FROZEN

UK, 2004, 91 minutes, Colour.
Shirley Henderson, Roshan Seth, Richard Armitage.
Directed by Juliet Mc Koen.

Frozen is a film solidly set in Lancashire, around Morecambe Bay. The film focuses very much on the geographic details of the town and the bay itself.

The title of the film is symbolic of the state of Kath, a young woman emotionally disturbed because of the death of her sister two years earlier. She is still pursuing the reasons for her sister’s death – looking up CCTV footage to see what happened, following clues, asking friends. She is also undergoing counselling – from a cleric played by Roshan Seth who has a disabled wife that he cares for – but becomes intimate with the young woman.

The title is also symbolic of her state and is visualised by underwater photography, water frozen – filmed in Sweden’s Arctic Circle.

There are allusions to Don’t Look Now with a mysterious woman in a red coat. There is also an influence of the Japanese horror thrillers with their use of video footage.

Nevertheless, the accents, the look, the atmosphere are all of Lancashire.

Shirley Henderson is persuasive in the central role. She is a diminutive figure but has a strong presence which has come to the fore in such films as American Cousin, A Cock and Bull Story, the Harry Potter films, Yes.

1.The impact of the film? For British audiences? How universal?

2.The Morecambe Bay settings? The vast expanse of the bay? The water? The bleaker aspects of the geography? The town itself, the streets and houses, the factory, the fishing industry? The authentic detail? The musical score?

3.The title of the film, reference to the waters and cold? To Kath’s personality and her life frozen in her search for her sister’s killer or the meaning of her sister’s death?

4.The character of Kath? The background of her attempted suicide? Her work in the factory, her friends, confiding in them, the discussions? Being referred to the clergyman? Her going for counselling? Their discussions? The friendship, Noyen and his wanting to help her? The growing friendship, intimacy? Her activities in order to find out what happened to her sister – stealing the CCTV footage, going to the police station? Her discovery that she could not play the tape at home? Her visit to Steven? Her friendship with him, his work at the security office? Her looking at the tape, seeing her sister walking in a narrow street in the town? Her going to visit that place, her series of visions? Scenes from the past, Annie’s life? The vision of the red-coated woman, being taken across the bay, the boatman? Her pursuit, her shouting – no effect? Her going to see Annie’s colleagues, trying to find clues? Her visit to Jim, Jim and his relationship with Annie? The video footage, the dark patches on Annie’s face? Her discussions with Noyen, with Steven? Her decision to break into Steven’s office, her discovering letters, Steven and Annie, the affair? Steven catching her – and her escaping? At home, her phoning Jim, the meeting on the boat, her wanting to communicate her suspicions? Jim, his attacking her, his wrapping her body and weighting it, thrown overboard? Kath, her seeing the red-coated woman, catching up with her? The discovery that it is herself?

5.Annie, her place in Kath’s life? Her death? The mystery? Her appearing in Kath’s visions and dreams? The truth about her relationship with Steven?

6.Steven, friendship, the security office, getting the tape? His confrontation with Kath, finding her in his office? Her escape? His past background with Annie?

7.Jim, his relationship with Annie? His not seeming suspicious? Kath and the interrogation? Her asking his advice, the meeting on the boat – and his attack, killing her, disposing of her body? Jealousy and the motivation for Annie’s death? Noyen, clergyman, sympathetic, his counselling skills? The meetings with Kath? The growing attraction? His breaking the boundaries of counsellor? The scenes with his wife, his continued care for her? Her personality, her demands, her love for her husband?

8.The authentic detail giving a realistic sense to the story? Yet its being mythic? Its being imaginative – with the touch of the supernatural?

DERAILED

UK/USA, 2005, 108 minutes, Colour.
Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassell, Melissa George, Giancarlo Esposito, David Morrissey, Tom Conti, Rachel Blake.
Directed by Mikael Hafstrom.

For about twenty minutes, one can’t help thinking that we seen this all before: nice family, tensions, husband with a roving eye, the beginning of an affair. From that moment on, the screenplay twists and turns in an entertainingly tantalising way. That means it is not fair to say too much more about the plot – a multiplex thriller that achieves what it sets out to do.

The film has interesting credentials. While the setting is Chicago, much of the film was made in a London
studio. Clive Owen has a role that suits him. He is often taciturn and unsmiling in his films and while, on the whole he is like that here, he has many good reasons for not smiling. The object of his wayward affection and behaviour is Jennifer Aniston acting against her Friends type – and quite credibly in view of plot developments. French star, Vincent Cassel, is frighteningly persuasive as a thug on the loose in Chicago, mostly brutal and repellent but able to turn on charm when it suits him. The screenplay, from a novel by James Siegel, has been written by Australia Stuart Beattie who impressed in 2004 with his writing of Collateral.

If you are looking for a thriller with twists and with moral dilemmas about a man who makes a terrible mistake with consequences for his family and friends that make him desperate, try this. What would we do?

1.An entertaining thriller? Tangles relationships? The fatal attraction genre? Variations on the theme?

