Freeview Film Choices
September 10, 2008 at 5:05 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: film, Great Expectations, Ride With The Devil, The Magnificent Ambersons
Again, there’s been some excellent films on recently and it continues this week. Unfortunately I was too late to highlight one of my favourite westerns, My Darling Clementine, which was on yesterday. However, there’s great films on the rest of the week so no despair.
Thursday afternoon at 3.20pm on Film4 is David Lean’s Great Expectations which remains arguably the best Dickens adaptation. For me, it was one of the first films in which the editing was brought to my attention, during the scene in which Young Pip visits his parents’ grave. There’s about 42 cuts in the space of a minute of two so keep an eye out for it and see how the film is manipulated to give you a particular perception of what’s going on.
Also an afternoon selection on Friday morning at 10.35am is Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons, now widely regarded as one of his finest films. The film is as famous for the troubles that Welles had making the picture as it is for the film itself. Welles’ original cut of the film ran for 135 minutes but he felt that it needed shortening, however the studio, RKO, retained contractual rights to the final cut resulting in over 40 minutes of cutting (those scenes were destroyed and the other cut considered lost) and the re-shooting of the ending. There was a remake of the film based on Welles’ original screenplay and editing notes which I’ve not seen but that shouldn’t detract from this film which the editor, Robert Wise (who went on to direct The Haunting, West Side Story and The Day The Earth Stood Still) maintains the original was no better a cut that the released version.
On Friday night on More4 at 9.00pm is Ang Lee’s first western, Ride With The Devil. I saw this relatively recently and although it’s not in the same league as most of Lee’s other work it is definitely worth a watch to see Lee steer the film away from Hollywood genre norms. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the story deals with the other side of the conflict, that of the ‘bushwhackers‘, including the infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas, by William Quantrill. Even Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is watchable in this
Freeview Films Of The Week
August 27, 2008 at 12:07 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: Far From Heaven, Julianne Moore, road movie, Todd Haynes, Transamerica
Since my home PC has died, updates on the blog haven’t been as often as I would have hoped but I’ve made an extra effort in work to pull together a couple of films to keep a look out for this week. Both have brilliant lead actress performances and are a cut above
Tonight at 9pm is one of the best films of the past couple of years, Transamerica. Famous for its lead character and performance it’s a road film with a difference and one that was overlooked by the viewing public.
Friday night at 9pm on More4 is modern melodramatic classic from one of the most interesting directors around today, Todd Haynes. Haynes gives a contemporary take on the Douglas Sirk films of the 50s, Far From Heaven but the film never feels dated with Julianne Moore at her very best. It isn’t just Moore that’s brilliant in the film with a great supporting cast and Haynes’ direction lifting this above your average family drama. If you’re not too familiar with film making techniques then Far From Heaven is a great opportunity to see how a director uses the screen to reflect what’s going on with the characters. Keep an eye open for the changing colours and how they reflect the mood and feelings of the characters. One of my favourite films of recent years.
My Freeview Films Of The Week w/c 26 May 08
May 26, 2008 at 11:44 am | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: film, in the bedroom, it happened one night, the lady from shanghai
It’s been a poor couple of weeks recently with only the odd film worth watching e.g. Brokeback Mountain and The Station Agent, so it’s good to see this week with plenty of options if you don’t want to be disappointed by the latest Blockbuster has to offer.
Opening my choices this week tonight at 12.05am on BBC2 is The Lady From Shanghai, an Orson Welles directed film that is one of my favourite noirs. Visually I think this is one of the strongest in the genre with a dazzling final twenty minutes. Welles’ original cut was meant to include an additional hour of film and paid reference to the Black Dahlia murders prior to them actually happening. At the time Welles was married to Hayworth and his decision to ditch her trademark red hair pays off, although the show is stolen for me by Glenn Anders as George Grisby. On the subject of Orson Welles, here’s him absolutely leathered advertising champagne. Hilarious stuff.
On Tuesday morning at 10.50am on BBC2 is the brilliant It Happened One Night. Starring Clark Gable, this is a delightful Frank Capra film (currently No.134 on the imdb Top 250) that is a seminal screwball comedy and the intervening years haven’t take any toll. This was a small film that had unwilling leads with Gable loaned to Colombia because MGM (owners of his current contract) were paying him for doing nothing at the time. Success followed the film as it became to the first to win Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress as well as Gable’s famous bare-chester appearance that is said to have moved men’s fashion away from undergament shirts/vests. Interestingly, Fritz Freleng cited the film as one of his favourites and where he got his inspiration from for Bugs Bunny. My film of the week.
