Hilarious to see the praise heaped on this programme here - and of course all of it long after the original air-date. In the UK C4 picked it up and I became hooked on its spooky qualities (remember we didnt have Buffy back then - thats the GOOD Buffy series before it all went a bit pear-shaped). Now Sky are re-showing it on Thursdays (after Buffy and Angel) and its a delight to remind myself why I liked it. After years as "Midnight Caller" (which people either loved or loathed for its goodie-morality) Cole's performance as the maleavolant Buck is fantastic. Is anyone else still haunted by the episode with the mirror and disfigured face? That STILL spooks me when I recall it! Good to have it back and can I add my support for a DVD/video release to include the UK? We liked it here too you know!
Reviews
18 Reviews
Liebestraum
(1991)
A great idea, but SOOOOO SLOOOOOW
17 June 2002
We came in about 15 minutes after this started on TV. Hmmm. Interesting cast, Mike Figgis directing, liked the cast iron building set-up. Within 20 minutes we knew why we hadn't heard before about this movie. it was pretty dreadful. Clearly only about half a normal screenplay had been completed because there was no other plausible reason for those -- tedious -- pseudo-meaningful (meaningless) -- pauses. In my partner's inimtable phrasing Harold Pinter seems a laugh a minute screwball comedy writer of speedy proportions alongside this. Elephants have gestated quicker than this progressed! Everything was invested with 'meaning' to the point where, oh heavens, not ANOTHER drawn-out sex scene, one just longed for some EXPLICATION about what was going on. Yes there was some nice cinematography, and many of the cast deserved better than this. The hapless lead has disappeared almost without trace. poor boy. For a story so laden with pseudo-pyschobabble subplots and personal histories repeating I have just one question; exactly WHY is Bill Pullman's character so defiantly intent on destroying the building? MOTIVATION, MOTIVATION, MOTIVATION.
A Beautiful Mind
(2001)
Stunning performances that avoid the worst kind of schmaltz
14 February 2002
Yes this is high Oscar-fodder: it's the kind of material that makes the awards judges go weak (and look, nominations galore and wins for all concerned... except of course, in the final analysis one fears, for Ron Howard - like Michael Mann, the system rarely forgives popular TV origins).
And let me say first off that it would be foolish to deny that a goodly portion of the audience for this are going because they long to see something to erase the critical disaster that was "Proof of Life" from their memories (because, facing facts, this would make a great movie anyway, but Russell Crowe is what will have drawn most of its audience). And, thank god, it succeeds in that. In POL we had that body in a black vest struggling to act in an incredibly formulaic action drama. Here, RC is back to what he does best - ACTING - and we get a white t-shirt... well, I'll definitely settle for that.
I dreaded that this would be a real schmaltz-fest: don't get me wrong, I liked "Apollo 13" and I'll cry at almost anything, but I was rather wary of how much ABM would be wringing my tear-ducts. In the end it's an incredibly tempered depiction of mental illness and what directoral/camera trickery is done is subtle and nuanced - in keeping with the performances. Knowing as much as I do about mental health issues and the experiences attached to them, I felt moved - but not in an obvious way - by the way this was dealt with. Jennifer Connelly (as Alicia) does a magnificent job in portraying the quiet, and then raging, frustration and love felt by a partner in such circumstances.
It seems unfair to pick out individuals from the cast for comment - above and beyond Crowe's touching performance which truly inhabits the character of John Nash - since each makes such a great contribution to the overall storyline. However, Harris and Bettany especially could have found themselves caught in the worst kind of roles, yet they lend the film immense solidity and depth.
Given the storyline there is not much that is radical or previously unseen, but what is done is done very well and avoids the worst excesses associated with this kind of film. And it is not exactly about 'overcoming' schizophrenia (which implies 'cure') but rather 'dealing with' it.
Ultimately though it was a pleasure to see such a return to form for an actor who deserved better than dross like "Mystery, Alaska" and "Proof of Life" (note these both followed great critical/popular acclaim pieces like "L.A. Confidential" and "Gladiator") as ludicrously entertaining as these may have been in their own right if Crowe had not demonstrated such immense talent elsewhere.
