THREE DEGREES COLDER (3º GRAD KAELTER)

Germany, 2005, 112 minutes, Colour.
Bibiana Beglau, Sebastian Blomberg, Johann von Bulow, Meret Beyer, Katherina Schuettler, Florian David Fitz.
Directed by Florian Hoffmeister.

Three Degrees Colder is a rather grim German film, insightful in its portrait of young adults, in relationships, out of relationships, in desperate search for lost people, identities. The film shows a period of five years in which key characters are happy together, one disappears, later reappears and transforms the relationships from the past.

The film was a first feature by director Florian Hoffmeister and it won a Silver Leopard at Locarno in 2005 for a best first or second feature. A portrait of Germany at the beginning of the 21st century.

1. A film of the German film industry? German preoccupations? German life at the beginning of the 21st century? A film about adults, relationships? The European perspective? Universal perspective?

2. The Nuremberg setting, the city and its atmosphere, the clubs and homes? The contrast with the sequences by the sea? The musical score?

3. The title, its reference to temperatures near the railway stations and railway lines – the relevance for realism and symbolism of this story?

4. The prologue and the credits, the search for Jan? The futility of the search, the three, driving the car, the seaside? Frank seeing Johann in the water, his going into the sea, running along the beach? Did Frank actually see him or was that his wish that Jan would disappear? His telling the other two that he did not find him?

5. Five years later, the change in experiences for the central characters, Frank and Marie and their marriage, Steini and Jenny and their marriage, their son? Jan’s brother? His girlfriend? The change of atmosphere from the 20s to the 30s? The absence of Jan and its effect? Marie and her voice-over, the intimate and existential comments about Jan and her life, her love? The letter that she writes to him?

6. The scene of the moving, introducing all the characters after the five years, talk together, helping, the spirit of friendship between them?

7. The film’s focus on Marie, her search for Jan, their relationship in the past, her working in the law form for Jan’s father, her being hurt by his disappearance? Remembering him, writing the letter in the early hours of the morning, throwing it away? Her marriage to Frank, love for him? Her working in the nursery, seeing Jan’s mother? Jenny as her best friend and being hurt by Steini having the affair with the woman next door? Frank and his work, his trouble with his ear, going to the hospital with him? Hearing of Jan’s reappearance, her not answering the door to him? Meeting him by chance, at first not talking, going to have a drink with him in the café? The effect on her – and her relationship with Frank, her memories of the past? What it would have been like had Jan not left? Possibly having a daughter (and the motif of the young girl appearing, especially at the swimming pool when she was there with Jenny)? Her succumbing to Jan, going out, the club, dancing with him? Her antagonism towards Frank? Following him? The kiss with Jan and her getting out of the car, her decision? Her search for her ring? Frank and his being absent when she returned? His coming home, her decision and her love for him, letting Jan go?

8. Frank, his not telling Marie about seeing Jan? Their marriage, his skilled work, love for Marie, the scenes at home, finding the letter, his decision to post it to Jan? His anger at the meal with Jan? His giving Jan permission to see Marie? The damage to his ear, the hospital? His anger at Marie, following her to the club? At the club? His seeming to leave home – his return, glad that she was there?

9. Jenny, the relationship with Steini, their son? Her continued anger with Steini? Yet loving him? Referring to him as an open door because of his infidelities? At the club, dancing, her eventually befriending the woman next door? The woman herself, the affair, brazen, travelling with Steini? At the club, meeting Jenny? Their discussion, going home with her, their becoming friends? The possibilities for the future? A threesome or not? Steini, his personality, work? Meeting Jan, giving him the news? His letting Olly’s girlfriend stay in the room? His affair with the woman next door, his treatment of his wife? At the club, the final night, his standing at a distance watching the two women? The future?

10. Jan, his disappearance, his saying that he just didn't come back? Seeing him at the airport, with the flight attendant, the one-night stand? Indicating his character? His arrival, in the house, the cat getting out, meeting Olly, preparing to meet his mother? His mother’s fondness and preference for him? Her phone call to his father, his eventually coming home, the formal meal together, the tensions? The girlfriend and her not wanting to come? Going to the club, drinking, with Steini, his leaving again, packing his back? Leaving the watch for Olly? Meeting with Marie, the effect on him, callous, wanting her to leave with him, not being able to answer her questions? The kiss, her rejection? His leaving again – lying on the beach, the little girl, his getting up? What future? What did he learn by his return?

11. Olly, a good man, working with the dolphins, his girlfriend, her music, his being shy, the bond between the two, his hesitance in picking her up, listening to the music? Their night together? A future? The character of the girl, her love for Olly?

12. Jan’s parents, the dirty mother, her prescriptions, wanting people to go to the pharmacy? The irony of Jan going and meeting Jenny? Jenny giving the news? Her devotion to Jan instead of Olly? Organising her husband’s return, the meal, the formality at the restaurant? Vacuuming the house in the middle of the night? Her relationship with her husband, the final scene in bed, her husband’s comments to Jan about it was good to have him, her quietly listening?

13. The themes for thirty-year-olds, problems, their twenties having passed, changes in life, meanings in life, relationships and love, loyalties?

MAHAHISTA (THE MASSEUR)

Philippines, 2005, 80 minutes, Colour.
Coco Martin, Alan Paule.
Directed by Brillante Mendoza.

One of the great mysteries of the Philippines (and of its film industry) is how much it is preoccupied with sex and sexuality. Is it something in the long history of the people of this country? Is it the hispanic heritage? What has it to do with the Catholicism of the country? For a people who are, on the surface, religious and publicly cautious (even a touch puritanical) about sex, why is it so prevalent a theme? And, not just sex, but prostitution both heterosexual and homosexual?