My final choice is the Oscar nominated drama In The Bedroom (BBC1 Thursday 11.35pm) that stars Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson as parents dealing with their gifted son’s relationship with an older woman. Although I prefer director Todd Field’s later outing, Little Children, this is still a strong family drama that gets excellent performances from the two leads. Sadly I felt the film loses its emotional core towards the end and plumps for a bestseller ending, however the journey up until that points is believable and heartfelt.
Freeview Films Of The Week w/c 12 May 2008
May 12, 2008 at 4:14 pm | Posted in film, Uncategorized | 2 CommentsTags: bring it on, day of the dead, film, talk radio
It’s been a bit lean for a couple of weeks on the terrestrial film listings. As per usual Film 4 is full of mediocre mainstream American junk or films that we’ve seen ten times before so it’s time to look at films that deserve a second look. This isn’t to say that there aren’t good films on this week, of course there are, most of which, though, we’ve seen before.
Steering away from a couple of obvious choices this week, I’ve picked three films that aren’t world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but they’re interesting enough to have a look at. On Thursday night at 11.25pm on FiveUS is Oliver Stone’s Talk Radio, a film about a radio phone-in ‘shock jock’ that takes some of its inspiration from the case of real life host, Alan Berg. Sandwiched between Wall Street and Born Of The Fourth Of July, Talk Radio is a compact piece of work based on a Pulitzer nominated play co-written by Eric Bogosian, who also plays the lead in the film. Bogosian can be annoying, so he’s perfect for this role and it is pretty much his film. This is more a study of the character than the issues that arise from abrasive broadcasters so it’s less brash than some other Stone efforts.
Friday night on BBC2, just after midnight at 12.35am sees the third instalment of George A Romero’s zombie films, Day Of The Dead and it is clearly weaker than its predecessors although there are still some redeeming factors here. It’s in this film that the evolution of the zombies is discussed in a bit more depth, sort of explaining how they’ve changed from being grotty mannequins to the sentient life-forms that appear in the poor sequel, Land Of The Dead thanks to Bub the zombie. Sounds comical and there’s certainly humour in this mixed with a subtext that isn’t as good as the previous two films but is still better than most horror films and Romero has previously rated the film as his best. Can’t say I’d agree with that but it’s entertaining nevertheless.
Headlining Film4’s Saturday night schedule at 9pm is Bring It On, which is basically an exploitation film if Disney had done it. Whilst there’s plenty of criticism you can throw in the film’s direction, it’s funny, well shot with some good dance sequences, contains locker scenes and a bikini car wash . Bring It On is a pleasant comedy, references Bob Fosse, blaxploitation and manages to do a film about cheerleaders that doesn’t completely patronise these oft undervalued lynchpins of society. A chick flick that had crossover appeal.
Freeview Films Of The Week w/c 20 Apr 08
April 20, 2008 at 3:48 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: Cypher, film, The Aviator, The Proposition
Tonight at 8pm on BBC2 is Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, the film of fruitcake millionaire mogul Howard Hughes. After Gangs Of New York this enabled Scorsese to arrest a potential decline thanks to a story that tells itself. As you’d expect the direction is excellent, quite a way from his best, and whilst the film never really gives us that much more for a biopic, it’s still enjoyable. DiCaprio shows promise at times during the film, showing that he was starting to find his feet as an actor, but he doesn’t really grab enough hold of your attention to be anything other than a learning project for him. There’s a star studded cast to go with him, covering several Hollywood icons, not least of which is Cate Blanchett being the pick of the film with her portrayl of Katharine Hepburn.
Monday night on Channel 4 at 11.20pm sees the Nick Cave scripted film The Proposition. Shifting the western genre over to Australia, sets the usual tale of developing civilisation against a seldom explored backdrop of early life in one of the colonies. It’s a very interesting film and one that I have had mixed reactions to. The first time I caught the film I was disappointed, probably because I was expecting something different to what I saw. Second time out I thought it was great and the disappointment of a script that I felt undersold itself with some of its commentary on Australia was overtaken by the visual look of the feel and some great action set pieces. More recently I watched it again and my thoughts fell back a bit, however it’s still an interesting film. Featuring a top notch cast with Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Emily Mortimer and the ever superb, John Hurt, I think that amongst the aesthetics Cave does delve a bit into the soul of his own country and those bits are the film’s strength.
On Wednesday is a film from Vincenzo Natali, the director of minor cult sci-fi success, Cube. Cypher (11.25pm Film4) received lukewarm reviews and as a result this was overlooked by many despite being one of the best sci-fi films in recent years. It’s a very stylish piece of work and, unlike many films, manages to hit a consistenly good level from the beginning all the way through until a great end. This isn’t your guns and aliens kind of sci-fi and is more a thriller in a futuristic setting and even if you don’t normally watch this kind of film I think that anyone who enjoys a good thriller will appreciate this film. My film of the week.
