GINGER SNAPS

Canada, 2000, 110 minutes, Colour.
Emily Perkins, Katherine Isabel, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers.
Directed by John Fawcett.

Ginger Snaps has become something of a cult film, winning awards on its immediate release.

It is a Canadian variation of the high school film – but introducing aspects of the slasher films but, more importantly, introducing the werewolf theme.

Emily Perkins is particularly good as Brigitte, the younger sister of Ginger. They have a Gothic perspective on life, talk about death and suicide, do assignments for school on brutal death.

There is a werewolf loose in the area, ordinary suburbia, and eventually it bites Ginger. She gradually transforms into a werewolf, continuing her ordinary behaviour at school but becoming more sinister. Brigitte finds all kinds of means to help her. However, she has a pact with her sister and the end is ambiguous. (However, there were two sequels.)

Mimi Rogers portrays a rather ditzy mother. The father in the family is the silent type, letting things happen.

The film was small-budget, has some special effects, especially for the werewolf and the transformation of Ginger.

1.The cult status of the film? Amongst horror film fans?

2.Canadian production, suburbia, the ordinary homes and streets, school?

3.Lycanthropy, the myths, the traditions, the film tradition, the werewolves, the moon, blood, the attacks, the transformations, the herbs for cure? The variety of cures and ways of confronting a werewolf? The way they were used in this film?

4.The title, the play on words, Ginger and her breakdown?

5.The quiet introduction, the suburbs, the effect of the dead dog? The yard, the children playing and ignoring the screaming mother? Ginger and Brigitte, their talk, their pacts, talk of suicide, meaninglessness in life? The photos during the credits, the project, showing it at school, the reaction of the teacher (and later Ginger killing him)?

6.The age of the girls, puberty, the discussions about periods, menstruation, blood, changes? A metaphor for what was happening to Ginger?

7.The two sisters, their closeness, age, the effect of their morbidity, isolated? Their chirpy mother, the silent father? The talk at meals, discipline in the house?

8.School, the assignment? Sport and Ginger fighting? The rivalry with the girls, their looking down on the two sisters? The boys, the lewd talk, Jason and his flirting? The girls and their hostility?

9.The walk in the woods, the girls being pursued, the dead dog, their running, Ginger and her being bitten, Sam and his truck, hitting the werewolf?

10.Ginger and her transformation, gradual, the wounds, healing, the hair, the tail? Going into the van with the drugs? Jason and the sexual experience, his wounds? The reaction of the boys at school to him? The further changes, at school, the death of the teacher? Sports? The dogs? Her willingness to admit what was happening or not?

11.Brigitte and Sam, Sam and his concern, talking to Brigitte, her pretending that the cure was for herself? Reading up the background, the information, the ring for Ginger? Her throwing it away? The herbs, mother bringing them home? The syringe, injecting Jason, his cure? Sam and the truth?

12.Ginger becoming more monstrous, alienated, going to Sam, the advances, his rejection, her attack on him?

13.Brigitte, confiding in her mother, going to the party?

14.Ginger, the attack on Sam, his death?

15.Brigitte, her emotions, sympathy for Ginger, killing the beast, tasting the blood, willing to be transformed?

16.The opening for sequels – which was taken?

THE WACKNESS

US, 208, 99 minutes, Colour.
Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary Kate Olsen, Jane Adams, Method Man, Talia Balsam, David Wohl, Bob Dishy, Joanna Merlin.
Directed by Jonathan Levine.

We might ask what on earth is ‘the wackness’. Is it the same as ‘wackiness’? In some ways, yes, though the wackness indicates a more down-mood view of life and reality. Life is skewiff.

While that is an interesting premise for a comedy, a rather dark comedy, the characters are not all that interesting as they go about showing us what a wackness perception of life can be.

The central character is Luke Shapiro during the summer of 1994. This was the summer that the director himself graduated as well so there is more than a touch of nostalgia for that period (especially the music, just after the death of Kurt Cobain) as well as the proliferation of drugs in New York City. In fact, the film is a kind of fictional autobiography – the director pointing out now that this kind of drug-taking can be stupid and that he is not approving, just recording the factual atmosphere of 1994.