There are no answers in this brief film, just some more illustrations, though the director has given some thought to the structure of his screenplay. As in a number of films, going back to the country's most noted director, Lino Brocka and his Macho Dancer, Masahista focuses on a young man, Iliac, who works in a gay brothel, this time a massage parlour. There are some explicit sequences and we learn more about procedures in the parlour than we probably need to know.

Where the film is different and broadens its horizons is in paralleling Iliac's work with the preparations for his father's funeral (dressing and undressing, rituals pertaining to bodies, the living and the dead). The scenes are intercut, spelling out the comparisons and contrasts and Iliac's behaviour with his client and with his family, two different worlds. In highlighting the poverty and parlour money going to support families, there are a few religious images - but no priest attending the funeral.

One of many films about the sordid Philippine gay world of the suburbs, but suggesting some social themes for pondering.

1. The Philippine film industry? Preoccupations with sexuality, heterosexual and homosexual, religion, society, poverty? As dramatised and illustrated in this film?

2. The video production, the quality of the filming? The locations in the village, home, the funeral parlour, the exteriors for the funeral? The boys playing basketball outside the massage parlour? The interiors of the home, the interiors of the parlour? The realism of both locations? Musical score?

3. The structure of the film: Iliac and his life as a masseur, the clients, the management of the parlour, the other men in the parlour, the procedures, the attention to detail? The intercutting of the death of his father, his having received the message but not going home until the morning? The rituals of preparing his father for his funeral? The morning, the assembly at the home? The funeral itself? The effect of the intercutting and the paralleling of details with the funeral and the service of the client?

4. Iliac, his age, place in the family, brother, sister? His love for his mother? The father being an alcoholic, dying, cirrhosis? The effect of his father’s death, his not going immediately? His presence, supporting the brother and sister? His supporting his mother? The family and the visitors? In the funeral parlour, undressing the corpse, dressing it in its proper clothes? The preparation of the body lying in state, the transfer to the home, making his brother go downstairs, the visitors and the discussions? The going to the funeral, at the graveside? The contrast with his being very forward at work, the clients, his being chosen, the procedures of the massage, the discussions with the client, revelation of himself, playing to the client’s needs, the sexual encounter? The aftermath? His leaving with his girlfriend?

5. The presentation of the client, his background, writing the novels, talking about perverted friends, his own going to the massage parlour, the massage itself, the concern about money, the sexual behaviour? Reneging on the payment? The possibility of his asking for Iliac again?

6. The staff, playing up to the clients, the hard sell? The men having to call the clients “sir”? The personalities of the men there, playing pool, basketball, going about their work, unselfconscious? The treatment of the sex scenes – how prurient, explicit, sufficient to indicate the life in the parlour?

7. The portrait of the family, the mother, the legal wife, the husband having abandoned the family, his drinking? The comments by the relations, the friends? The detail of the funeral parlour, the funeral itself? The crucifix and religious symbols? The absence of the priest and prayer?

8. The comment on Philippine society, poverty, the prostitution of children for the support of their families? Family bonds? The place of the police – serving for the funeral?

9. The future of young men like Iliac, the work, its consequences, dangers? His relationship with the girl, her being a prostitute and loud and forward? With his family?

10. Hope and hopelessness in Philippine cinema?

RIVIERA

France, 2005, 95 minutes, Colour.
Miou- Miou , Vahina Jiocante, Elie Semoun.
Directed by Anne Villaceque.

Riviera is a portrait of a mother and daughter living on the Mediterranean coast, on the Riviera. Veteran actress Miou- Miou is the mother, idling at home, conscious about her age and her beauty. However, she is devoted to her daughter. This includes procuring for her at the hotel in which she works. To this extent, the film is about a morally anchorless society, where personal relationships are important but can be exploited. The daughter then wants to assert her independence over her mother but is trapped to some extent in the life that she leads in the hotel, in the relationships with the male customers.

This is a brief, rather depressing, but sometimes insightful picture of men and women at the beginning of the 21st century in contemporary France.

1. The Riviera as a place, a symbol of luxury, beauty? A place of evil under the surface?

2. The Riviera locations, the beauty of the sea, the beaches? The background of the hotels, clubs, apartments? The musical score?

3. The feminine perspective, the director, the mother and daughter, their relationship, the possessive mother, the daughter finding her independence, the mutual frustrations? The relationship with men – erupting into violence?

4. The realism of the plot – the long takes, the close-ups, the time for the audience to contemplate mother and daughter?

5. The morally anchorless society, any moral framework for mother and for daughter? The daughter and her behaviour, relationships, seduction? Experiencing violence? Her final choices – especially for the pornography industry? The mother, her frustration, seductive, murdering the salesman? An anchorless society?

6. The portrait of the mother, at home, watching beauty competitions on television? No background about her marriage? Her love for her daughter, protective, yet letting her be a dancer in the clubs? Procuring for her daughter? The humdrum work of cleaning the rooms? Her relationship with the staff at the hotel? Meeting the salesman, his rejecting her? Leading him to her daughter? Hearing about him, seeing the violence on the daughter, her strangling him?

7. The daughter, her beauty, age? Relationship with her mother? Relationship with boys, the drive with the Italian? At the club, her dancing, seductive? At home? The encounter with the salesman, at the club, going out with him, intimacy, enjoying the experience? His turning on her, the violence and beating her, the aftermath? Comforted by her mother? The owner of the club and his rejection? The Italian boyfriend with another girl? The pornography industry – a future for her? What kind of future?

8. The portrait of the men, the owner of the club, his demands on the women? The Italian boyfriend, getting what he wanted, callous rejection?

