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| 11'09'01 -
September 11 (various 2002) 24 Hour Party People (Michael Winterbottom, GB, 2002) Bend It Like Beckham (Gurinder Chadha, GB, 2002) Bowling For Columbine (Michael Moore, 2002) Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, US, 2002) Frida (Julia Taymor, Can/US, 2002) High Society (Charles Walters, US, 1956) Kill Bill: Vol 1 (Quentin Tarantino, US, 2003) Kissing Jessica Stein (Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, 2001) Metropolis (Fritz Lang, US, 1927) The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002) Waking Life (Richard Linklater, US, 2001) |
| 11'09''01 - September 11 reviewed: 01-11-03 Based on an idea by Alain Brigand, 11 directors from various countries were each invited to make a short film offering their own interpretation of the events in New York on September 11, 2001. The only limitation was that, symbolically, each short be exactly 11 minutes, nine seconds and one frame long (11'09''01). Understandably perhaps, this would never be a collection of films without controversy considering their point of inspiration and the complete artistic license given to each filmmaker. And not an easy review. My guess also is that individual viewers will be moved in different ways by each of the diverse shorts dependent on their culture, geographic location and/or politics. For me (English, Europe, Lefty), out of the 11 shorts there were three that struck a chord. For its unique perspective and cinematography, French director Claude LeLouche (A Man and a Woman) who gave an 'artistic' view of the events from the perspective of a deaf woman who lives by the World Trade Center yet is unaware of the events unfolding around her. Also powerful (and based on a true story), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding), depicted the confusion and anti-Islamic feeling experienced by a Moslem woman living in New York whose son went missing following 9/11. The most succesful, however, was probably that of British director Ken Loach (Bread and Roses, Ladybird, Ladybird) in the eloquent and clever way he drew parallels between September 11, 2001 in New York with the military coup on September 11, 1973 in Chile when former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, and the CIA intervened to overthrow the democratically-elected government of Salvador Allende and installed dictator General Pinochet. Apart, perhaps, from the opening film which 'sweetly' depicted the impact felt by Afghan child refugees living in Iran as they struggled to find the relevance of the events in New York to their own lives, the rest of the films were at best tenuous to the subject matter or too artsy. And, at worst, simply an excuse to express anti-US sentiment, forgetting that those who died in the twin towers were innocent victims and that two wrongs don't a right make... Particularly unimpressive was the unimaginative effort by Amores Perros director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose rather insensitive short of reworked footage I would I describe as '911: The Remix' and would be more suited to a nightclub, a multimedia exhibition... or a trash can; Israeli director Amos Gitai's unbelievably ridiculous film of a staged bombing in Tel Aviv; and the weak choice of final film by Japanese director Shohei Imamura, a bizarre short which had little, if any, bearing on the subject matter (one wonders if he spent more time editing existing material than shooting new footage). And, finally, as for Sean Penn's directorial effort: Sean, don't give up your day job. Pip Farquharson back to index |
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| 24 Hour Party People reviewed: 01-08-03 24 Hour Party People is a film about the Manchester music scene, spanning some twenty years from 1976 and including bands like the Sex Pistols, Joy Division and the Happy Mondays. The story is told (literally, to camera) by Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan), a television presenter and music promoter who founded the Factory Club, Factory Records and the infamous Hacienda club. In 1978 Wilson signs a contract with Joy Division written in his own blood and Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays single-handedly manages to financially ruin Factory Records and the Hacienda with his excessive drug-taking and gun-toting antics. The narrative style of the film may take a little getting used to, but Steve Coogan does such an excellent job portraying the intellectually quirky Wilson that I warmed to him immediately and was gladly swept along by the tales of the music business, sex, drugs, new wave, rave and crazy Brits. The cast is peppered with actual characters from the era playing minor roles alongside well-cast professionals playing the bigger roles, making it hard to differentiate between reality and fiction throughout this film, which may have been exactly what Winterbottom intended. 24HRPP is definitely a treat for those interested in the Manchester music scene of that period, but may be a tad too 'special interest' to keep audiences with less prior knowledge entertained throughout. Suzanna Noort ChokingOnPopcorn.com back to index |
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| Bend It Like Beckham reviewed: 01-06-03 Jess (Parminder K. Nagra), an eighteen-year-old Indian girl living in Hounslow, West London, loves David Beckham and loves playing football even more. And she's good at it. Her struggle to combine playing in the local girls' team without disappointing her disapproving parents too much makes for an entertaining (and occasionally predictable) comedy. Her parents want her to get a university degree, a boyfriend and learn how to cook a full Indian dinner, but that's the last thing on her mind when her friend Jules (Keira Knightley - drop dead gorgeous but could do with a few more acting lessons) shares her dreams of being 'scouted'’ to play soccer in America. When she falls for her Irish coach (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers - who played the glam-rocker in Velvet Goldmine) and the football finals are on the same day as her sister's wedding, things get even more complicated for Jess, but the super-sweet feel-good ending ties all loose ends together. Suzanna Noort ChokingOnPopcorn.com back to index |