2.The Chicago settings, homes, offices, trains, the streets? Affluent areas? Seedy hotels? The waterfront? The musical score?

3.The title and its reference to Charles Schine and his life, relationships, career?

4.The familiarity of the plot – the unhappily married man, his wandering eye, the femme fatale, the deception? The reversing of roles? Vindication and revenge?

5.Charles, his relationship with his wife, family? The scenes at home? Tension? His going to work, getting the train? Train difficulties? The encounter with Lucinda Harris? Her paying his fare? His feeling indebted? The attraction, the journeys? The decision to go to the hotel? The beginning of the affair? The intrusion of the robber, Charles knocked unconscious, Lucinda being raped?

6.The consequences? Lucinda and her refusing to go to the police, not wanting the affair to be exposed? The effect on Charles? The intruder, contacting Charles, asking for twenty thousand dollars? Charles, the dilemma, getting the money? His diabetic daughter and the medical treatment fund? His taking it? The continued blackmail, the intruder wanting one hundred thousand dollars? Charles, his dilemmas, trying to cope? The visits to Lucinda, her refusing to go to the police?

7.Charles, the discussions with Winston, Winston and his convict background, the deal for him to scare La Roche? Charles and his taking the money from the office? His clashes with his boss? Going the river, with Winston, Winston being shot dead by La Roche? The police car, Charles not being able to give the cash? Charles and his dumping Winston’s body and concealing it? His giving the money to La Roche – the threat to kill Lucinda?

8.Charles, the moral dilemma, his confession to his wife?

9.The chance encounter with Lucinda, discovering who she really is? Seeing her with La Roche? Their relationship? His realising what had happened? Her picking up another client, the same procedure, his hiding in the hotel, the dead client? La Roche’s arrival, the confrontation with La Roche, the shoot-out, Jane and La Roche seeming dead? Charles and his getting his money, the arrest for embezzlement?

10.Charles, community service, the prison teaching job, the writing of the story? His being told to go to the laundry? The confrontation with La Roche, La Roche having survived his gunshot wounds? Charles with his knife (the gift from Winston)? The struggle, Charles stabbing La Roche?

11.The role of Detective Church, his being a friend of Winston’s, the discussions about what had happened, his collaborating, his turning a blind eye to the killing in the prison?

12.Charles and his return to his family – the experience, chastened?

13.The perennial popularity of this kind of violent and romantic story? And the wages of sin?

CRY_WOLF

US, 2005, 90 minutes, Colour.
Julian Morris, Lindy Booth, Jarrod Padalecki, Jesse Janzen, Paul James, Sandra McCoy?, Ethan Kohn, Kristy Wu, John Bon Jovi, Gary Cole.
Directed by Jeff Wadlow.

With so many slasher and horror films that have themselves ‘cried wolf’ over the years, audiences who do not devotedly check out every example of the genre might be wary of this one – and it even has a PG rating, so what kind of horror is this?

The quick answer is high school horror.

The setting is one of the preparatory academies that moviegoers have seen in Dead Poets Society, The Emperor’s Club and Mona Lisa Smile. Of course, it is fifty years on from some of those films’ setting and the students don’t go out to night meetings to discuss poetry or art. They go out to invent the equivalent of computer game scenarios (at more of a PG level) where conspiracies are hatched and the participants don’t know what is true or false.

Into this comes the very English Owen (Julian Morris) who has been shunted on from several schools (not always his fault). Dodger (she claims her mother loved Dickens!) is the bright student (Lindy Booth) who befriends Owen but leads him into the spiteful and lethal games of the group. It is Halloween and all kinds of macabre happenings occur leading up to a death. Whodunnit? And why?

There are enough twists to keep us guessing and, even if we do, do we have the right motive? Claiming nothing more than to be a thriller with scary touches, that is what it does (with the help of Jon Bob Jovi as the journalism teacher).

1.Entertaining teen horror, slasher thriller? Familiar ingredients? Originality?

2.The location, the campus of the American school, the buildings and classrooms, dormitories, meeting rooms? The contrast with the woods? Beautiful but eerie? The Halloween atmosphere? The musical score and the range of songs?

3.The credibility of the plot – the use of mobile phones and emails for communication? Their becoming sinister? The practical jokes and hoaxes? The deadly serious reality of relationships? Murderous characters?

4.The story seen through the perspective of Owen Matthews? British, the tense relationship with his father and the interchanges? His being expelled from other schools – and the later revelation, justifying him? His arrival? The encounter with Dodger, her friendliness? His meeting Tom, sharing the room? The other members of the group – and his going to the meeting, attracted to Dodger, Randall, Lewis, Mercedes, Graeme and Regina? His becoming more involved with the group, the hoax and deceptions? The background of a girl murdered in the woods? His relationship with Mr Walker? The difficulties, suspicions of Owen, the computer messages? The killer? His wariness of the other members of the group? His relying on Dodger – and seeing her embracing Walker? The knife in his bag? His touch of blackmail in threatening to expose Walker and the relationship, saved from expulsion?