9. The salesman, seemingly timid, at the hotel, the deals with the Japanese and the meetings, the money? At the club, the encounter with the mother, the daughter, his not knowing the connection? The calm scenes, intimacy? His primness in the hotel - and not tipping? The sudden eruption of violence and the motivation for beating the girl? In the hotel, murdered by the mother? The money?

10. A portrait of contemporary European society – the place of women, the place of men, the role of sexuality, violence? The need for moral framework?

FESTEN

Denmark, 1998, 106 minutes, Colour.
Ulrik Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Steen, Bierthe Neumann.
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg.

Festen was the first of the Dogma 95 films. It shows the tenets of the Dogma manifesto (some rather fundamentalistic ideas about film-making): location photography, hand-held camera, no artificial lighting, no post-synchronised sound…

This means that the film is in many ways difficult to watch, not always clear with its photography, not always smoothly edited. Nevertheless, there is an intensity about the film and its subject, the strength of the performances that make it memorable.

It shows the surface elegance of an upper-class family, gathered to celebrate the birthday of the patriarch. However, underneath the surface and, literally, behind closed doors, the family erupts. The brother who has been exiled from the family returns for the celebration and begins to expose the dark secrets, especially the sexual abuse exercised by the patriarch himself. More shockingly, the son denounces his mother for having seen the abuse and not done anything about it. One of the consequences was the suicide of the younger sister.

There are many other themes that are incorporated, especially in this expose of Danish society. Racism, for instance, is very clear when the daughter brings home her black boyfriend and the family reacts, especially the seemingly respectable younger son who, eventually, becomes the main denouncer of the father.

Thomas Vinterburg went on to make a number of films of a more popular kind including It’s About Love and Dear Wendy. Ulrik Thomsen became more internationally known with performances in such films as Amen, The Inheritors and Brothers.

1. The status of the film? A classic? The Dogma Manifesto? The film adhering to the naturalistic techniques of light, sound, hand-held camera?

2. The impact of the technique, the hand-held camera, the sense of realism? The lighting, the voices? The action? The editing? The musical score?

3. The title, the celebration, the irony? The surface celebration, the birthday, the secrets underlying the smooth surface? The disruption?

4. Danish society, Scandinavian reserve? Middle class, wealth, homes, dinners, celebrations? Masters and servants? The patriarch, the role of the mother?

5. Scandinavian society in Denmark, under the surface, the patriarch and the sexual abuse of his children, the secrecy, the trauma for the children, their not having been healed, Christian’s alienation, Linda’s suicide? The mother and her complicity by knowing, seeing, not confronting her husband? Not supporting her children?

6. The celebration, Helge and his place in the family, his relationship with his wife? Audiences expecting the celebration to be a joyful one? Helene arriving, Michael arriving with his wife and children? Christian and his arrival, not expected, family resentment that he had not come to Linda’s funeral? Michael and his antagonism?

7. Christian, his age, experience, working in Paris, the chef? His decision to come? The attitude towards his father, towards his mother? The clashes with Michael? The relationship with Helene? The servants, past relationships with the chambermaids? His friend Kim, Kim as the chef of the hotel? Kim and his encouragement to speak the truth? The speeches at the party, his denunciation of his father, Michael’s disbelief and antagonism? The maids hiding the car keys, forcing everyone to remain? Christian and his returning to the dinner, his speech attacking Helge and blaming him for the death of Linda? His mother begging him to apologise? His denunciation and exposure of his mother? Christian and his relationship with Pia, the invitation to come with him to Paris? His returning, the healing of his trauma? The effect of his denunciations? The reconciliation with Michael?

8. Michael, brash, successful, relationship with his wife, the children? The past relationship with Michelle and her advances during the celebration? His supporting his father? His not knowing about the abuse? The sudden racism with the arrival of Helene’s boyfriend? His representing Scandinavian society, truth, repression? The effect of the denunciation by Christian, his hostile abuse, beating his father, kicking him? The reconciliation with Christian? His severity and commanding his father to leave the home?

9. The father, the successful businessman, surface respectability? The shock of the denunciation by Christian? His reaction, defensiveness? Yet the truth? His relationship with his wife, his children? Linda’s death? The suicide note and her blaming her father? His confession, the reaction of his children, Michael’s final severity? Elsa, her wanting to make a peaceful household, her complicity with her husband, not supportive of her children?

10. Helene, her arrival, the note, not reading it? In Linda’s room? At the party, the denunciations, her not having had the experiences of Christian and Linda? Her relationship to Michael? The revelations? Her reading the note and exposing her father with the truth of the note?

11. The maids, their place in the household, the past relationship with the sons, flirting, Michelle and Michael, Pia and her being invited to go to Paris? Kim, childhood friend, support of Christian, his work for the celebration?

12. Helene’s boyfriend, the build-up to his coming, the revelation that he was black, the impact of this in Danish society, acceptance, prejudice? Himself as a person, his skills and talents, relationship with Helene?

13. Michael, his wife and children, their being involved in the celebration?

14. An insightful presentation of family, the secrets and lies, trauma and repression, guilt?

ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

US, 2005, 91 minutes, Colour.
John Hawkes, Miranda July, Miles Thomson, Brendan Ratcliffe, Carlie Westerman, Ellen Gere, Hector Elias.
Directed by Miranda July.

There are a lot of small-budget films these days, generally put under the heading of ‘independent cinema’. These are the films not made by the studios but by directors, often struggling, sometimes with the help of such organisations as the Sundance Festival. They are obviously not meant to be blockbusters. Rather, they tend to be portraits of small communities, dramas of lower-key interactions and relationships that can erupt in violence. Many audiences who come across these films expect them to be more ‘entertaining’ and find them too serious.