And let me say first off that it would be foolish to deny that a goodly portion of the audience for this are going because they long to see something to erase the critical disaster that was "Proof of Life" from their memories (because, facing facts, this would make a great movie anyway, but Russell Crowe is what will have drawn most of its audience). And, thank god, it succeeds in that. In POL we had that body in a black vest struggling to act in an incredibly formulaic action drama. Here, RC is back to what he does best - ACTING - and we get a white t-shirt... well, I'll definitely settle for that.
I dreaded that this would be a real schmaltz-fest: don't get me wrong, I liked "Apollo 13" and I'll cry at almost anything, but I was rather wary of how much ABM would be wringing my tear-ducts. In the end it's an incredibly tempered depiction of mental illness and what directoral/camera trickery is done is subtle and nuanced - in keeping with the performances. Knowing as much as I do about mental health issues and the experiences attached to them, I felt moved - but not in an obvious way - by the way this was dealt with. Jennifer Connelly (as Alicia) does a magnificent job in portraying the quiet, and then raging, frustration and love felt by a partner in such circumstances.
It seems unfair to pick out individuals from the cast for comment - above and beyond Crowe's touching performance which truly inhabits the character of John Nash - since each makes such a great contribution to the overall storyline. However, Harris and Bettany especially could have found themselves caught in the worst kind of roles, yet they lend the film immense solidity and depth.
Given the storyline there is not much that is radical or previously unseen, but what is done is done very well and avoids the worst excesses associated with this kind of film. And it is not exactly about 'overcoming' schizophrenia (which implies 'cure') but rather 'dealing with' it.
Ultimately though it was a pleasure to see such a return to form for an actor who deserved better than dross like "Mystery, Alaska" and "Proof of Life" (note these both followed great critical/popular acclaim pieces like "L.A. Confidential" and "Gladiator") as ludicrously entertaining as these may have been in their own right if Crowe had not demonstrated such immense talent elsewhere.
Holding On
(1997)
Sublime acting by all concerned
15 October 2001
Why the BBC has not yet put this out on video, let alone DVD (there was some great camera work) is beyond my comprehension. It resurfaced the magnificent David Morrissey in my brain as a superb actor and for that alone I am grateful to those who made the series happen. Dubbed "Our Friends in the South" on first appearance, as it followed hard on the heels of that other great BBC series, it soon commanded its own fanbase. I can still see in my mind's eye the scene in the travel agents with Morrissey when his world truly begins to come undone, all moral certainty abandoned in an instant. I crib this from a Guardian review of the time - and thank you to whoever wrote that, I still keep the cutting at home. But nevertheless even before I had read the review of that episode that scene had been haunting me and I had been driving everyone insane that day whittering on about how stunning it was.
The coming together of characters and stories is something that derives from 19th century literature (think Dickins if nothing else) but in the cinema and television drama is rarely done well. "Magnolia" would be the main other example of this kind of connected narrative that comes off.
If you saw it, I expect you will know exactly what I mean by raving about Morrissey. If you did not see it, hassle the BBC to put it out again on video/DVD if not repeated on the channel (and try to tell them that putting it on the damn cable channels as yet cannot constitute a proper repeat).
The coming together of characters and stories is something that derives from 19th century literature (think Dickins if nothing else) but in the cinema and television drama is rarely done well. "Magnolia" would be the main other example of this kind of connected narrative that comes off.
If you saw it, I expect you will know exactly what I mean by raving about Morrissey. If you did not see it, hassle the BBC to put it out again on video/DVD if not repeated on the channel (and try to tell them that putting it on the damn cable channels as yet cannot constitute a proper repeat).
Psychos
(1999– )
A wonderful wonderful series
14 September 2001
The posters drew me in and then I watched and just felt overwhelmed. I know it had a lot of criticism - for its title and handling of subject matter - but for those of us who watched utterly transfixed by the nuanced performances and its approach to such difficult material the lack of a second series or its release on video/DVD is a nightmare. How long will my videotapes hold out from replaying!!!