5.The Halloween party, the stranger pursuing him? The further threats, the chases through the school, the kitchen? The discovery that Mercedes was disguised as the killer? The dangers with the gun? The group and their being confined to school? The meeting, the revelation of all the pranks and hoaxes and deceptions? The identity of the sender of the emails?

6.Owen, the build-up to the finale, his being pursued? The seeming murders? Owen and Mr Walker, the gun, the confrontation with Walker, the shooting? The discovery that the others were still alive? The police, the gun? The identification of the gun? Owen being freed – and the discovery that the villain was Dodger, her motivations? Her threatening him – that no-one would believe his story about her?

7.Dodger, charming, her background (and her lies about her background)? Friendship with Owen, introducing him to the group? Her participation in the hoaxes? Her relationship with Mr Walker? Owen depending on her? Her participation in the hoaxes? The irony that she turned out to be the villain? The murder of the girl in the woods? Vengeance on Mr Walker? Her control of Owen?

8.The other members of the group, their personalities, relationships, participation in the game, lies, deceptions? The dangers – and some of them almost getting killed? The boy absent in the town, with the car? People suspecting him? The actions of the group, the revelation of the truth? Their being alive? The convincing nature of their seeming murders?

9.Walker, his place on the staff, relationship with Dodger, the affair, his treatment of Owen, threatening to expel him, Owen blackmailing him? The struggle, his death? The irony that he had been having a relationship with the girl in the woods? Dodger’s revenge?

10.The staff at the school? Handling of the situation, the police?

11.Communication, mobile phones, emails – part of the modern repertoire of horror and slasher stories?

EXPRESSO BONGO

UK, 1960, 111 minutes, Black and white.
Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Syms, Yolande Donlan, Cliff Richard, Meier Tzelniker, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Eric Pohlmann, Gilbert Harding, Hermione Baddely, Reginald Beckwith, Avis Bunnage, Esme Cannon, Kenneth Griffith, Susan Hampshire, Bert Kwouk, Wilfred Lawson.
Directed by Val Guest.

Expresso Bongo is an attempt to picture the London of 1960, especially in the Soho area, the area of clubs and musicians. It was London moving into the Swinging Sixties. The screenplay was co-written by Wolf Mankowitz. Mankowitz was a prolific writer for theatre, film and television beginning with such films as Make Me an Offer, A Kid for Two Farthings and The Bespoke Overcoat in the 1950s. He had a wide range including science fiction like The Day the Earth Caught Fire (also directed by Val Guest). Val Guest was an even more prolific writer and director, writing from the mid-30s. He directed a number of small-budget films including a version of a William book in the 1940s. With his wife, Yolande Donlan, he made Penny Princess. She also appears in Expresso Bongo. As the decades went on, Guest was very eclectic in his film choices including two Quatermass films, a Carry On film – and even Confessions of a Window Cleaner.

The film is a star vehicle for Laurence Harvey, many considering it one of his best performances, the Jewish agent working the clubs and working the stars in Soho, discovering a young talent and promoting him. The young talent was, in fact, Cliff Richard. In fact also, Cliff Richard more than fulfilled the ambitions of the singer in Expresso Bongo, remaining a popular figure in England for almost fifty years.

There is a strong supporting cast of British character actors.

The film seems somewhat dated – but was daring in its time, especially presenting the world of the striptease clubs, the unscrupulous and savage marketing and rivalry between agents and entrepreneurs.

1.A picture of 1960? Loud? Indicating change in British society? The picture of London in retrospect?

2.The black and white photography, the details of the streets, flats and clubs of Soho? The shops, the cafes? Life there? The dingier aspects? Poverty? People struggling to make a living?

3.The musical score, the range of songs? The striptease routines? Cliff Richard and his songs?

4.Cliff Richard and his character as Bert Rudge becoming Bongo Herbert? His character – and the anticipation of Cliff Richard’s own career? The character seen in the retrospect of his life and career?

5.The title, coffee and its importance at this stage in London society and clubs? The introduction of expresso, the Italian cafes? The music? The drums, the groups, the songs?

6.Johnny Jackson and Laurence Harvey’s screen presence, suave personality, yet a spiv? As a manager, his skills? His patter and talk? His relationship with Maisie King? Watching her on-stage, continued promises, no real intention of keeping them? His voice, accent, spiel? The Jewish background? The club and money, contracts? His seeing Bert, the bongo drums? The discussions? The visit to Bert’s mother, her greed, the contract? Maisie helping him? Performances, building up to the records? Maisie and her phone calls for Johnny? The bluff and the deals? Dixie’s arrival, Johnny using her? The press conference, tricking her, her acceptance of Bongo? Bongo and his performance for her? Dixie taking him to her room, the advances? His naivety? The change of his going into the limelight and luxury, edging out Johnny? The final contracts and choice? Johnny and his talk, trying to persuade Dixie? The producer and the discussions about the new Judy Garland? Despite defeats, Johnny going on, irrepressible?