Miranda July, writer and director of this film and its main actor, has a history of multimedia art and performance art. Her character here, a lonely young woman more desperate for relationship than she realises, does video work and voiceovers which she hopes to exhibit. Her encounters, especially with a shoe salesman, lead us to more and varied characters, his two sons for instance and their next-door neighbour (three young children) and the repressed gallery owner. This means that this is a drama of interconnections that may or may not lead to anything. As such, the film is well-made, with characters’ oddities and foibles to the fore. (Some alarm bells may go up with aspects of the sub-plot of the two boys, one a sex episode with two experimenting teenage girls, the other with the very young boy exchanging some crass messages in a chat room which evokes issues of pedophilia.)

Miranda July avoids judgments on her characters, portrays them seriously and comically, and lets the audience decide.

1. The acclaim for this independent film? The director, her film work, her career in multimedia? Bringing multimedia and performance art into film?

2. The small town setting, the homes, the shops, especially the shoe store? The arts centre? The parks? An authentic atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The title, the references – and Peter’s comment to his brother Robbie?

4. The structure of the film, the introduction to Christine, to Richard? The build-up of the other characters? The interconnections of their lives? The interconnection of the situations and plot strands?

5. Themes of loneliness, people living alone, being alone in their minds and hearts? Relationships, family break-up, dysfunctional families, brothers and sibling relationships, neighbours, girlfriends, romance, sex, sexual aberration?

6. The director performing the role of Christine? The introduction to her, the voice-over, her performance art, the videos? Her driving the old man to buy the shoes, her interest in Richard, his persuading her to buy the shoes? Her buying them, looking at them afterwards? Her shoes and the bruises? Her meeting Richard at the shop, returning to the shop? Christine in the shop, the floppy ears? Walking and talking with Richard, the image of their journey, her getting into his car, his ousting her and her being hurt? Her working on the videos, going to visit Nancy, the rejection, her having to post her video? The phone call, leaving the code word “macaroni” – and Nancy ringing? The future? Richard ringing her – and a possibility of her not being alone? Artistic success?

7. The introduction to Richard, the clash with his wife, her leaving with her boyfriend? The two boys? Discussions with them, the set-up at his home, sharing the custody? At the shoe shop, his assistant? Serving the old man, meeting Christine, suggesting to her to buy the shoes? The details of discussions with Pam, the boys and their life at home, their being on the Internet, meals? His attempts at supervision, picking the boys up, school, their not arriving home, his puzzle about their being missing? His reaction to Christine and her coming into the shop, walking with her and talking, ousting her from the car, the crisis with his family? The date? His self-destructive attitudes – the burning of his hand?

8. The boys, their age, relationship with each parent, between themselves? Feeling the marriage break-up? The Internet, the chat rooms? Sylvie and her friendship with Robbie – and playing with him? His joining the group? Her watching from next door? Her mother and her interest in the boys? Peter, shy with the girls, their coming to his home, the sexual proposal and his acceptance? Robbie and his discussions with the Internet chat room, the crassness of his discussions? The replies? The issue of chat rooms and adults disguising themselves as children? His planning to meet the correspondent, going to the park, the irony of the art director coming, his leaving? Her leaving? Their not talking with their father – but finally agreeing to walk with him, the future bonds?

9. The neighbours, the mother, Sylvie, at play, her feeling superior to the others, her box and Peter looking in it? Her observing?

10. The arts centre, Nancy, her negative attitude towards Christine and others, her partner, assessing the entries? Her looking at Christine’s video with some detail, ringing back and giving the code word? The surprise of her being the person from the chat room, her discovering the young boy, her leaving?

11. Richard’s assistant, the two girls leading him on, his fears, hiding from them? His leaving pornographic notices for them to read? The two girls, their age, giggling? Sexual curiosity, vanity, the proposal to Peter, the sexual experimentation? The spurning of the shoe shop man?

12. Glimpses of ordinary people, functioning well, dysfunctional? Insights into human nature?

AKA

UK, 2002, 123 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Leitch, Diana Quick, George Astbury, Lindsay Coulson, Blake Ritson, Peter Youngblood Hills, Geoff Bell, Bill Nighy, Fenella Woolgar, Georgina Hale, Faith Brook.
Directed by Duncan Roy.

This first film was written and directed by Duncan Roy who uses the novelty of a tripartite screen throughout the whole film. This is always demanding and sometimes wearing as we have to make decisions as to which of the three images we want to look at. Since most of the film is set indoors, the device does enable us to watch characters and interactions are seen in closeup, different angles on the same scene, different pacings of the same scene, flashbacks centred between the current action.

Matthew Leitch portrays Dean, a lonely teenager from a poor family in Essex, 1978. Leitch is not the greatest actor but brings a solemn and ingenuous demeanour to his initially inarticulate character. Sexually abused by his father, encouraged by his fearful mother to be interested in the wealthy patrons of the restaurant where she works, he leaves home and, by a series of rather unbelievable accidents and luck, he finds himself mixing in wealthy society, assuming a rich man's identity and enjoying the high life. Troubled by his sexual experience, he is also trying to find his identity. The film is peopled by snobs, many decadent parasites as well as Dean's simple mother and the sympathetic investigator who tracks Dean down.

Not always well acted, many characters and events straining credibility, even though most of them in fact happened to the director in his own life. AKA is quite watchable in a fancy soap opera kind of way.

1. The impact of the film? Its style, the three-screen effect (not on the video or DVD)? The impact of the triple screen compared with the single screen? The focus on themes, characters? Way of storytelling?