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| Bowling For Columbine reviewed: 01-05-2003 After winning an Academy Award for best documentary, Bowling For Columbine finally got the attention it deserves. Films such as this often end up on the 'preaching-to-the-converted' pile of independent releases with little media coverage, so I was glad to hear that box office sales went up by 110% after Moore's President Bush-whacking Oscar acceptance speech. Moore searches for the reason behind the high number of gun-related killings in the USA compared to other countries. After ruling out popular explanations such as America's history of violence or the easy availability of firearms, he suggests that Americans have been brainwashed and made paranoid by their own government and the media: fearing terrorism, non-whites and even killer bees. As one interviewee rightly says: 'If someone's that paranoid it's probably not a good idea to give them a gun'. Charlton Heston makes an immense fool of himself as president of the National Rifle Assiciation and Moore's editing of historical footage (although occasionally a little over the top) effectively and with humour, demonstrates conservative America's hypocrisy. No extras on the DVD unfortunately - I would have loved some background info on the making of this film from Michael Moore himself. Nevertheless this film is a must-see! Suzanna Noort ChokingOnPopcorn.com back to index |
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| Far From Heaven reviewed: 01-07-03 Julianne Moore plays Cathy Whitaker, a 'perfect' mother and wife in 1950s Connecticut. She is always friendly and polite and endlessly patient with her rather gruff husband Frank (Dennis Quaid). Her children are equally polite and speak in classic 1950s 'Aw shucks, pop' style. When she befriends her well-educated gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert) her white middle-class friends are shocked and eventually alienate her. Coupled with the discovery that her husband prefers sex with other men to sex with her, Cathy's perfect world starts to fall apart. The weakness of this film in my opinion is director Todd Haynes' over-simplification of the 'good' and 'bad' characters. Quaid's character is so unlikable, you're inclined to feel no compassion as he struggles with his sexuality, and the disapproving looks Cathy gets from the other women in town regarding her association with 'a negro' are terribly hammed up. It's almost as if Haynes resorted to (bad) 50s style filmmaking, dissolving one scene to the next, fading to black and apparently underestimating the capacity of today's audiences to pick up on subtleties in acting. You do get to see some beautiful shots of New England in autumn and some rather gorgeous 1950s cars, but that doesn't make up for the above criticism. Far From Heaven is far from heaven, unfortunately. Suzanna Noort ChokingOnPopcorn.com back to index |
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| Frida reviewed: 01-08-03 A beautifully-shot, richly seductive, tequila-infused biopic of Mexican artist and revolutionary Frida Kahlo, based on the Hayden Herrera biography and wonderfully set off by Elliot Goldenthal's original score. Salma Hayek plays the uni-browed Kahlo who, after being temporarily paralysed in a tram accident, poured all her ensuing pain and further personal tragedies into her art, which served as her visual diary. Set against a political backdrop, it follows her life from schoolgirl to her tempestuous marriage to Mexico's most famous 20th-century artist, Diego Rivera. Together they were a veritable tour de force who took the 1920/30s art world by storm. Included are a number of surreal dream sequences (one created by the Brothers Quay) and some beautiful erotic moments as Kahlo explored her desires for women (including one with a Paris 'chanteuse', subtly alluding to Josephine Baker). However, although Hayek turns in a fine performance – and had apparently dreamed years beforehand she would one day take the part of Kahlo in a movie – lacks the charisma that exudes from even an image of Kahlo and perhaps plays the role a little too frivolously. On the other hand, the versatile Alfred Molina perfectly captures his portrayal of serial philanderer Rivera, a role that affords some of the best lines in the film: 'Sex is like pissing. People take it much too seriously' and 'It was just a fuck, that's all. I've given more affection in a handshake.' Often painful viewing and at times, desperately sad, albeit simultaneously inspirational, Frida had me gripped right up unto the closing credits two hours after the opening scene. Highly recommended and the inherently visual director Taymor is well worth keeping an eye on also... Pip Farquharson back to index |