7.Cliff Richard as Bongo, his age, ordinary young man, his talent, playing in the group, the moods of 1960, naïve, his mother and father? His meeting with Johnny, his attraction towards Maisie? Success? The press conference, with Dixie? The favourable reviews? On the news, the agents, the record companies, the fans? The documentary by Gilbert Harding about the Soho clubs? His succumbing to Dixie, sexual relationship, contracts and breaking contracts? His immersion in the world of limelight and luxury?

8.Dixie, the American, the has-been? Her style and flair? Playing to the gallery, the press conference? The show, late? Agents and the press, her posing? The questions? Her having to accept Bongo, the performances, the aftermath? Her age, admitting her age, letting go? New York, the invitation to Bongo? The contract?

9.Producers, Johnny and his set-ups, listening, arguing, agreeing? Dixie and the contract?

10.Maisie, the girls at the club, striptease, the scenes in the dressing room? Their routines, the audience? The managers? Johnny, the song, his hopes? Maisie and her ordinary life, the meals, going out for Johnny, being stood up? Her doing the phone calls for him? Her advice to Bongo? The end?

11.The clubs, the managers, expresso, the patrons, the kids?

12.Gilbert Harding and the BBC, the documentary, using Johnny as agent, the fees, the focus on Bongo, the advertisements, the records? Johnny being on the panel with Gilbert Harding? The change in tastes, style? The discussions with the psychologist?

13.The minor characters in support, Meier and his club, Lady Rosemary and the rich, Leon, Penelope, the Reverend Tobias Craven and his being with it, the satire on the church trying to meet culture? The various musicians?

14.Insight into the feel of London in 1960?

EL CIELO DIVIDIDO (BROKEN SKY)

Mexico, 2006, 140 minutes, Colour.
Fernando Arroyo, Miguel Angel Hoppe.
Directed by Julian Hernandez.

El Cielo Dividido is one of many films by writer-director Julian Hernandez. Since the early 90s he has been making many feature films and quite a number of short films. They all deal with the subject of homosexual relationships. These stories are placed in the context of Mexico and Mexico City. He has been featured at a number of film festivals, especially his 2003 film A Thousand Clouds of Peace.

This film is experimental in style, imitating the styles of silent films and using voice-over. The film can be described as rhetorical as well as poetic. There are references in the screenplay to Aristophanes and to opera. The film also has particular styles of music for its main characters ranging from classical music to electronic and salsa styles.

The film is often explicit in its presentation of the sexual encounters. It focuses on fidelity, infidelity – amongst young men in Mexico City and in the different clubs. It does feature the family background of some of the characters, giving a bit more depth to the theme.

The film takes its time – at well over two hours, giving the audience time to reflect on what they are seeing, the meaning of its themes as well as the social, moral and relational issues.

1.A film about relationships? Love? Sexuality? Homosexuality? The Mexican setting, Mexico City, the university?

2.Mexico City, the universities and the classrooms, the streets, the subways, apartments, clubs? An authentic atmosphere for stylised presentation?

3.The style: using the silent film style, the importance of the voice-over, the rhetoric of the voice-over, the poetry? The class discussion about Aristophanes, comedy and tragedy? Opera and the operatic style? The range of music, electronic, salsa?

4.The director’s approach to sexual issues: homosexuality, relationships, identity, sexual orientation, infatuation and love? Break-up, loss and grief? The realisation of the impact of sexuality on character, personality and relationships? Commitment? Universal themes?

5.The presentation of the sexual encounters, explicit? Exploitive and/or realistic? The theme and the voyeur style of the film?

6.Gerardo’s story: seeing him walking through the city, a student, lectures, studying, the encounter with Jonas, friendship, the relationship? At home? Going to the club, Jonas’s change and its effect on Gerardo? Meeting Sergio? The time passing, the affairs? The pain, the phone call? Gerardo at home – the ordinariness of his life, the sanctuary of his room?

7.Jonas, the young man, the photo, the relationship, in and out of love with Gerardo? Going to the club, the relationship with Bruno? The distance from Gerardo? Contact and lack of contact? The realisation of change? Mood? The return to Gerardo?

8.Sergio at the club, at the library? Watching Gerardo? Sergio and his girlfriend? Gerardo going with him, the apartment, the relationship, the encounter? The end, the declaration of love? Gerardo leaving?

9.The background characters, the university? Home, Gerardo’s mother? Women in this world?

10.A film of moods, the characters, their moodiness? The impact on the audience? The final resolution – and hope for a permanent relationship and commitment for the future? Or not? The work of the director – in his early thirties? His own experience of life?

SEHNSUCHT (LONGING)

Germany, 2006, 93 minutes, Colour.
Andreas Muller, Ilka Welz, Anett Dornbusch.
Directed by Valeska Grisevach.

Longing is a deceptive film. On the surface, it looks very simple and straightforward. However, there is a lot going on beneath the surface. Director, Valeska Grisebach) has said that she interviewed around 200 people in the street to ask what they imagined their future would be like. And she ends the film with children playing a game and chatting in a park about the story we have just seen. They speculate on what the characters were like, why they did what they did. It jolts us into finally making an assessment of how we responded to the characters and their situations.