Josh Peck does well as Luke but does not bring him to interesting life. Perhaps that was an impossible task because Luke has depressed moods, has the wackness view of life – and is frustrated by his father’s loss of the family money so that they will have to be evicted (and, horror, live in New Jersey). Luke sells drugs when he might be studying and he has a large and varied clientele who ring him and then he personally delivers. It is surprising that he has so many customers because he seems to lack all social charm and graces.

The bright part of the film is the performance of Ben Kingsley as an ex-hippy (well not quite yet ex) type who is a therapist and has Luke for sessions (paid in kind by drugs). Luke also supplies Kingsley’s step-daughter (Olivia Thirlby) with whom he strikes up a friendship which he (not she) dreams of as a romance. The girl’s mother (Famke Janssen) has been through drug rehabilitation and her marriage is strained.

Kingsley (with a wig giving him more hair than we have ever seen him with) gives an offbeat amusing performance that really illustrates wackness.

Only for devotees of oddball black comedies.

1.The title, its tone, meanings? The bleak perspective on life?

2.The New York City settings, homes and streets, offices, beaches? The summer of 1994? The musical score – and the atmosphere of popular songs at the time?

3.The structure: the indication of the three months, in Luke’s rites of passage, how far did he progress?

4.Luke, his age, his story? His relationship with his parents? Distant? His life, studies, graduation? His dealing drugs, his range of clients, relationships with him, his ice cream cart and carrying it around? His father and the loss of the money, the eviction from the house?

5.Doctor Squires, Ben Kingsley and his appearance, style, the ex-hippie, on drugs, his wisecracks, the nature of his therapy, skilful or not? The payment in drugs? His wife, the tensions? His relationship with Stephanie? Talking with her, the discussions about drugs?

6.Luke and Stephanie, Doctor Squires’ permission, going out with her, her friendship with Aaron, delivering the drugs? The relationship between them, her charm, his puppy-like response, the sexual encounter, impotence, her teaching him? His declaration of love and her harsh reaction? Accompanying him on his drug deliveries?

7.The range of clients, Elanor, her ringing back, encountering Doctor Squires – and the ending? Percy and the tough gang members? The phones, the visits?

8.Doctor Squires and his wife, together, the weekend away, the lovemaking, the asking for divorce on both sides? Doctor Squires and his behaviour in the phone box? The graffiti, the arrest? Accompanying Luke with his cart? The aftermath of the weekend away, the binge with all the drugs with Luke? His trying to drown himself – and the long sequence – and his surviving?

9.Luke, with Doctor Squires, the prison, the drugs, the attempted drowning? The eviction, wanting to give his drug money to his parents, going to his grandparents? The phone call to Stephanie, his emotional reaction to her? His decision to become a therapist?

10.Stephanie, her going back to Aaron, her fickleness?

11.Luke getting over it, getting over the wackness?

12.The background of Mayor Giuliani, the clean-up of New York?

13.Doctor Squires, his looking across at the Twin Towers – and the implication of the change to come?

GET SMART

US, 2008, 110 minutes, Colour.
Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Kerry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan, Bill Murray, Patrick Warburton, Masi Oka, Nate Torrence, David S. Lee.
Directed by Peter Siegel.

In the 1960s, the James Bond decade, with its multitude of imitations as well as spoofs, it was inevitable that there would be a television series that would send up the whole espionage game. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry rose to the occasion and created Get Smart in 1965, one of the very popular series of its time with 138 episodes (and revived in 1995 with 7 episodes). Don Adams was the goof-prone agent, Maxwell Smart, and Barbara Feldon was the attractive Agent 99.

Even though the Cold War is long over and the Soviet Empire has collapsed, audience appetite for spy films has not abated. James Bond was revived with Pierce Brosnan and has been re-reated with Daniel Craig. Matt Damon as Jason Bourne has shown that Robert Ludlum world conspiracies, so much a feature of the 1970s and 1980s, are still very popular. So, why not an update of the spoof?