Many of those not already established when this came out have since cropped up in other excellent dramatic works: Douglas Henshall, who for a brief time seemed to be everywhere, surely deserved something for his magnificent performance here (can I confess that I can't hear Talking Heads 'Once in a lifetime' without seeing the image of Henshall as Dr Nash, slumped on his bed with the rabbit... if you saw it you will know what I mean!). Neve McIntosh was just stunning and Alastair Mackenzie was compelling as the steadily unravelling Shug.
If you find it, see it.
Many of those not already established when this came out have since cropped up in other excellent dramatic works: Douglas Henshall, who for a brief time seemed to be everywhere, surely deserved something for his magnificent performance here (can I confess that I can't hear Talking Heads 'Once in a lifetime' without seeing the image of Henshall as Dr Nash, slumped on his bed with the rabbit... if you saw it you will know what I mean!). Neve McIntosh was just stunning and Alastair Mackenzie was compelling as the steadily unravelling Shug.
If you find it, see it.
Gormenghast
(2000)
Sumptuous, fatuous but strangely endearing
14 September 2001
I know it failed to connect with a lot of viewers but Jonathan R-D was an absolute revelation here (Velvet Goldmine anyone? pur-lease!) The cinematography and the sets were amazing but in an effort to encapsulate the weighty detail of the books a lot got lost in the translation. the cast was to die for with some hilarious cameos (did they love making this I wonder?) and Neve MacIntosh especially was as luscious as ever. But overall its excess seemed to lose momentum and though I kep watching - hey it was better than a lot of TV - it ultimately seeming rather fatuous. A bit overblown...
I read the books afterwards, my partner long having outgrown them (they're not really 'suitable' for children but they're still on his shelf of fiction) and I really enjoyed reading them. Peake was a strange old bird and if you feel you didn't get a handle on the mini-series because of the relation to the books then maybe reading a good biog of Peake may help.
I went back to the TV series recently and I still found it beautiful in its own peculiar way. And though Steerpike is an evil little bs, and his motives always unclear, I did find it quite endearing as a work of television drama. (But wasn't Titus insipid!)
I read the books afterwards, my partner long having outgrown them (they're not really 'suitable' for children but they're still on his shelf of fiction) and I really enjoyed reading them. Peake was a strange old bird and if you feel you didn't get a handle on the mini-series because of the relation to the books then maybe reading a good biog of Peake may help.
I went back to the TV series recently and I still found it beautiful in its own peculiar way. And though Steerpike is an evil little bs, and his motives always unclear, I did find it quite endearing as a work of television drama. (But wasn't Titus insipid!)
Angels and Insects
(1995)
I have my reasons for liking this but its not a great movie
14 September 2001
The photography here is stunning but it is heavily let down by a cast who seem largely disinterested in what they are trying to portray. Kristin Scott Thomas struggles to make a believably dowdy but sexually explosive character of feminist leanings come to life. Rylance has a compelling voice - how rare to hear such a strong accent anywhere - but my goodness! None so blind! Tales of the upper classes versus the lower orders (especially those who may be intellectually or morally above them but demoted by income) are never easy to watch and this is no exception. Kensit can hardly act her way out of the clothes she (sometimes) wears here, but it is a patchy performance by all concerned. As a foppish and maleavolent spirit in the Alabaster household, Henshall may stir those with a liking for rough cads, but its a 'by-the-numbers' piece all round. It has potential to be better than it is and maybe the Haas tried to hard to bring to the screen the complex writing of Byatt.
Still, for afficiandos of how far the censors will allow film-makers to go this may cause raised eyebrows if you let your granny catch it. Not a period piece for all the family
Still, for afficiandos of how far the censors will allow film-makers to go this may cause raised eyebrows if you let your granny catch it. Not a period piece for all the family
The Insider
(1999)
How to make an action film with no action
3 September 2001
This was undoubtedly the movie that Russell Crowe won the Academy Award for, since the Academy invariably hands the little oscar out for the wrong movie in the wrong part of someone's career. (Not that Crowe's performance in "Gladiator" wasn't life changing for many - ahem - but "The Insider" was where he truly ACTED his socks off and then some. And all power to the Academy for being only ONE year late; most actors wait till their twilight years to get their hands on the deserved statuette).