A voluntary fireman comes across a car crash where a husband has driven his vehicle into a tree killing himself and injuring his wife. The man helps but cannot save the woman. He reflects on suicide and what could have influenced this fatal choice.

He is happily married but, when he goes on a weekend training with fellow firemen, he becomes involved with a woman working in the hotel. This is a surprise for the audience. He did not seem like that kind of man. So, what were his longings? And those of his wife whom he loves? And those of the woman he also loves? And how to deal with this?

The solution takes us off guard as the director distracts us and we realise what has happened. This and the final conversation of the children mean that we leave the cinema puzzled but very thoughtful.

1.Critical acclaim for the film? Its brevity, its style, its content, its psychology, human interactions and relationships? The realistic tone, pessimistic tone?

2.The importance of the setting, the details of the town, the park with the initial accident, the work of the fire brigade, Markus and his home, workplace? The other town, the hotel, the upmarket rooms? The basic authenticity of the locations and the characters?

3.The director, her naturalistic style, semi-documentary? The amateur cast? Convincing? The musical score and classical moods?

4.The basic plot, familiarity? How well treated? Insight, compassion?

5.The title, the meaning of longing? Longing for existence, life? Alone and loneliness? Love, sexuality? Fate? Death? Suicide? The impact on those left behind?

6.The portrait of Markus: his age, the accident in the park, his rescue? Talking about fate? His collaboration with the men at work, his love for his wife, his life and its ordinariness? The bonds with his wife, her devotion? His going for the weekend, the celebration, the lectures, the meal? The attraction towards Rose? Drinking, the solo dance? His not remembering but his beginning the affair? His being torn between the two women? Tender towards both? The family visits and meals? The sexual relationship with his wife, with Rose? The breaking of the relationship with Rose? The gun, the rabbit – and the suddenness of his death? The meaning of his life and death? Seeing him at work, in his workshop – seeming alive and then his sudden death?

7.The portrait of his wife, her talking to her husband, listening, in love with him? In the choir, her weeping? Her various friends and the patterns of her life? Her husband’s absences and their effect? His return, feeling disturbed, hurt? The truth? The impact of his death?

8.The comparisons with Rose, ordinary, cheerful, at work in the hotel, dancing with Markus, the beginning of the affair, her looking forward to his visits, the bond between the two? The break-up? The ending and her longing?

9.The background of the fire brigade, the choir, the hotel and restaurant? Human types? The German tone? The men, their talk amongst the fire brigade workers? Their bonds?

10.The finale with the children, telling a fairy tale – a version of what happened for the audience? And the audience knowing the truth?

OFFSIDE

Iran, 2006, 93 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Jafar Panahi.

Different countries, different cultures, different customs. While many nations take it for granted that women attend soccer/football matches, this is not the case in Iran. Veteran director, Jafar Panahi, takes the occasion of the 2005 qualifying match for the World Cup between Iran and Bahrain for a comedy of disguise and errors.

Several women and girls are desperate to watch the match and devise different ways of disguise to get past the police and the officials. Most of them are not too hard to spot, so they are caught and held by young military personnel until the match is over.

Comedy is an obvious way to make social comment. The light touch on a serious issue often helps give a perspective that enables observers to make prudent and commonsense decisions. So, the escapades of
the women, the jokes about their disguises, the exasperation of the young men and the critique of the customs are all meant to be entertaining – with purpose.

The film moves with a cheerful pace and the audience is invited to share the frustrations of the women – so near and yet so far. When final victory is achieved, some of the tightness disappears in the exhilaration, which means that it should be possible (despite irate fathers who speak of killing their daughters for their behaviour) for men and women to watch the matches together.

Panahi has made several significant films over the last decade, each quite different, the children’s film The White Balloon, the story of women released from gaol, The Circle, and the crime drama, Crimson Gold.

1.The acclaim for the film? Awards in Berlin? Popularity in Iran – and suspicions in Iran? The role of women? Women and sport?

2.The career of the director, as editor and director? His films focusing on women and the issues in Iran? Oppression? Marginalisation?

3.The decision to do a film about sport? The political implications?

4.The structure of the film: the girls going to the stadium, trying to get in, the men going in, the progress of the match, the women getting in in disguise, their being rounded up, held without being able to watch the game, the progress of the game, the encounter with the soldiers? The aftermath? Their being taken away? Parents? Criticisms?

5.The atmosphere of soccer in Iran? The fans? The actual match against Bahrain? The progress of the match, the shouts, the cheers? The ultimate victory for Iran?

6.The girl trying to leave home, disguise? Her parents? Travel in the bus? Meeting up with the other girls? Their trying to bluff their way in? Some of them being discovered? Their being held in detention? The characters and personalities of the girls?

7.The guards, strictness? Regulations in Iran for women? The reasons – modesty, language?