2. London in the 1980s, the contrast with Essex homes, wealthy London, the square, the park, the homes, the galleries? Paris, the Riviera, Oxford? The musical score?

3. The film based on a true story? Its credibility? Issues of identity, sexual orientation? Envy, wealth, class?

4. The title, the theme of Dean’s impersonation of Alexander?

5. The portrait of Dean, his age, at home, quiet, his relationship with his mother, listening to her stories about the upper class? The relationship with his stepfather, the sexual abuse, the other members of the family? His angers, leaving home, going to the square, wandering? The man in the park, inviting him home, his staying there, the meal with the friends, the camp atmosphere, his curiosity, enjoying it? The meeting with Lady Gryffoyn? Her assistant? Talking with her, going to the restaurant – and his mother serving? Back home, the clash with the stepfather, his anger and being ousted, his mother leaving him outside?

6. Lady Gryffoyn and her help, meeting Alexander, the friendship, the clash, Alexander’s girlfriend and her sexual approach? His likeing, society, the party, his trying to adapt, the guests and their noticing that he was from Essex, their upper-class snobbery? His ignorance? His decision to go to Paris after the suggestion of the girl?

7. The arrival in Paris, with the dealer, claiming Alexander’s identity, the change of attitude? Respect for Lady Gryffoyn? His assuming Alexander’s identity, his skill in passing himself off, his enigmatic answers to questions? The meeting with David, in society, David and Benjamin taking him in? The bonds between the three? His observing the relationship between David and Benjamin? The parties, society, Freddy, Elizabeth of Lithuania and the other smart set people? His behaviour and enjoying it?

8. David, his story, taking him home, David and his relationship with Benjamin? Benjamin and his background at Studio 54, prostitute? His relationship with David, kissing Benjamin? His stealing the money, allowing Benjamin to be blamed? The trip to the Riviera, the three, Benjamin ousted, his playing with Benjamin on the beach?

9. David and the decision to go to Oxford, the surprise party, the character of his uncle, welcoming him? The investigators and the threat of exposure? Benjamin and his begging for some help, letting out his anger against Benjamin, their sexual encounter, telling him the truth?

10. The portrait of his mother, working, her relationship with her husband, not acknowledging what was happening to Dean? Her fussiness, the wrapped food in the refrigerator?

11. Lady Gryffoyn, society, her helping Dean, his taking her son’s identity, her being interrogated by the inquirers?

12. Alexander, personality, relationship with his mother, parties, looking down on Dean, snobbery?

13. David, society, a playboy, his relationship with Benjamin, turning him out? Taking Dean/Alexander to Oxford? The discovery of the truth – and the taunt that one day Dean might assume his identity?

14. Benjamin, his relationship with David, the American, from Texas, Studio 54, his bad relationship with his family? Prostitute? Living off David? Interest in the relationship with him? Begging, the sexual encounter, learning the truth? The postscript of his dying from AIDS?

15. The sketch of the uncle, his place in the family, welcoming Alexander, the party?

16. The sketch of people and society, their idle life, wealth, the arts? Snobbery?

17. The investigators, Dean and his use of the credit card, the company examining his expenses? The two investigators, the main man and his being looked down on after being in Oxford, his chubby associate? Their pursuing the investigation, the interviews with Dean’s mother, with Lady Gryffoyn? Tracking him down, finding him at the party?

18. The sketch of the various reactions to knowledge that Dean had impersonated Alexander? Interest, amusement, tolerance?

19. Dean in prison, serving his sentence, the guards and their humorous remarks about his identity?

20. The overall impact of the film, a working-class boy envious of the wealthy class, status in society? Issues of sexual abuse, dysfunctional families? Sexual orientation?

MOJO

UK, 1997, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ian Hart, Ewan Bremner, Hans Matheson, Aiden Gillen, Martin Gwynne Jones, Harold Pinter, Andy Serkis, Ricky Tomlinson.
Directed by Jez Butterworth.

Mojo was based on the multi-award-winning play by writer-director, Jez Butterworth. It does not transfer easily to the screen. What would have worked in a stylised theatrical atmosphere, transferred to the realism of London in 1958, makes it seem quite artificial – with gaps in characterisation and plot continuity.

The setting is London 1958, the world of the newly emerging clubs. This is the world seen in films of that period from the UK, especially the Cliff Richard vehicle, Expresso Bongo.

This world is more sinister. Ricky Tomlinson portrays the owner of a club, a homosexual who has abused his son, Aiden Gillen, with dire results. He has a new protégé who is very successful, Hans Matheson. A rival club owner, played by playwright Harold Pinter, is jealous and wants the club and the young man. He employs some of the staff at the club to murder the owner. The film takes place over a couple of days, focusing on all the characters and their interactions. Sometimes these are emotionally overwrought.

The film shows some of Britain’s leading character actors in earlier roles, especially Ian Hart (a strong scene where he cannot bring himself to shoot Ricky Tomlinson), Ewan Bremner (from Trainspotting), Aiden Gillen (who was to star in Queer as Folk), Andy Serkis (Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Ricky Tomlinson is a stalwart of British cinema and television, especially from Ken Loach films and The Royle Family.

Jez Butterworth was to go on to make The Birthday Girl with Nicole Kidman.

1. The impact of the film? Theme, characters?

2. The film originating as a play, its theatrical atmosphere, characters, interactions? The transfer to the screen?

3. The London setting, London 1958? Inner London, the clubs? The streets? The film’s focus on the interiors of the clubs, homes? Less on the exteriors? The musical score – echoes of the clubs, songs and jazz of the period?