It's a sublime piece of work from Mann, as his fans have come to expect - thoughtful, driven by well-written characters, intelligent scripting and wonderful direction. But of course much of this story comes from the real-life inspiration of Mr Wigand and the 60 Minutes coverage of his whistle-blowing activities on the tobacco industry. It is also a fantastic demonstration of how to make an action movie with NO action. Well, not in the Jerry Bruckheimer sense of the word. For man the action is all in the characters and the beautiful way that Pacino, Crowe and Plummer especially draw you in to their inner worlds. For some, latter-day Pacino is just too much like prime ham - but here just give the movie a couple of viewings and you'll realise how well he acts. It's a wonderful turn and utterly appropriate for a TV producer.
If you want to see a gripping movie this might not be where you would instinctively turn, but trust me - just for the scenes on the golf course, and when Wigand is on the stand about to give his deposition (I climbed the sofa the tension was so immense!) - this film can provide excellent and stimulating 'action'.
It's a sublime piece of work from Mann, as his fans have come to expect - thoughtful, driven by well-written characters, intelligent scripting and wonderful direction. But of course much of this story comes from the real-life inspiration of Mr Wigand and the 60 Minutes coverage of his whistle-blowing activities on the tobacco industry. It is also a fantastic demonstration of how to make an action movie with NO action. Well, not in the Jerry Bruckheimer sense of the word. For man the action is all in the characters and the beautiful way that Pacino, Crowe and Plummer especially draw you in to their inner worlds. For some, latter-day Pacino is just too much like prime ham - but here just give the movie a couple of viewings and you'll realise how well he acts. It's a wonderful turn and utterly appropriate for a TV producer.
If you want to see a gripping movie this might not be where you would instinctively turn, but trust me - just for the scenes on the golf course, and when Wigand is on the stand about to give his deposition (I climbed the sofa the tension was so immense!) - this film can provide excellent and stimulating 'action'.
Kid in the Corner
(1999– )
Cracking performances on a REAL topic
2 August 2001
In an age of syndromes the reality is that we are becoming a society more and more reliant on drugs and therapy. This award-winning drama series (yet still criminally under-rated) brings to life the story of young boy, terrifyingly destructive yet passionate in his emotions. The struggle of his parents to cope with him - on or off medication - is heart-breakingly realistic. The young stars are amazing:Brooke Kinsella as the strong and dependable daughter who turns to despairing teenage self-destruction in the shadow of her brother's torment is quite astonishing to watch.
Unsurprisingly this was first aired on Channel 4 in the UK; home to so much decent drama (Psychos, Anna Karenina, North Square, GBH all got premiered there), and most of it all too quickly consigned to history. "Kid in the Corner" deserves a wide audience, especially but not exclusively from those with an interest in the fate and treatment of children diagnosed with ADD.
Unsurprisingly this was first aired on Channel 4 in the UK; home to so much decent drama (Psychos, Anna Karenina, North Square, GBH all got premiered there), and most of it all too quickly consigned to history. "Kid in the Corner" deserves a wide audience, especially but not exclusively from those with an interest in the fate and treatment of children diagnosed with ADD.
Gentlemen's Relish
(2001 TV Movie)
I couldn't help myself enjoy this
2 August 2001
Okay, fair cop, I confess that with Douglas Henshall in the cast list I would have watched this regardless. But what a way to begin the New Year (it premiered on BBC1 on New Year's Day 2001). It's a charming tale and beautifully presented. The costumes are lush and the setting is just right. Billy Connolly's relationship with Sarah Lancashire is so tenderly played that it captures your heart. She's come a long way since her soap opera days on "Coronation Street".
It has a sparkling script and each of the main characters has their own star moments. Why Henshall thinks he's playing Michael Caine is beyond my comprehension, but for all the incongruity of hearing Cockney geezer-speak coming from his Glaswegian born and bred mouth it is still a charming performance. The piece has adult content, but much of the script and performances are pure nostalgia with nudge-wink humour and old-fashioned romance. As someone who mostly loathes slapstick it's a joy to find farce so well presented. Even the minor characters (caricatures) fit the storyline well.
