painfully tragic, but also full of humour and heartwarming moments, All About My Mother is thoroughly absorbing and very highly recommended.
Pip Farquharson
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BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
reviewed 01-05-00
Written and directed by Jasmin Didzar, the highly acclaimed Beautiful People is essentially about how a variety of different people living in London are affected by the Balkan conflict. Although the idea was interesting, the execution itself just didn't work. The individual stories were disjointed, and although there was a fair amount of gritty reality, which was to be commended, a lot of the events were simply unrealistic. For example, the 360º turnaround (I don't think so) of the racist football hooligan who got the rudest awakening of his life... And, although billed as a comedy the humour was mostly extremely dark or, simply, contrived. Earning no 'feel good' points. In fact, the most enjoying aspect about the film was how the British were mostly portrayed as absolute twats...
Pip Farquharson
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THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
reviewed 16-11-00
Based upon the novel of the same name by John Irving (who also wrote the screenplay and makes an appearance as 'the station master') The Cider House Rules is directed by Lasse Hallström. Orphan, Homer Wells (Toby Maguire, The Ice Storm), who grew up in an orphanage in Maine was never adopted and becomes the favourite of director, Dr Larch (Michael Caine). Dr Larch delivers babies and also carries out medically safe but illegal abortions at the orphanage and trains Homer to follow in his footsteps. But, after meeting fighter pilot Wally and his girlfriend Candy, Homers is walking a different way and leaves to go and work as an apple picker on an orchard learning about life and love in the Cider House… Not so much to say about it except I could do with some of that ether; it's perfect for a cold, winter's evening (of which we're due for many, I'm sure) with its slow-moving pace and glowing warmth (very moving in places). The cast is strong: Caine and Maguire both excel; R&B singer Erykah Badu plays Rose Rose, and Fuzzy (who won my heart) is played by Erik Per Sullivan. Sweet.
Pip Farquharson
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EAST IS EAST
reviewed 16-05-00
Directed by Damien O'Donnell and based on the play by Ayub Khan-Din, East Is East is about the breaking up of the traditional structure of a Pakistani family living in Salford, England in 1971. Chip shop owner George Khan (Om Puri) is the proud father of seven who fights desperately to get his family to conform to traditional Pakistani muslim values. However, his children are too heavily influenced by the west: tomboy Meenah prefers football to Saris; young Sajid hasn't been circumcised; and oldest son Nazir leaves home when faced with an arranged marriage. Then, when the other two sons hear marriages have been secretly arranged for them too all hell breaks loose. Although dealing with serious issues East is East is a highly enjoyable comedy. Hilarious at times as well as very intense at others, it's highly recommended. Great acting by Om Puri and the mother, Ella, played by Linda Bassett.
Pip Farquharson
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FUCKING ÅMÅL
reviewed 01-12-00
Written and directed by Lukas Moodysson, Fucking Åmål is set in a small village in Sweden, Åmål. 14-year old Agnes comes to live in the town and finds it difficult to make friends with her class mates. And, on top of that, she is in love with Elin, one of the most popular girls. Her parents organise a party for her 15th birthday but no one comes along apart from her only friend who she insults (spoilt brat). Then Elin unexpectedly appears and, for a bet, kisses her… before cruelly disappearing in a fit of giggles with her sister. As Agnes is teased about her sexualtiy at school, Elin desperately tries to deny her own sexual awakening. Sensitive, and sweet (without being sickly) Fucking Åmål realistically captures the pains of first love, adolescence and coming to terms with a sexuality considered by most to be 'abnormal'. When this movie came out in Sweden in 1998, as many people went to see it in the cinemas as Titanic. N.B. Despite the title there's no fucking in it. And the version from Cult Videotheek has Dutch subtitles only.
Pip Farquharson
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HAPPINESS
reviewed 01-03-00
Welcome To The Dollhouse, Todd Solondz' previous film was depressing. And whilst Happiness is certainly that, and again focuses on society's 'misfits', it employs more humour - even though it deals with much darker issues. Exploring that seemingly elusive state of happiness through a wide variety of characters (and along the way totally exposing the 'American dream' as myth in a similar way to Shortcuts). Happiness is intense, graphic and disturbing. Though maybe the most disturbing thing is the gut reaction to laugh at what should be inappropriate moments. Nonetheless, a powerful movie and highly recommended (though not while you're eating...).
Pip Farquharson
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IF ONLY
reviewed 16-03-00
Directed by Maria Ripoll, If Only, in the style of Sliding Doors and taking elements of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, is a light, but enjoyable, romantic comedy. Out-of-work actor Victor Bukowsk (Douglas Henshall) is desperate to stop his ex-girlfriend Sylvia (Lena Headey), who he's still in love with, from marrying. After going on a drunken binge he is given a second chance to go back and correct the 'biggest mistake of his life' (having an affair with another woman). But as he goes back to mend the mistakes in the relationship it becomes clear that no matter what decisions you make, fate will always intervene to determine your destiny...