8.The soldiers, the young recruits, from the countryside, from country towns? Their trying to handle the situation? Their own attitudes? Towards the match, towards the girls?

9.The girl trying to go to the toilet – and escape, her being taken again? The activities of the other girls? Protests, complaints? The camaraderie between the girls?

10.The boys on the buses? Their attitudes? The driver and the dispute?

11.The parents, the father and his stern attitude towards his daughter?

12.The discussion with the soldiers, the soldier explaining life at home, the cattle?

13.The finale, the boys with the fireworks, the celebration? The girls and their having missed the match – but experienced all the excitement?

14.How influential a film like this in changing public attitudes towards women? Political change?

THE MISTRESS OF SPICES

UK, 2005, 96 minutes, Colour.
Aishwarya Rai, Dylan Mc Dermott.
Directed by Paul Mayeda Berges.

More than a touch exotic. Like the spices that are ever-present, the film has a range of flavours, some beguiling, some a touch sweet, others bittersweet.

The film has been adapted from a novel by the team of Gurindar Chadha and Paul Mayeda Burges, the husband and wife who have written What’s Cooking, Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, all directed by Gurindar Chadha. This is her husband’s first direction. They bring a spicy multi-culturalism to their work: she is from and Indian family from Kenya, he is a Japanese Hispanic American.

In India, small girls are trained to be mistresses of the spices by a wise old woman. They have to memorise the thousand or more spices available and learn their particular qualities so that they will be able to read people and recommend their spice. They then scatter throughout the world. Our heroine (former Miss India, Aishwariya Rai of Devdas and Bride and Prejudice), who is bound to live within her shop and remain unmarried (not betraying the spices by intruding any of her own desires), runs a spice bazaar in San Francisco where she does a great deal of good for her customers to whom she is not only devoted but dedicated. She can offer positive spices, but she also has visions of disaster and tries to forestall these.

When an architect working on a nearby site (Dylan Mc Dermott) has an accident on his motorbike and she looks after him, we know that her emotions are going to intrude. Her confidence is shaken and she feels she has betrayed the spices. Will they destroy her? Should she venture out of the shop? Never see the architect again?

If you belonged to the Sceptics Society, you would dismiss all this as Indian superstition. If you were a sceptic but attacked superstition only in Christian contexts, then you would express delight at the ‘magic realism’. If you believed in magic and/or superstition, then there is no problem.

If you are wary of superstition but want to respect cultures, then, like me, you would probably see the spices as symbolic of human feelings and attitudes which become part of the symbol – along the lines of holy water or sacred oils.

It is all very sweet and romantic.

1.A film of magic realism? The tradition of food, recipes and magic healing: Chocolat, Like Water for Chocolate, What’s Cooking (by the same writing and directing team)? The popularity of this kind of magic realism?

2.The prologue, India, the young girls, consecrated to the spices, the elderly teacher and her instruction? The beach, the rituals? The clothes? The exotic atmosphere of India? The thousands of spices? The little girls having to learn their names, their powers? The memories for Tilo? The little girls being scattered throughout the world to live out their mission to the spices?

3.The magic, religious, superstitious? Symbolic? The spices as exotic, tasty, for healing? Everyone having their own spice? The mistress of spices and her knowledge of the spices – special powers to recognise what each client needed?

4.The transition to Oakland, California, the shop, its being packed with spices? The shut-in atmosphere? Tilo and her vocation, not to touch anyone, not to leave the shop? Never to use her powers for her own ends? The destructive threats for the mistress of spices?

5.The adult Tilo, her beauty, staying within the shop, her clients? Her kindness? The range of clients: the expected clients, the Sikh boy who was bullied at school and his concerned parents, the cabbie who is friendly but is victimised, the old grandfather and his inability to cope with his granddaughter and her moving in with her Latino boyfriend? Tilo and her listening, her discerning the spices, helping them?

6.Doug, her noticing him on the building site? Her modesty, her feeling of shame at having noticed him? His accident outside the shop? His coming in, her healing him? The attraction? Keeping her distance? Her dreams about him? His return, his courtesy, inviting her out? His not understanding her responses? His keeping away? The death of his mother, his coming to see her? The flashbacks to the mother, native American Indian, her western glamour, alienation from the family? His alienation from her – and separation? His grief at her death? The effect of Tilo listening to him?

7.Tilo and her not finding a spice for Doug? Her concealing her insights? Her neglect of her other customers? The importance of Haroun and his change of occupation, driving the taxi, her visions of the violence? Going to his house? His being away? her going out with Doug, waiting for Haroun? His return? His having been bashed? Her feelings of guilt?

8.The decision to go back to India, to be faithful to the spices? The importance of the voice-over and her comments about the spices, her talking with them?

9.Her rectifying every situation? The transition for the boy, the old man accepting his granddaughter, the taxi driver’s improved condition? The young woman coming in to buy spices for Doug? Her collaboration? The woman returning and accepting that Doug loved someone else?

10.Her decision to burn herself? The setting up of the pyre? Doug’s finding her, unharmed?