If granny has a rather ribald humour you might find that you can take her back in time with such a gentle-humoured drama. It wouldn't win any prizes for radical experimentation or high-quality anything, but it is a light and frothy way to fill any evening.
It has a sparkling script and each of the main characters has their own star moments. Why Henshall thinks he's playing Michael Caine is beyond my comprehension, but for all the incongruity of hearing Cockney geezer-speak coming from his Glaswegian born and bred mouth it is still a charming performance. The piece has adult content, but much of the script and performances are pure nostalgia with nudge-wink humour and old-fashioned romance. As someone who mostly loathes slapstick it's a joy to find farce so well presented. Even the minor characters (caricatures) fit the storyline well.
If granny has a rather ribald humour you might find that you can take her back in time with such a gentle-humoured drama. It wouldn't win any prizes for radical experimentation or high-quality anything, but it is a light and frothy way to fill any evening.
Anna Karenina
(2000– )
Made me actually read the whole novel
2 August 2001
For years I put off ploughing through AK - for the same reason I have always avoided so many Russian novels. You know the syndrome; you get so far and then all the 'ovsky's begin to blur, you lose track of which character is which and you give up by Chapter Two or Three at best in defeat at keeping up with all the names. Or, like the Woody Allen joke, you speed read it. "War and Peace? It's about Russia"
Well, inspired by the performances by so many cracking actors I plunged into the full novel. And what a delight. The drama is so good that it makes even the more melancholic passages come to life. With Stephen Dillane AND Douglas Henshall to delight in here, the show was on my watch list anyway. Some wonderful performances can be found in this version which is certainly one of the best transferences to screen of a complex novel (for one thing it doesn't shirk from giving equal weight to the story of Levin and Kitty - which in the novel are just as central, if not more so in the case of Levin, musing on the issue of religion).
Well, inspired by the performances by so many cracking actors I plunged into the full novel. And what a delight. The drama is so good that it makes even the more melancholic passages come to life. With Stephen Dillane AND Douglas Henshall to delight in here, the show was on my watch list anyway. Some wonderful performances can be found in this version which is certainly one of the best transferences to screen of a complex novel (for one thing it doesn't shirk from giving equal weight to the story of Levin and Kitty - which in the novel are just as central, if not more so in the case of Levin, musing on the issue of religion).
Memento
(2000)
You really will end up thinking "Now, where was I?"
2 August 2001
Like the best of films with some kind of twisting and demanding plot, "Memento" not only warrants second, third and more viewings but actively encourages them. Like "The Usual Suspects" you get to the end and think you have found the answer to what happened, what you have just spent two hours watching, but the more you analyse it the less certain you are. You really will end up thinking "Now, where was I?" Characters' moral ambiguity become clearer with each viewing so that you can end up convinced that everyone in the world is totally messed up and utterly lacking a morality of any real kind.
But it is worth more than one viewing (if you didn't get it the first time, I ain't saying the second will make it all clear, but you should invest the time) if only for the acting performances. Pearce makes another great screen character come to life off the script (see "LA Confidential" and "Priscilla" for others), Joe Pantoliano is a creature of demonlike charm, and Carrie Moss - well, what can I say. Her role as Natalie is pivotal to the audience's realisation that this movie is deliberately playing with their head.
For those who wonder where Nolan appeared from with this great sleeper hit (WHY DID THE USA TAKE SO LONG TO GIVE IT DISTRIBUTION?!!!) seek out his previous movie "Following" which offers an equally disturbing and twisting narrative. Catch it at your arthouse cinema ASAP.
But it is worth more than one viewing (if you didn't get it the first time, I ain't saying the second will make it all clear, but you should invest the time) if only for the acting performances. Pearce makes another great screen character come to life off the script (see "LA Confidential" and "Priscilla" for others), Joe Pantoliano is a creature of demonlike charm, and Carrie Moss - well, what can I say. Her role as Natalie is pivotal to the audience's realisation that this movie is deliberately playing with their head.