Because Get Smart was humour-smart but not an exercise in Bond-sophistication, it was not, and is not, geared for the intelligentsia (unless they have a sense of humour). Mel Brooks is capable of the corniest of puns and jokes as well as getting to the funny core of a genre (just think The Producers, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, Spaceballs). This is what the writers and director Peter Segal try to do here – and have made an agreeable update.

While there are plenty of throwaway jokes, spy situations sent up and some lively action sequences (including skydiving, chases and explosions – and a nuclear disaster set for the last note of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in the Disney Theatre in Los Angeles), it is the performances that ensure that this all goes well.

Steve Carrell can do solemn comedy (The Forty Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine) as well as rubber-faced (Bruce Almighty). He plays it seriously straight here so that the comic results are more effective. Max is the research expert (listening in to the Russians (still!!) having cups of coffee and writing 800 page reports which actually do give the clues when action is required). When all agent identities have been compromised, Max gets the chance to go into action, botching plenty, getting away with accidental success but finally imprisoned as a double agent. Anne Hathaway turned glamorous in the Devil Wears Prada and continues glamorous and lethal doing her stuff in top fashion and high heels and gradually accepting Max (though their falling in love strains credulity).

Alan Arkin is, as always, very good as the Chief and Dwayne Johnson has good comic timing as the star agent in the department.

James Caan turns up as a Bushlike president (whom Arkin has to correct about his pronunciation of ‘nucular’ but the president doesn’t get it) and Terence Stamp entertains as the arch-villain who delivers the archest of lines with the archest of intonations.

Get Smart sets out to spoof espionage and that is what it does.

1.The popularity of the television series? Its echoing the movie themes of the 1960s? Mel Brooks and Buck Henry and the writing? Revived in the 1990s? The quality of spoof?

2.The film as an update of the series to the 21st century? Similarity of situations, enemies, the Cold War, espionage, eastern Europe?

3.The style of the humour: wisecracks, jokes, situations, farce and slapstick, parody? Bill Murray as the agent in the tree? The parody of President Bush?

4.The quality of the special effects, the constant stunt work, chases, explosions?

5.The organisation: CONTROL? The offices, Max and his entry, the phone booth, the lift, the doors opening, the atmosphere of the ordinary office, the range of agents, the sneering agents and their jokes, Agent 23 and his being agreeable? The Chief, his personality, his meetings, his admiration for Max, his patience? The two inventors, their work, their personalities, a comedy duo? Helping Max to escape? The fight against KAOS?

6.Max in himself, Steve Carrell and his performance, screen presence, taking it seriously yet being very funny? Comic timing? His working in research, his hopes to go into the field, his long reports and people’s reactions around the table, the situations, his wanting to go into the field and pass the exam, his getting his opportunity?

7.The background in Russia, the range of villains? The information about Kristic, Max and his listening in to the conversations and reporting them? Siegfried and his overall control? His assistant, Shtarker, the family relationships, Siegfried and his threats to kill people and wives? His crew, their plans, orders, the nuclear issues? Terence Stamp and his arch delivery of his humorous lines? His comeuppance – especially at the end?

8.Max and Agent 99, their first meeting, her unwillingness to work with him, his nice treatment of her, the episode on the plane, the chewing gum on the shoe, the terrorist scare and the repercussions? Her supporting him? The glamour, going to the social at Kristic’s house, the encounter with him, the dancing and the competitiveness, Max and his dancing with the large lady? Being caught, the confrontation, Kristic’s death?

9.Max, his being taken, thought of as a double agent, interned? His plea, the Chief and his reaction, the duo helping him to escape?

10.Agent 23, his style, comedy, catching the mechanical fly and destroying it, his support for Max, the discussions at meetings, the photocopier, the stapling of the agents? His perfect training? The surprise revelation that he was the double agent?