4. The title? Meaning? As applied to the characters?

5. The opening, the discussion between Potts and Sweets? The words, the issues, the tone, the style? The continued characterisation of these two? Observing, working at the club, their relationship with Ezra? With Mickey as leader? With Skinny Luke, with Silver Johnny? Their doing what they were told? Not knowing exactly what was going on? Their characters, language, issues, submitting to Mickey?

6. Ezra, owning the club, his relationship Silver Johnny, the sexual overtones? In the dressing room, the shirt, getting him to turn? His performances on stage? Ezra and his satisfaction? His relationship with Sam Ross? The rivalry? Sam Ross’s visit, his reactions, his going with Johnny to Ross’s club? Playing pool? The atmosphere, the bargaining, Ross’s henchmen? His being brutally murdered? Ross wanting Mickey to shoot him? The death, his being taken by the naked man to be buried? Johnny and Baby looking at him? An ignominious end, the young man’s comment about how he treated Baby?

7. Baby, son of Ezra, moody, lying in Trafalgar Square, arriving when he liked? His father’s reactions? The sexual past? Baby and his taunting of Skinny Luke? The antagonism between the two? His going to Sam Ross’s club, the death of his father? Wanting to take over, trying to stand up to Mickey? Mickey dominating him? His agreeing to reconcile, to apologise to Luke? The aftermath with the gun, his shooting Luke in the head? The buying of the bike, on the edge of the building? His living on the edge? With Johnny at the end?

8. Johnny, young, coming from Acton, living with his mother? His ambitions and dreams, his talk to Ross about composing songs, feeling he was a bit mad? Nervousness, performance? The response of the girls? His submission to Ezra, the clothes, sexually? Going to Ross’s club, talking, sitting with him, drinking milk? His reaction to Ezra’s death, going back to the club, observing?

9. Mickey, pretending to be ill, going home, the plan with Ross? Coming back, keeping people inside? His being ordered to shoot Ezra, his attempts, crying, inability? Yet his determination to own the club and manage it? Ross letting him go? His return, the confrontation with the others, with Baby, Baby and his attacking him with the knives? His final control?

10. Sam Ross, his henchmen? Tough, his envy of Ezra, wanting Johnny? Coming to the club, the good manners, the conversations? His approaches to Johnny, the playing of pool, Johnny ineffectualness? The death of Ezra? Pressurising Mickey? Wanting Johnny?

11. An atmosphere of an unsavoury London? The clubs of the past? The relevance to the present?

MEMENTO

US, 2000, 105 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Audiences need to be on the alert at the beginning of this film because its plot starts at the end and moves backwards in time. The central character, played intensely and credibly by Guy Pearce, has immediate memory loss so takes photos, makes notes, especially on body tattoos, so that he can find his wife's killer. It means that we almost have to pay more attention to what is happening than the hero. It is an experimental thriller that is always intriguing.

British director, Christopher Nolan, shows skill in both writing and directing. Memento served as a calling card for Hollywood and he went on to make Insomnia with Al Pacino and Robin Williams, followed by a successful re-launch of the Batman franchise with Batman Begins.

1. The film’s reputation and acclaim? The career of the director?

2. The impact of the film, the challenge, the puzzle? The need for paying attention?

3. The plot backwards, seeing the conclusion without knowing what preceded it? The steps going backwards, each step explaining the preceding step? Audiences wondering why each event happened? Leonard’s experience? The sequences in black and white, colour? The title?

4. The establishing of the linear plot: Leonard and his wife, their home life, his insurance work, the attack, the shower, the death of his wife? His memories of her death? The contact with the police, suspicions, answering questions, getting information? His encounter with Teddy, the discussions, his suspicions? His getting the tattoos, taking the photos, having the mementoes by which he could move forward? The nature of his illness, not amnesia, his inability to make immediate memories? The role of Teddy, the drug dealer, the set-ups, the encounters? The role of Teddy as corrupt, as police – or impersonating? The various stories he was told? The photos and the captions? Jimmy, the accusation, the drugs? The violence towards Jimmy? The coat, the bar, the contact with Natalie? Her suspicions, his coming around, the story of her boyfriend? Her gradually helping him, her outburst against him? The car, his taking it, the violence? The motel, Bert and his continually helping, the phone calls, moving rooms? Leonard and his growing motivation, vengeance? Natalie, her help? The girl with the drugs, ousting her? The attack and the violence in the shower, in the motel, his knocking out the opponent? The gradually working on the truth, realising Teddy’s lies, killing him?

5. Leonard as a character, his ordinary life, the story about Sammy and his wife, objective, compassionate? His using Sammy’s story as understanding his own situation? His grief, desperation, his explanations of his condition, having the cope, experiencing people’s angers, violence and attack? Natalie, her help? The implications of the drugs? His attitudes towards Teddy, Teddy’s continued reappearance, ingratiating himself? The final violence and motivation?

6. Teddy, his arrival on the scene, his behaviour, his stories, their inconsistencies, his saying that Leonard’s wife was diabetic, Leonard discerning lies, writing himself notes? The tattoos? Teddy implicated? The car, the phone calls, his continued presence, his motivation – and his death?

7. Natalie, the relationship with her boyfriend, the drug dealing, the bar? Her first encounter with Leonard, the puzzle, the beer, the spitting in the beer, giving him a new mug? Her continued help, information, at the motel? Testing him – especially with abusing and insulting him? Her contribution towards identifying Teddy as the villain?

8. The drug dealers, the girl in the motel, the background of drugs, motivation?

9. Bert, his listening to Leonard’s stories, shifting rooms, the effect on Leonard, changing coat etc?

10. The flashbacks to Sammy and his story, his condition, his wife being sceptical, his being difficult? Leonard and the interviews, the insurance money? The decisions not to give Sammy the money? His wife and her realisation, suffering, the issue with the insulin needles and her knowing the truth, her death?