For those who wonder where Nolan appeared from with this great sleeper hit (WHY DID THE USA TAKE SO LONG TO GIVE IT DISTRIBUTION?!!!) seek out his previous movie "Following" which offers an equally disturbing and twisting narrative. Catch it at your arthouse cinema ASAP.
La fille sur le pont
(1999)
I tingled after I had watched this
2 August 2001
I borrowed this on video and only got round to watching it the night before it was due for return. What a great movie! Some have criticised the film for the tired old trick of older man / younger woman, but the way this is presented is utterly charming. Auteuil is as stunning as ever (I admit he is one of the few older male actors I really have time for but he just gets better and better) and Paradis is a real treat.
But the key to the movie is its use of a track from the heavily under-rated and quirky "City of the lost Children". Marianne Faithful's aching voice accompanies all the main knife-throwing sequences in "Girl on the Bridge" and I was astonished at how powerful it made the film. The hairs on my neck stood up and my spine burned - what a charge! Why this track remains so obscure breaks my heart.
Translation is always tricky and here is no exception. Subtitles from French are often difficult to capture in English (that notoriously slippery language) and here it is compounded by the Black and White cinematography sometimes obscuring them physically. But stick with it because this tragi-comic drama-romance (how else could one describe it?) is worth the effort even for those who avoid sub-titled films.
But the key to the movie is its use of a track from the heavily under-rated and quirky "City of the lost Children". Marianne Faithful's aching voice accompanies all the main knife-throwing sequences in "Girl on the Bridge" and I was astonished at how powerful it made the film. The hairs on my neck stood up and my spine burned - what a charge! Why this track remains so obscure breaks my heart.
Translation is always tricky and here is no exception. Subtitles from French are often difficult to capture in English (that notoriously slippery language) and here it is compounded by the Black and White cinematography sometimes obscuring them physically. But stick with it because this tragi-comic drama-romance (how else could one describe it?) is worth the effort even for those who avoid sub-titled films.
Fight Club
(1999)
Truly enthralling
2 August 2001
I saw this film before "The Sixth Sense" and I have to say that in the spirit of "Fight Club" I came out of the cinema truly understanding the film's tagline of "You do not talk about Fight Club". I spent the evening I came out from the cinema phoning everyone I knew cheering that it was an excellent and truly enthralling movie - but then what? Well, they all wanted to know what it was about; and of course I could say absolutely nothing because the more I thought about how to describe it and the plotline the less sense I could make of it and the more clearly its twists and turns became integral to any description.
For anyone out there who has not yet succumbed to the delights of this movie, I'd hate to spoil their fun. But trust me, Norton and Pitt turn in applause-worthy performances; the script is taut and funny; and Meatloaf actually makes you believe he can act. It's a dark comment on these dark times and well worth the ride.
For anyone out there who has not yet succumbed to the delights of this movie, I'd hate to spoil their fun. But trust me, Norton and Pitt turn in applause-worthy performances; the script is taut and funny; and Meatloaf actually makes you believe he can act. It's a dark comment on these dark times and well worth the ride.
The Usual Suspects
(1995)
Trust me - knowing the ending will not help you!SPOILERS
2 August 2001
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen this film so many times I know the script almost by heart (even before I owned the screenplay). With Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Spacey in it they frankly could have been reading the telephone directory as far as I was concerned but when I saw this movie for the first time I was so utterly blown away by its bravado that I really did not know what had hit me. Trust me - knowing the ending will not help you one jot! I say this knowing that spoilers are a no-no in IMDBland. This is such an utterly ambiguous movie that you will watch it and be convinced of every one of its twists and turns as they are presented. And then you will get to the end, start analysing what you 'think' you have seen and realise that the 'holes' in the final version you think you have gotten the gist of floats away from you like paper tissue in a strong wind. As the film ends two great re-iterations of lines from its script, I can think of no better way to end this review: "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist......And like that, he's gone..."