11.The build-up to the escape, the confrontations, the Chief and his discussions, going to Washington, the president – and the jokes about Bush and his manner? ‘Nucular’? Going to New York, the chase, the helicopter, the stunt work? 99 and Max confronting Agent 23?

12.Siegfried, going to the Disney hall, the discussions, Beethoven and his conducting the music, inserting the device, in the piano?

13.99 and the Chief, hurrying to the Disney hall? Max and the information about the piano – and waiting for the final note of Beethoven’s symphony?

14.The happy ending – and the pleasant spoof with the robot arriving? Romantic, comic, parody?

DUETS

US, 2000, 112 minutes, Colour.
Paul Giamatti, Andre Braugher, Scott Speedman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Huey Lewis, Maria Bello, Angie Dickinson, Marianne Seldes, Lochlyn Munro.
Directed by Bruce Paltrow.

Duets was written by John Byrum, writer-director of many films and TV programs, director of Inserts, Heartbeat and The Razor’s Edge in the 1970s and 80s. It was directed by television director, Bruce Paltrow. His daughter, Gwyneth, is one of the stars – playing the daughter of a singer played by actual singer Huey Lewis. Angie Dickinson has a guest role as her grandmother.

The film has an interesting cast, especially Paul Giamatti, Maria Bello and Andre Brauer. Each of the main characters is involved in the karaoke competitions that are popular around the United States.

This means that Duets is a road movie, the interconnection of several stories as well as a musical with a zest for karaoke and songs.

1.An interesting and entertaining slice of life? A piece of Americana, Middle America?

2.The Middle American towns, the streets, the bars, the hotels? The open road?

3.The musical score, the range of songs, the performances, the lyrics as illustrating characters and situations? The popularity of karaoke? The competitions?

4.The title, singing the songs, partnerships? Liv and Ricky Dean? Reggie and Todd? Billy and Suzi? Billy and Liv at the end?

5.The three principal stories, the introduction, combining them, the characters meeting, singing, striving to win the competition?

6.Billy’s story, Ronnie Jackson and his singing karaoke, Billy and his watching, his age, his seminary background, owning half the taxi, his partner, his girlfriend, catching them in the house together, his disillusionment? Her argument with him in the bar and Suzi listening in? The old lady passenger and her remembering him, getting him to talk about himself, his ambitions, change of mind? Suzi, intervening, his decision to drive her, her easy manner, the sexual encounter, her deals with him? Going to the hotels, the competition, her winning? At the hotel, Suzi and her favours (and for the painting of the car pink)? His watching the acts, meeting Liv and Ricky Dean, the taxi ride, offering Ricky Dean and Liv a lift to California? A good-natured man? Wanting to help people?

7.Suzi, brash, arriving on the bus, listening to Billy and his girlfriend, talking with Billy, persuading him about the taxi, the painting of the taxi? Her favours, her California dream? The hotel, singing, winning, going to Omaha, sick before her performance, her exuberance on stage, the end and going to California?

8.Ricky Dean and Ronnie Jackson and the initial hustle, his singing, sexual favours, the phone call, his arrival for the funeral, meeting his wife’s mother, meeting Liv, the truth about his being a father, his inability to accept responsibility? Going on the road, Liv going with him, the hustle and the brawl with the singer’s manager? Arriving at the hotel, inviting Liv to sing with him in the competition? Their going off to California with Billy? Liv, her age, her ability to sing, talking over matters with her father, the photos, the memories? Helping him with the hustle? With the singing? Her meeting Billy and the friendship?

9.Todd, at the airport, frazzled, the increasing pressure, the enormous amount of travelling, giving his speech to the wrong group? Going home, his son ignoring him, his wife being online and not listening? Going out to buy some cigarettes? Going, his freedom? The experience of a breakdown? His trying to get some hotel rooms with his Frequent Flyer credits? The failure? Offering Reggie the lift? Talking, teaching him how to drive? The gun? In the store, the shooting? Singing the duet – ‘Try a Little Tenderness’? The police presence, their bowing out of the competition? The deeper talking with Reggie, Reggie phoning Todd’s wife, her coming out to Omaha, the meeting? His final song about freedom? Pulling the gun, shot? His final advice to Todd? Todd and his meeting with his wife, accepting reality, but not going back to work – and the humour of finally getting some kind of satisfaction from his thousands of Frequent Flyers?