11. The impact of watching such a vengeance story from death back to motivations? The challenging effect?

SHALLOW GROUND

US, 2004, 97 minutes, Colour.
Timothy V. Murphy, Stan Kirsch, Lindsey Stoddart, Patti Mc Cormack, Rocky Marquette.
Directed by Sheldon Wilson.

Shallow Ground is a popular horror film, straight to video for enjoyment on television. It was written and directed by Sheldon Wilson who wrote and directed other horror films, Night Cries as well as Kaw.

The film takes place in a location called Shallow Valley. The police station is about to be closed down. The sheriff is about to move when a young man, covered in blood, appears. His appearance seems to be connected with the murder of a girl a year earlier.

The boy has an effect on all the people in the town, taking them back to their past, the murder of the girl, present dangers. What emerges is that this film is a ghost story, a prod to the conscience of the people in the town.

Modest, but in its way, interesting and entertaining.

1. The popularity of this kind of horror film? Murder in the backwoods? Combined with a ghost story? Predictable/unpredictable? Successful?

2. The rural area, the small town, the surrounding woods? The old police station? The old house? The modern homes? Caravans? The cars? A contemporary setting – but with the echoes of the past? The atmospheric musical score?

3. The title, Shallow Valley as the location? The population, the sheriff, the nearby town? The school buses? Used realistically to create a realistic setting? Symbolically?

4. The focus on the blood-covered boy, walking through the woods? His appearance, sense of mystery? Going to the police station? The blood and the flow from him, along the floor? The graffiti of no-one leaving, everybody’s fate joined together? His control over the blood, lack of control? His refusal to answer questions? His speaking in different voices? The fingerprints and the identification with the missing people? His touching the deputy and the deputy’s vision? The sheriff touching the blood? Seeing what happened? The kinetic power? His being in the station, his disappearing? His reappearing in the countryside, on the side of the road, crushed by the bus? His final reappearing to Helen, his killing her? The achievement of revenge? The composite photo indicating that he was the combination of those who had been murdered? The shock ending with the doppelganger killing him?

5. The sheriff, the tension with Laura, his having been unable to save Amy, her father blaming him? His relationship with Laura, the tension? Stuart and Laura and Stuart’s departure? The packing? The situation, the boy, the sheriff coming, becoming involved? The personality of the sheriff, Irish, morose? His investigations, going into the countryside? The clash with Amy’s father? His working with Stuart? In the countryside, the bus incident? The meeting with Helen, his being taken by her, his escape? His concern about Laura? The finale, the escape, the confrontation? Being free? Laura and her work for the police, the tension, mopping the blood, concern, ringing her father, her father coming, saving her? Her confrontation with Helen, in the car and the crash? Becoming free at the end?

6. Stuart, the deputy, wanting to leave? Being touched by the boy and having the vision? His helping with the investigation, driving, the bus crash, ferrying the passengers? The irony of the revelation of the truth, in the bus, the blood? That he was on the take, the murder of the drug dealer? The law official exposing him? The murdered man’s ghost killing him?

7. Darby, the blood samples, her tests? In the woods, the same fate as Amy, her friend? Helen killing her?

8. Helen, seemingly friendly, the chats? The irony of her house, the corpses, Jack discovering the truth? Her capturing him? Shooting him? Her madness, the grief for her husband and daughter, killing those connected with the accident at the dam, especially their children? The final confrontation, with the boy, her death?

9. Amy’s father, his responsibility, watching the video, his grief, his wife unable to help him? His death?

10. Detective Russell, the bewilderment in the town, his eventually coming, to see his daughter, saving her?

11. The incidental characters, the bus driver and his shock, injury, the passengers on the bus? The drug dealer in the town?

12. The importance of the visuals, the eeriness of the wood, the faded colour? The Gothic overtones? The symbol of the boy covered in blood? The ghost story – and the boy as a composite of characters? The meaning of the end when his image murders him?

13. The popularity of this kind of drama?

STEALTH

US, 2005, 118 minutes, Colour.
Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Sam Sheppard, Joe Morton, Richard Roxburgh.
Directed by Rob Cohen.

The high-tech action adventure is not the first place that audiences go to for a moral perspective on society and controversial political issues. The 'war against terrorism' has meant that we look at fillms about these questions much more carefully since they touch us personally. Since the London underground bombings and attempted bombings, British audiences have a great deal more to think about, especially about counter-terrorism.

While Stealth is an action show for the holidays, it has enough current themes to make it more than just entertainment. Whatever the feelings about ter¬ror, aggression and pre-emptive strikes, we cannot avoid the issue of the exercise of power by authority and the abuse of power by politicians and the armed services. The screenplay of Stealth focuses on military ambitions, issuing and following of orders.

The film is allegedly set in the near future, a period when unpiloted stealth planes will use digital means to wage war. Sophisticated cameras and programming will be able to determine exactly where a target is, even people. With the arrest of one of the would-be bombers in Rome at the end of July, tracked by his use of his mobile phone and pinpointed in exactly the right apartment where be was hiding and then arrested, maybe this is not so fanciful.

While the film displays its firepower in state of the art special effect explosions, it soon raises the issues of collateral damage and its relation to the destruction of the target is to be so accurate as to make a building implode without destroying adjacent ( buildings (which brings back memories of recent wars and wrong targets being hit with subsequent deaths and injuries). But Stealth wants to takes its audiences further. The commanding officer (Sam Shepard) has so committed himself to his project's success, that he is prepared to risk lives and destruction and involve himself in giving authorities false information. At first, he seems a genial American hero and leader, but allows himself to be corrupted by his obsession.