12 Monkeys
(1995)
Spoiler Warning: I can never help crying at this film
2 August 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Yeah it's a long film, and yeah, some of the sequences are a little on the cringing side, but hey, it's a Terry Gilliam film and it is a great and magical journey despite all of its faults. Based on the photobook/stills film by Chris Marker "La Jetee" - a film Constance Penley once declared impossible to remake - any intelligent viewer will spot that this is a movie that is unlikely to end happily. Plotlines criss-cross all over the place in a time-twisting manner that makes the spiraling time-frame of "Terminator 2" seem positively easy to follow. The "Monkeys" virus subplot (or should that be McGuffin in the great Hitchcockian tradition?) is left throughly ambiguous at the end: but that isn't why I sob uncontrollably even though I've watched the movie about 20 times. SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER: Surely I cannot be the only sucker out there who just weeps when Kathryn Railly, realising the final truth of Cole's nightmarish dream / memory, searches the crowd for the sad-eyed boy who could not belong in the same time-space at two moments of his life. When their eyes lock - his in a pre-history of recognition/incomprehension, hers in weeping hope for a moment which cannot/could not/shall not be occur in the boy's later life - I defy anyone with heart and soul and a passion for magical movies to not shed a brief tear.
Se7en
(1995)
I still jump out my skin watching this
2 August 2001
Se7en entered British cinemas and I'm not entirely sure we were prepared for such an intelligent and demanding movie. Spacey, Pitt and Freeman turn in some of the best performances imaginable for this type of movie and I could not believe that they were so ill-rewarded for their acting efforts. A film that stretches the brain (literate film viewers whooped with joy to see such references hauled into public awareness) whilst recognising that most might not get all the clues (cue Cliffs Notes folks), well it makes a change from cheap devil-worshipping mythologies.
Walker created a screenplay sizzling with wit and intrigue. You see almost nothing of the SEVEN that stalk the plot (though I swear a minor edit has occurred on the video version at the end regarding Tracey). And the cinematography (of which much was made in the press regarding silver prints to highlight the darkness) has to be some of the most imaginative ever providing for a thriller drama of this kind.
I still find little intriguing details to attend to whenever I watch this movie - like others in my fav raves catalogue (Memento, The Usual Suspects, Twelve Monkeys, Fight Club) it demands something from the viewer's intellect and attention that some felt might have bypassed the "Star Wars" generation of special effects kids. Wrong - I'm of that generation too, and trust me, there is still room for the literate thriller to pull the punters.
Walker created a screenplay sizzling with wit and intrigue. You see almost nothing of the SEVEN that stalk the plot (though I swear a minor edit has occurred on the video version at the end regarding Tracey). And the cinematography (of which much was made in the press regarding silver prints to highlight the darkness) has to be some of the most imaginative ever providing for a thriller drama of this kind.
I still find little intriguing details to attend to whenever I watch this movie - like others in my fav raves catalogue (Memento, The Usual Suspects, Twelve Monkeys, Fight Club) it demands something from the viewer's intellect and attention that some felt might have bypassed the "Star Wars" generation of special effects kids. Wrong - I'm of that generation too, and trust me, there is still room for the literate thriller to pull the punters.
Léon: The Professional
(1994)
I can't believe how many times I have watched this movie
2 August 2001
The greatest delight of the video/DVD age is the ability to replay - to the limited lifespan of the technology - your favourite films. And looking through my video collection at those we have turned to most often a disturbing pattern arising. okay, so I'm an adult and the collection inevitably contains a larger ratio of 15/18 certificate films than for those households with children. But why is Leon up there with the best of them? Well, despite the fact that I cannot believe how many times I have watched this movie, we still find it utterly enthralling. Oldman might be turning in one of those famous PRIME HAM moments of acting but it's done with such relish (as is often the case with him) that you're seduced anyway. If you analyse it too much, sure, the sub-plot "romance" of Matilda and Leon may stir concerns from some citizens; but hey, have you never been a child with a desire to 'love'? the all-consuming power of a lonely child to need affection is beautifully portrayed here - whether in the character of Matilda or in the formerly functioning but exploited Leon. Its bloody and brutal and in my heart I can never quite believe the ending the characters reach (sometimes I dream for a different ending, hope above hope); but it's actually a much more charming film than its certification allows.
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