Freeview Films Of The Week w/c 14 Apr 08
April 14, 2008 at 6:10 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: film, it's all gone pete tong, only angels have wings, secrets & lies
Several good films on this week and as is usually the case there are plenty that are on at unreasonable times of the day which I can never understand, especially when Lethal Weapon gets its millionth airing at 9pm on one of the lesser ITV channels. It’s like the quality of Film4. What a shit channel that’s turned into after promises of great films. There are plenty of good films on the channel but nine times out of ten they’ll be on late whilst some film gets its tenth repeat showing or we end up with Changing Lanes (Wednesday), Monster-in-Law (Thursday) and Heartbreak Ridge (Friday) at the prime time 9pm slot. That’s not to say that all three of those films are poor, they’re not although I haven’t seen Monster-in-Law. It’s just that of all the films to put on a peak time they’re all pretty mediocre.
Onto this week’s three choices. First up is on Wednesday morning when you can catch Howard Hawks’ Only Angels Have Wings on BBC2 at 10.30am. “Thrilling As Love Born Amid A Thousand Fabulous Adventures!” it stars Cary Grant and the wonderful Jean Arthur in a story set in a small airport in South America. The script is great and a reminder of just how good Hollywood can be when it invests some time in its characters and a lot of credit for that is down to Hawks himself, a legendary director.
My second film choice of the week was a tough one. Charles Laughton stars in in Alexander Korda’s 1933 The Private Life Of Henry VIII but it’s on at 3.40am on Thursday morning so I doubt anybody will be up for watching that one. Likewise Jack Nicholson stars in Antonioni’s The Passenger at 1.05am on Friday morning. Two films that are definitely worth your attention but I’ve got with the more viewing friendly time of 11.00pm for Wednesday night on Film4 when Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies. It was only recently that I managed to watch this film and I was sorry that I’d left it so long. Telling the story of a woman who traces her birth mother it was nominated for the Best Picture award at the 1997 Oscars and won three BAFTAs including the Best British Picture award and best actress for Brenda Blethyn. Blethyn is tremendous in this with a wonderfully natural and moving piece of acting ably supported by a similarly excellent Timothy Spall.
Friday night allows the television viewing public to sample one of the most enjoyable British films of recent years. 11.40pm on BBC1 sees Paul Kaye take on role of DJ Frankie Wild in It’s All Gone Pete Tong. I was pleasantly surprised when I first watched this film due to not expecting much about it but by the end of the film, the mix of comedy, social commentary and soundtrack ahad delivered an entertaining film. Visually the film hooks straight into its subject matter and whilst some might find the final third testing I think the film manages to pull it off. A film that I think any music lover would enjoy. My film of the week.
Freeview Films w/c 7 Apr 08
April 8, 2008 at 12:48 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: american splendour, pan's labyrinth, she's having a baby
Not too much happening during the week this week filmwise so here’s three to take a peak at.
Wednesday night at 9pm on Film4 there’s an opportunity to catch Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar and BAFTA winning Pan’s Labyrinth that was lauded to high heaven by every critic around. Me? I enjoyed it but I wasn’t raving about it and I found there to be several films better than it released that year. All that said it’s visually impressive and contains some truly memorable images.
Friday night on Film4 at 22.55 is a true little gem, American Splendour. Based on the comics of Harvey Pekar it’s the one truly great comic book adaptation there’s been which is probably down to the fact that it’s not about latex nippled superheroes. Pekar is one of those characters that could quite easily appear in a BBC documentary and is given life by the ever excellent Paul Giamatti. My film of the week.
Last up on Sunday night on BBC1 at 11.20pm is some cheap entertainment from the late 80s in She’s Having A Baby. John Hughes directs Kevin Bacon and Eliazabeth McGovern’s newlyweds in what’s a fairly non-offensive comedy about getting involved in all that suburban aspirational lifestyle shit. You know you get a good solid pair of hands with Bacon and here’s he supportedly wonderfully by McGovern who retains just the right level of irritability without annoyance and Alec Baldwin, as Bacon’s successful corporate bachelor. It’s not taxing but it is quite enjoyable.
Freeview Films w/c 30 Mar 08
March 30, 2008 at 2:07 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: film, the cat's meow, the english patient, the sea inside
Last week there wasn’t that much worth mentioning as films of the week. This week I’ve picked out two films that are modern classics and one that’s an entertaining story based on a rumour from Hollywood’s early years.