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| High Society reviewed: 01-07-03 Just released on DVD, this fabulous musical remake of George Cukor's The Philadelphia Story (1940) sees Grace Kelly in her last ever film role before crossing the pond to marry into the Monaco monarchy (she even wore her actual engagement ring in the movie). Kelly plays the spoilt heiress Tracy Samantha Lord, a rather icy perfectionist (this generation would say 'control freak'), who is due to marry the stuffy George Kitteridge (John Lund) when her ex-husband C K Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby), unexpectedly turns up... Still in love with her, he puts in place a subtle plan to win back her heart. Throw in an incorrigible little sister, a playboy dad, a couple of snoops from Spy magazine, Louis Armstrong (as himself) and buckets of champagne... and now you has jazz! With a witty script and quite the line-up (it was the first time Crosby and Frank Sinatra, playing Spy magazine reporter, appeared on screen together), the romantic comedy is carried by one of Cole Porter's best – and one of his last – musical scores which includes Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Well, Did You Evah?, Now You Has Jazz, and Kelly and Crosby's moving duet True Love. Like most rereleases of older movies onto DVD, what actually makes you update your video copy are the bonus features. Along with the nostalgic newsreel of the film's 1956 première, this version includes a short documentary on 'the making of...', narrated by Celeste Holm (born 1919, who played Spy magazine photographer). Although it makes for entertaining viewing (throwing up little snippets such as how Kelly's father warned Prince Rainier of Monaco before they got married she was a crap driver), one can't help thinking that someone cruelly substituted Holm's oxygen tank with helium... Overall verdict? Thoroughly entertaining and an absolute must for fans of classic musicals and all that jazz... Pip Farquharson back to index |
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| Kissing Jessica Stein reviewed: 01-04-2003 Set in New York and directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) tells the story of the single, straight, successful 30-something journalist Jessica Stein, who, fed up with the dating scene decides to try something new. Indulging her curiosity, she responds to another woman's personal ad... with humorous yet touchng consequences. Jessica is played by Jennifer Westfeldt, who along with Heather Juergensen (who plays her love interest Helen Cooper) wrote the screenplay and produced it, after they met at film school. An enjoyable fresh romantic comedy with a witty script – and with some very moving moments – the only complaints I've heard are about the ending. But, personally, I found it pretty realistic and just enjoyed it for what it was, a film about relationships in general. Pip Farquharson back to index |
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Kill Bill: Vol 1 |
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| Metropolis reviewed: 01-06-03 Hard to imagine that Fritz Lang's extraordinary silent epic was a box-office flop when first released - and almost bankrupted its financiers, UFA (Germany's largest film production company). Set around the year 2000 (though still remaining visionary), the sci-fi film employed a staggering cast of 37,383 and used creative, cutting-edge effects to tell the story of the city of Metropolis (originally inspired by the Manhattan skyline). Here, Utopia (filled with 'thinkers') is supported by the underground (filled with 'workers'). All is running smoothly until the workers - spurred on by an evil robot replica of their leader Maria - decide to revolt... Approximately two hours long, the film is set to its original score (composed by Gottfried Huppertz), and this DVD edition has been painstakingly restored and digitally remastered to make it the closest version yet to the director's original cut. Bonus features include a nine-minute piece The Restoration on how various copies of the original film were gathered from around the world and restored to create this edition. It also includes The Metropolis Case, a fascinating 44-minute documentary on its making, that also puts it into a historical context. Included is how Lang's overtly anti-Nazi film The Testament of Dr Mabuse (1933) had been banned by Joseph Goebbels yet he was later asked to direct propaganda films for Adolf Hitler. Lang explains in an interview how, when he was approached, left Germany the same day... Pip Farquharson back to index |
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| The Pianist
reviewed: 01-09-03 The Pianist tells the true story of the Jewish Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman who lived with his family in Warsaw when Germany invaded in September 1939. On the day of the invasion, the family gathers around the wireless for news. On hearing that both France and Great Britain have declared war on Germany, they drink a toast, laughing and dancing, convinced it will last only a matter of weeks. It lasted 6 years of course and the film portrays Szpilman's immense struggle to survive throughout the war and the German atrocities. Most of us have seen countless Holocaust films, some more shocking than others, but always shocking. Watching scenes depicting inhumanity and cruelty on a personal level, rather than on a statistical 'six million Jews were killed' level is often much more disturbing and The Pianist consists of 150 minutes of such scenes, interspersed with human kindness here and there. As we follow Szpilman, day by day, month by month, year by year, the film occasionally drags a little, but at the same time it effectively conveys how Szpilman himself was probably feeling: 'will this ever end?'. Betrayal and death is around every corner and Polanksi keeps you on the edge of your seat consistently, wondering if Szpilman will get out of each situation alive. Adrien Brody fitted the part of Szpilman perfectly and received an Oscar for his role (replacing Richard Dreyfuss as the youngest actor ever to win Best Actor Academy Award). Apparently, to prepare for his role and connect with the feeling of loss, Brody lost 14 kilogrammes, got rid of his apartment, sold his car and watched no television. It worked. The cinematography is beautiful, except for the shots of the Jewish ghetto burning in Warsaw which looked terrifically fake and computer generated, which was a shame. 150 minutes is a little long, but Polanski has succeeded in recounting the horrific events of 1939-1945 in a touching and truly personal story. Suzanna Noort ChokingOnPopcorn.com back to index |
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Waking Life |
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