10.Reggie, his character, the truth about his being in jail, his discussion with the truckie, genial, the quotes about errors of judgment, robbing the truckie, getting the lift with Todd, the encounter with him, wanting to sing, his improvising ‘Try a Little Tenderness’, his final song, his doing a good deed for reconciling Todd with his wife? His death? Guns and the American way?

11.The background of karaoke, the bars, the customers, the hotels, competitions? People’s appreciation?

12.The focus on a small group but the universal meanings?

DEATH TO SMOOCHY

US, 2002, 109 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Danny De Vito, Jon Stewart, Pam Ferris, Harvey Fierstein.
Directed by Danny De Vito.

Death to Smoochy must have sounded terrific on paper. There are many good things in it, but it does not quite gel and did not draw the audiences it hoped for.

On paper, it is the story of a children's TV host who is exposed for taking bribes and develops a homicidal hostility to his successor. His successor is a nice, naive and gentle but not very good mimic who somehow or other blossoms when he dons Smoochy's clothes and works with the children. Up front is the ambitious television producer who is sceptical about human goodness in general and does not find it in the television world. Behind the scenes is the oily agent who sniffs money. And in the background are assorted media employers - and some Mafia types. While you can guess what happens, it is watching how it works out that is generally interesting.

Perhaps everyone tried too hard and the result seems too strained. On the plus side is the performance of the ever-reliable and always different Edward Norton as the naive clown. He gets our sympathy and keeps us with it. Catherine Keener is always an effective screen presence. Her task is to move from media cynic to sympathiser to falling in love with the clown. Danny de Vito is the agent and does exactly what we expect and want of him. (He is also the director of the film.) Harvey Fierstein turns up as a menacing mafioso. So, in looking for the negative, it seems to be in the performance of the original Smoochie and his tantrums after he is dismissed. If you don't already know, he is played by Robin Williams. At times Williams can be brilliant. At other times (and often) he breaks out into uncontrollable mania which seems far too strong for the situation and sets it off kilter. And that is what he does here. There are many things going for Death to Smoochy, but it is also often very tiresome, especially when Robin Williams takes over.

1.An American comedy? American style and humour? Raucous comedy – Robin Williams style?

2.The background of television, studios, children’s programs, producers, rivalries? The world of advertising? Agents? Business – and Mafia?

3.The title, the humour of its name? Sheldon Mopes and his becoming Smoochy the Rhino? Rainbow Randolph and his attacks? Motivation?

4.The cast, comic strength? Robin Williams’ style, Edward Norton as straight man? Danny DeVito? as agent? The background of conniving agents? Catherine Keener as producer, change of heart?

5.The focus on the show, the children’s audience, Rainbow Randolph and his screen persona, Rainbow Randolph and his actual persona? With the children, his temperament? With Nora as producer? With Bennett as agent? His encounter with the people giving the payola, the nature of the bribe? His being caught? The authorities and their reaction? His being fired?

6.Sheldon Mopes, an ordinary young man, portraying the clown? Moral rectitude? His being accepted for the job? Becoming Smoochy the Rhino? His success with the children, with the audiences? The reaction of Nora, her change, affection for him? Transformed? The agents, the business deals? His integrity?

7.Nora, her position at the channel, the producer, harsh, unrelenting? Her treatment of Randolph? Her treatment of Sheldon? Her change of heart, the effect on her character?

8.Burke Bennett, the Danny De Vito character, the agent, his deals, double talk, conniving?

9.Randolph and his attempts to get revenge on Smoochy? His attempts to sabotage the program? Violence, vengeful? The black comedy aspects of his revenge? The effect on Sheldon, his coping, his continuing?