11.Her transforming herself, the dress and the makeup, her going out with Doug? His rescue – her being unharmed, her decision that the spices would allow her to go out, to marry Doug, to find happiness?

12.The popularity of this kind of story? A sceptical response to the superstition? The querying of the realism? Audiences letting go their imagination and treating the spices as symbolic?

DOWN IN THE VALLEY

US, 2005, 113 minutes, Colour.
Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern, John Diehl, Geoffrey Lewis, Elizabeth Pena.
Directed by David Jacobsen.

There is a lot to like in this rather long and sometimes melodramatic picture of growing up in the San Fernando Valley. It is a struggle for many families. Wade is trying, not too successfully, to bring up his precocious adolescent daughter Tobe (short for October) and shy son Lonnie. Into their lives comes a genial cowboy. Tobe falls in love with him. He brings Lonnie out of himself, especially with shooting lessons. He does not impress Wade and trouble soon looms.

This is also a gun culture film. There are plenty of guns and, here, they lead to more violence than we would have expected. There is also madness, a lot of it laid at the door of poor parenting and rebellion.

Edward Norton exerts a great deal of charm as Harlan, the alleged ranch-hand from South Dakota. This makes his quixotic behaviour more credible and, ultimately, alarming. He becomes the western hero for the girl and the boy – and they are certainly looking for a hero. Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) is a more rounded character than the usual teenager. Rory Culkin gives us another of his winsome and winning quiet kids. David Morse, always reliable, is Wade.

Of course, the would be cowboy and his attitudes and pursuits (right up to a shootout) are metaphors for the morally wild west of the Valley, the need for the lawman, the hero and justice. It is just that Harlan, despite his efforts, is not the real thing.

1.The impact of the film? Independent film-making? The tradition of American westerns? Of American films using western motifs? The director, life in the San Fernando Valley, growing up there? California, its history? As the culmination of the drive west? The oppressive California life and its needing a hero?

2.The valley, the geography, the look, the freeways and the traffic, the traffic lights, planes going over, the streets, the shops and motels, homes? The surrounding mountains and ridges and the developments? An authentic landscape? As a character for the film?

3.The Peter Salet score, the songs, the lyrics?

4.The introduction to Harlan, his appearance, like a cowboy, his clothes, his hat, his manner, his language, ‘Sir’ and ‘Holy smoke’? The garage? His going to the beach? His telling the story about the West? Swimming, the kiss, the sexual encounter? Taking Tobe riding? The encounter with the men? Taking him shooting? Tobe’s reaction, his shooting – and wounding ? Wade and his threats? The motel, the shooting in the motel, his being ousted? His wandering, returning, with the gun, the further shooting? Shooting himself to persuade Lonnie that his father had attacked him? Taking Lonnie and running away, into the mountains? The rabbit? The pursuit? Shooting Charlie? Finding the movie set, enjoying it, recreating the western life? The final shoot-out? The horse leaning against the door? Lonnie going home? Death? His having broken into his own home and looked at the photos – and the revelation of who he really was, a Valley Boy? The portrait of this young man, the descent into mental instability and its consequences?

5.The presentation of the family, few explanations of their background? Wade, his age, work, a warder(*?), his partner? Tough? Hard with his children? His concern about Tobe, her idleness, his(*?) permissiveness? Charlie’s comment? Issues of sex? Allowing her to go out? His taking a stand, confronting his children, the treatment of Tobe and Lonnie? His urging strength – the discussion of the Bible, the meek inheriting the earth – and his denying it, asking where Lonnie found it? The irony of the gospels? His talking about gumption? The confrontations Harlan? Tobe being shot, taking her to the hospital? The build-up to the pursuit, the shoot-outs, his partnering with Sheridan? The final confrontation and death?

6.Tobe, the portrait of the young teenager, bored in the Valley, going to the beach, wanting to be flirtatious? Letting Lonnie come out with her, walking to the freeway, looking over the bridge at the cars? Her care for Lonnie? The attraction towards Harlan, at the beach, discussions? Her decision to go to the motel? The sexual encounter, the aftermath? Harlan inviting her to go riding? The horse, Charlie? The clashes with Wade? Her wanting to leave? The rain, the doughnut? Her becoming wary about Harlan? Her being shot – and going to hospital?

7.Lonnie, his age, the lonely young boy, his reading? The accident? At home, monosyllabic? Going out with Tobe, looking at the traffic over the bridge? Discussions with his father – especially about the meek inheriting the earth? His interest in Harlan? Showing Harlan his father’s guns? The image of the gunfighter? His believing Harlan? The rabbit and the horse in the mountains? His staying put? The end, Harlan’s death and his tears?

8.The symbolism of the family scattering Harlan’s ashes – how realistic?

9.The Jewish background, Harlan and his letters to Joe, and the evocation of Badlands and other westerns? His practising his gunfighting – and the echoes of Taxi Driver? His being a fantasist?

10.Charlie, the horses, the confrontation with Harlan and Tobe? His not believing him? His helping in the pursuit of Harlan? The shoot-out?