Pip Farquharson
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KITCHEN
reviewed 16-04-00
Kitchen is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Banana Yoshimoto, and directed by Yim-Ho (director of the highly-acclaimed The Day The Sun Turned Cold). When her grandmother dies the beautiful, but withdrawn, Aggie (Yasuko Tomita) goes to live with Louie (Jordan Chan) a hairdresser who fancies himself as a bit of a stud, and his mother, Wah (Kar-Ying Law) and, in doing so, has a profound impact on the lives of both. Poetic, lyrical and with beautiful cinematography Kitchen is engrossing and aborbing. A sensuous two-hour journey with central themes of platonic, and unrequited, love (not for those who don't like slow-paced movies). Some great offbeat humour, a beautifully haunting soundtrack, and truly bizarre at times. N.B: Canton-ese spoken with English subtitles. And note: I haven't read the book but apparently the film is quite different....
Pip Farquharson
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LOS AMANTES DEL CIRCULO POLAR
reviewed 01-06-00
Directed by Spanish filmmaker Julio Medem (Vacas, L'Ardilla Roja and Tierra) with complementary music by Alberto Iglesias, Los Amantes Del Circulo Polar is about two children, Otto and Ana, who meet at primary school and immediately develop a special bond. When Otto's father marries Ana's mother they become brother and sister - and later lovers... After the death of his mother, Otto breaks contact with Ana and his father but the two are destined to meet again - and as their lives unfold so does a number of extraordinairy coincidences. 'The Lovers of the Arctic Circle' (its English title) is a fascinating film about fate, coincidence, the circles and cycles in life, and a destiny which can't be denied. Beautiful, poetic and imaginative it is simply a magical fairy tale and one of the best movies I've seen for a long time.
Pip Farquharson
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POLA X
reviewed 16-12-00
Directed by Leos Carax (his first since Les Amants du Pont Neuf) Pola X is based on a little-known novel, Herman Melville's Pierre or the Ambiguities. The fact that the 1851 novel was an enormous critical flop should have been a warning. The 'X' apparently refers to the 10th rewrite of the script. Had it reached 'M' it might have been halfway decent. Though, personally, I thought it stood for 'X-rated' because of a graphic (some would say pornographic) sex scene ‹ filmed a little disturbingly sans condom. (It's at around 1 hours 20 minutes if you want to fast forward). Totally unplausible. What? A rich aristocratic writer (Guillaume Depardieu, yep his son…) who lives in an amazing country house with a girlfriend who adores him and Catherine Deneuve (very nice scene of her in the bath) as a mother/sister (you'll know what I mean when you see the film) would give it all up to go and live in a commune with (and shag) his long lost, totally mad half-sister? I don't think so. Pretentious crap.
Pip Farquharson
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THE LIMEY
reviewed 01-11-00
"You men and your dicks…" to quote one of the (smarter - and female funnily enough) characters in the movie on the way that lead character, Wilson, (and most of the characters in fact) settle their scores. With a gun. And The Limey (directed by Steven Soderberg Out of Sight, Erin Brokovich) is just one big long, yawning study in dumb, macho guys. Terence Stamp plays English ex-con, Dave Wilson who travels to LA when he gets out of prison to avenge the death of his daughter. But, unconvincingly. It seems Wilson is just concerned with settling a score as he obviously never cared much about his daughter. And it continues… the plot is pretty unbelievable - though predictable - and the way that Wilson turns on and off the 'cock-er-ney' pretty laughable. He trys to come across as a smooth Bond type but unlike Bond, you don't believe this man is invincible. Just purely lucky at getting out of scrapes. Similarly weak is the, in part, pseudo-Pulp Fiction-esque script which simply fails to be funny. The only saving points were the clever interspersing of ('past' and 'present') scenes, the cinematography, and Nicky Katt who seemed to be naked in a bath in just about every scene she was in. A load of butter and pap (utter crap).
Pip Farquharson
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WAKING NED
reviewed 14-02-00
When Ned Devine wins the national lottery - he simply dies from the shock. Dead Ned or not, his lovable rouge friends set out to claim the prize which meanst persuading the entrire 59-strong population of a remote Irish village to go along with the ruse. Written and directed by Kirk Jones, Waking Ned, is an hilarious comedy (especially the well-paced, climatic closing scenes). And although the subject matter might be questionable, a heart-warming twist at the end ensures that money isn't the answer to everything. Full of charm, full of wonderful canny characters, and community spirit at its naughtiest and best, Waking Ned is excellent.
Pip Farquharson
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