Tonight on BBC1 at 10.20pm is a film that gets slated by many for being pompous, full of luvvies and typical Oscar winning fare and although I can why people say that I think they’re wrong. The English Patient is one of those films of love set against the backdrop of major historical event, this one being WWII. Like Gone With The Wind and Dr Zhivago it’s a beautifully shot sweeping epic with wonderful central performances. The English Patient is one of those rare adaptations that I believe to be better than the original source novel and given the book’s award winning tag that’s a strong statement to make. The genius in the film though is a combination of Anthony Minghella’s direction and the screenplay that ditches the primary love story of the book, exploring a love story that has nowhere near as much depth or feeling in the novel. The film differs from the two epics mentioned previously because it takes two characters that by and large are unsympathetic people and by doing so plants the premise of love against what many would consider to be an amoral situation. It’s here that the film excels making the feeling of love powerful enough for you to not only believe but understand its relationship to the characters.
On Film4 on Wednesday night/Thursday morning at 1.30am is Peter Bogdanovich’s The Cat’s Meow. Told to Bogdanovich by Orson Welles it’s based on the true events of a death on the boat of William Randolph Heart in 1924. It’s a lovely little period piece starring Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin (one of the guests at the party) and he’s mixed in this for me whereas Kirstin Dunst, as silent starlet and Hearst’s mistress, Marion Davies is arguably her best performance to date, although I understand that she didn’t capture enough of Davies’ real-life personality for many. Bogdanovich hasn’t really directed anything of note for thirty years but he shows some flashes of the magic that had him touted as the new Orson Welles.
If you recently watched Javier Bardem and are wondering how he’s burst onto the scene, Film4 gives you the opportunity on Thursday night at 10.40pm to see him blow you away, bettering his No Country For Old Men performance in The Sea Inside. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar (The Others and the original Vanilla Sky, Open Your Eyes) this is based on a true story and despite its subject matter is wonderful. If you only pick one of these three to see, this is the one that I’d recommend, my film of the week.
Freeview Films Of The Week w/c 17 Mar 08
March 17, 2008 at 5:09 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: battle for haditha, brick, film, shampoo
Tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm sees the premiere of Nick Broomfiel’s drama documentary Battle For Haditha. Broomfield takes his documentary skills and applies them to create a dramatisation of the events that lead up to the massacre of 24 Iraqi cilivians by US soldiers. If you’ve enjoyed either of Paul Greengrass’ United 93 or Bloody Sunday then this is for you.
Thursday night on Film 4 offers a chance to catch Rian Johnson’s Brick, a kind of drug noir that transplants the genre into an American high school. Starring Third Rock From The Son’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt it’s one of those films, like Memento, that gives your mind a bit of a workout, keeping you on your toes throughout. Levitt shines, adding another good performance to an increasingly interesting list and the film was nominated for several independent film awards.
Film of the week is Friday night’s Shampoo (midnight, BBC2). It’s 24 hours in the life of a Los Angeles hairdresser on the eve of the 1968 American election. Directed by one of my favourite directors, Hal Ashby, it’s a funny social, sexual and political satire full of wonderful acting performances. Jack Warden steals the show but Warren Beatty really holds the film and its essence together as the hairdresser keen to set up his own business. The film rarely gets mentioned amongst the great comedies and although I would never suggest it’s right up there at the top there are few that can match its comedy and its intelligence.
Freeview Films Of The Week w/c 10 Mar
March 10, 2008 at 7:01 pm | Posted in film | Leave a commentTags: birth, cruising, films, strangers on a train
Tonight at 11pm on Channel 5 is a film that I’ve not seen but have heard is an interesting watch. Crusing is directed by The French Connection and The Exorcist helmer, William Friedkin and stars Al Pacino in a story of serial killer in New York that’s targetting gay men. The film came under a lot of attack by gay rights campaigners for being homophobic. The film bombed at the box office because of the publicity and poor reviews but it’s also a bit of a curiousity for Al Pacino’s role as a cop who has to go undercover to try and solve the case.
Wednesday 9pm on Film 4 is Jonathan Glazer’s Birth with Nicole Kidman in the lead. Although the film received positive reviews I think it got overlooked by the public, which is a shame because I think it’s a great film. Don’t let the presence of Kidman deter you from watching this. Kidman gives the best performance I’ve seen from her and changed my own perception of her ability as an actress. The film itself is a real style and mood piece, perfectly capturing the thoughts and emotions of the main characters. It’s a psychological horror that is also a great study of grief and it’s handled well by Glazer who taps into a Stanley Kubrick vibe to great effect. Glazer you may know as the man who directed the award winning sea horses Guiness commercial and Sexy Beast. Definitely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it.
2pm BBC2 on Saturday gives us Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train, which is everything you would expect from a Hitchcock film. Based on a Patricia Highsmith novel at times the acting might grate but Hitchcock’s ability to create and maintain tension is in evidence throughout. Currently No.100 in the imdb’s top 250 films.
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