11.Sheridan, his working with Wade? In the pursuit?

12.Issues of teenagers, the young teenager being infatuated with the fantasy adult? The lonely young man?

13.The western, the traditions, California, Harlan not being a real cowboy? His trying to make the parallels?

14.The contemporary themes of America, society, dysfunctional, fantasies, the traditions, trying to cope? The culture of guns, the culture of violence?

DANCE WITH ME

US, 1998, 126 minutes, Colour.
Vanessa Williams, Chayanne, Kris Kristofferson, Jane Krakowski, Joan Plowright, Beth Grant, William Marquez.
Directed by Randa Haines.

Dance With Me is a pleasant and positive dance film. Strictly Ballroom created an interest in dance films in the early 90s and this has continued, especially with the promotion of television shows like Strictly Come Dancing. There have been many films on various styles of dancing from breakdance to salsa. In 2004, the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom showed the attempts of teacher Pierre Dulaine in New York to work with children from underprivileged backgrounds to develop through dance. This was taken up in the feature film about Dulaine, Take the Lead with Antonio Banderas.

Vanessa Williams is a competitive dancer – and she is full of verve though has taken time off to look after her young son. She works in a studio run by Kris Kristofferson, a character who had worked on cruise ships. Into his life and her life comes a young Cuban man played by Puerto Rican singer and dancer, Chayanne. He is a charming young man and literally whirls characters off their feet. The cast also includes musical star Jane Krakowski. Joan Plowright also appears as a rather dowdy but genial would-be dancer.

The film was directed by Randa Haines (Wrestling Ernest Hemingway and the Oscar-winning Children of a Lesser God). The film is optimistic – is completely predictable in its presentation but succeeds with an audience because of its positive attitudes, the vibrancy and vitality of the dance, the charm of the stars and its verve.

1.A pleasing dance film? The experience of dance? Dance and life? Dance and romance?

2.The popularity of dance films during the 1990s? The Strictly Ballroom popularity? Other dance films? The familiarity of plot? The musical and dance style? Life issues? Love issues?

3.The Latin American background? Rafael and his coming from Cuba? The Latin American rhythms? The Latin American dances?

4.The choreography, the colour, the costumes, the pace and editing? The talent of dancing, training, competition? The comic touches with Bea?

5.The pleasing plot? Popular ingredients? Familiar? Expectations – fulfilled? Except that Ruby did not dance with Rafael in the competition – but afterwards?

6.The focus on Rafael, his Cuban background, the death of his mother, his going to Texas? The memory of his mother, her performance on cruises, the relationship with the American? Her trying to tell John’s father, his refusal? John not knowing of her pregnancy? The bus, the arrival at the centre, the meeting with Lovejoy, her friendship? Seeing Ruby? John, the house, the jobs, decorating the hall, fixing the vehicle? His watching the dancing? Talking with Ruby? Leaving the club? His dancing with Patricia, the training, the competition? Friendship with Bea? The friendly encounters with Ruby after her initial hostility? The fancy dress dance, her zip undone, Rafael helping her, her owing him one? His going out with her, her upset when she saw him dance? Feeling she was insulted? His apology? Going out again, the dancing, getting wet in the garden, Bea bringing him inside? Changing his clothes – sexual provocation? Ruby and her decision not to go ahead? The clash with John, going fishing with him, the discussions about his background? John not wanting a son? His continuing to dance, the success with Patricia, Ruby watching? The final happiness – dancing with Ruby, playing with Peter? Reconciled with John? The humour of his dance with Bea?

7.Ruby, her background, a dancer, her relationship with Julian, watching him on the television, her withdrawing from dancing, pregnancy, birth of Peter? With Michael and the various rehearsals? The difficulties of training? Her dancing without music – Rafael trying to get her to respond to music? The dance, the zip slipping, going to the club, the attraction to Rafael, being hurt? Learning from him, listening to the music? Her going out with him, her resisting the relationship? Her decision to continue, to leave the centre? The competition, Julian and his severity? Winning? The aftermath, especially after being encouraged by Rafael? The happy final dancing?

8.John and his past, entertaining on cruises, relationships? His not knowing of the pregnancy? His running the studio? His being nice to John, welcoming him, giving him the room? His going fishing with him? The discussion about family, Rafael being hurt? His retiring, going fishing? His coming to the competition, enjoying it, the reconciliation?

9.The people at the studio, Lovejoy and her management, Stefano and his training – and his eye on Ruby’s zip? His memories, wanting a better job? The closing of the studio, the staff? The sessions, the clients, Rafael and his handling of people, charming them? People being irritated – Stefano reconciling them? Showing them better steps?

10.Joan Plowright enjoying herself as Bea, her zest, the dancing?

11.Julian, his dancing, the pregnancy, separation, his ego, dancing with Ruby, pressurising her, the win?

12.The scenes with Peter, at home, dancing, love for his mother, friendship with Rafael?

13.The predictability of the plot and characters – but enjoyment nonetheless?