As with the Dr Frankenstein myths, the deadly creation takes on a life of its own and becomes a monster. The point is made that while humans can work on artificial intelligence, they underestimate (as in The Matrix trilogy) how intelligence can develop itself beyond human control. The stealth plane here is given a nickname, EDI (from Extreme Deep Invader) and referred to as him rather than it. He has a central red light, reminiscent of the rogue computer HAL in 2001: a Space Odyssey, as well as a smoothly sinister voice.Of course, it is up to the decent humans to take moral control of the situation and assess the ethical implications of orders and whether they should be obeyed or not.

Coming from the United Slates, the film dramatises both hawkish action (the enemies at the moment are Myanmar, Turkmenistan and North Korea) and dovish reason (with a criticism of indiscriminate US jingoism). But, in the last 20 minutes or so, it becomes a ra-ra actioner where heroic individuals accomplish almost impossible teats of daring and save the day.

The heroes are played by Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and JamieFoxx?. The former live up to their status but Foxx is not particularly good or convincing - if he had used this performance as an audition for his Oscar-winning performance as Ray and his fine nominated performance in Collateral, he would never have got the parts. The Thai scenes were filmed in Thailand but the rest of the film was made in Sydney with the New Zealand ranges standing in for Alaska. .We can enjoy the whizz-bang effects on the screen - but Stealth is offering us a caution about the dangers of digital warfare in reality.

1. The popularity of this kind of action film? Military action? The near future?

2. The technical achievement of the film, simulation of flight, flight action, manoeuvres, explosions and crashes? The controls of the plane, the pilots, the unpiloted plane? The ejection sequence, the parachuting, the debris falling? The actors working in front of the blue screen?

3. The political aspects of the film, the United States after the September 11 tragedy, the war on terrorism, might, right? Military prowess? Developing technology? The big budgets, the lobbying of the politicians? Artificial intelligence, robots – robotic machines and the independence from a controlling mind, a moral mind? The unforeseen consequences?

4. The echoes of Top Gun and its flight action? The echoes of 2001 with the rogue computer? The echoes of the Frankenstein stories, the hubris of the scientist, the creation of the monster? Audiences responding to these film traditions?

5. The information at the beginning, the plausibility of the explanations of artificial intelligence, digital robotics? America and terrorism? The balance of power? The enemies singled out, Myanmar, North Korea, Turjikistan(?)?

6. The fliers, seeing them in action, the training, the missions? The mysticism of the group of three? Wariness of adding the fourth to the group? Seeing them relaxing in the clubs, dancing, sex? The rest and recreation in Thailand, enjoying it, Henry and the girls, the discussions between Ben and Kara, the discussion with Henry about love and its having to be independent of their work? The bonds between the three, working together, coordination? Ben as an assured character, tough, genial, bending the rules? Kara, the women’s achievement, the lone woman amongst all the men? Skill in action? Henry, his being part of the team?

7. The UCAM (the unmanned combat aerial vehicle)? The possibilities, serving on the wing with the humans and their planes? Keith Orbit, his name, his talent, devising the UCAM, his having to control it later, finding it impossible? Tim as the technician whiz, information to Ben, his whispering to Ben – and being seen by EDI? His being transferred? The lobbyist in Washington, seen in the shadows, the phone calls from Cummings? Dick, his being the admiral, his relationship with Cummings, wariness of the UCAM, of Cummings? His continued presence, criticism, wanting accountability? The final arrest of Cummings – and leaving him, as he requested, for a final minute? EDI taking on its own life, people referring to “him”? The initial mission and the destruction of the building in Myanmar? The further mission, the attack, EDI going independent, the confrontation with Ben? His knowing more, the information, eluding pursuit, killing Henry, refuelling and attacking the satellite, the confrontation with Ben, the attack on Siberia? Henry earlier trying to talk him down? Ben appealing to his need for survival? EDI giving in, helping Ben?

8. The opening, the training, the more than one hundred percent success? The effect on morale? The Myanmar mission, calculating the collateral damage, the implosion? The return, the lightning strike?

9. The personality of Cummings, his role in the Navy, his growing obsession about EDI? A decent man, lobbying Washington? The information? The missions going wrong, his determination, confrontations with Ben? His ringing Keith Orbit, giving the information for the Russians, the orders to let Kara die, for the murder of Ben, the deaths, the lies? The final confrontation with Dick, his leaving the message on the answering machine in Washington as the lobbyist walked out, his death?

10. The admiral, the person with the conscience, articulating the critique of militarism, jingoism and government? Ben and his discussions about power, the abuse of power?

11. Kara, the plane being disabled, her ejection, the debris, landing in North Korea, the confrontation, the washerwomen, the child, the pursuit, the shootings? At the border, trying to evade capture? Ben’s arrival, their escape? EDI helping them with the rockets?

12. Henry, being part of the team, trying to talk EDI down, his death? The final memorial on the ship for him?

13. Ben, his decisions, taking charge of decisions, his ethical stances? Refuelling in air? His pursuit of EDI, the bargaining with him, going to Korea, Alaska? The collaboration? Ben in Alaska, landing, the doctor and the attempt to kill him? The secret location, the confrontation, the rockets and EDI helping Ben to escape?

14. The rescue mission in Korea, Ben going under the radar, landing, the final fight – and the American-style action adventure heroics? The individual saving the day?

15. The overall impact of the film, as a glimpse of the future, in the context of world terrorism, in the dominance of the United States in technology? American myths about superheroes?