10.The gallery of minor characters: Marion Frank Stokes, his haircut, comic style? Tommy Cotter and the strength of presence? The Mafia types?

11.A satiric insight into the workings of a television channel, of children’s programming? The personalities of the talent? Strengths, weaknesses – and more weaknesses?

THE MASTER OF DISGUISE

US, 2002, 80 minutes, Colour.
Dana Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould, James Brolin, Austin Wolff, Edie Mc Clurg.
Directed by Perry Andelin Blake.

The Master of Disguise is not a film that people will spend a great deal of time discussing. In many ways it is very childish – with touches of the childlike.

It is a star vehicle for Dana Carvey, one of the most successful actors in Saturday Night Live. However, apart from the Wayne’s World films, he did not have a successful screen career like many other of the SNL actors, like Adam Sandler.

The film is a Happy Madison production, the company owned by Adam Sandler. The director, Perry Andelin Blake, was the production designer for all Adam Sandler’s films from 1995 through to 2008. He also did production design for a number of Happy Madison productions.

The story is fairly basic, a kind of tongue-in-cheek fairy tale. A family has inherited powers of disguise – and there are scenes from prehistoric times as well as the middle ages and Elizabethan era. The grandfather tells the story. However, his son (James Brolin) disguised like Bo Derek in 10, narrowly escapes capture by the arch villain, Devlin Bowman, who then spends twenty years in prison. The father has not told his daffy son, Pistachio (Dana Carvey) about his gifts. However, the son is a mimic and takes on the personalities of people around him.

Pistachio is unlucky in love but makes a friend with a little boy and later with his mother (Jennifer Esposito) who becomes his assistant when his parents are kidnapped by Bowman.

This gives the opportunity for Dana Carvey to do all kinds of impersonations and disguises, some funny, some silly. They are like a series of sketches on Saturday Night Live.

Brent Spiner does his best as the arch villain, wanting to rob all the treasures of the world and using the father in his various disguises to achieve these ends. He will then pretend to have killed himself (but with the father in his disguise) and then live to enjoy his ill-gotten gains. However, there are various confrontations and Pistachio wins out.

The film will probably appeal to younger audiences, the farce, the disguises, the pratfalls, the slapstick. There are also the jokes and the silly impersonations. The villain also has a wind-breaking problem which recurs.

Adult audiences will have to be very tolerant as they watch the film – and relish the amusement that they might find scattered throughout the film.

WILD CHILD

US, 2008, 98 minutes, Colour.
Emma Roberts, Aidan Quinn, Natasha Richardson, Georgia King, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer.
Directed by Nick Moore.

If you are a member of the targeted teenage audience, you will probably have a completely different reaction to the film from that of parents – and of those even older. Here was Material Girls become Mean Girls and go to St Trinians until our wild child becomes a perfectly responsible young miss who has changed Malibu pampered self-centred hedonism for the discipline and sporting skills of a British private school lady.

Older audiences will have mood swings, especially if they are not sympathetic to presumptuous Americans who assume that their affluence is the only way of life and are arrogantly insensitive to other cultures and styles. Poppy (Emma Roberts, Eric Roberts’ daughter) is an unbearable sixteen year old with a gaggle of hanger-on mindless friends who is resentful of her father (Aidan Quinn) after the death of her mother. She is brazen, he is exasperated and packs her off to Abbey Mount in England as a boarder, where nice but disciplined Natasha Richardson is the calm, non-negotiating headmistress.

Moods get worse as we see Poppy bring all her Yankee bumptiousness to the school, the girls, the staff and the rules.

Of course, we know that she is going to transform for the better by the end of the film but we do not realise she will go through the rebel stage (minor St Trinians’ misbehaviour) which makes us emphathise with her father’s exasperation.

Gradually, she transforms, getting the dorm room girls on side, and confronting the impossible head Girl who has her yes-girls in tow and moves through the students aping royalty. And we know she is going to get her comeuppance (Americans can change, the Brits just get their comeuppance).

By the end, Poppy is so good at La Crosse (and discovers her mother was captain at the school 30 years earlier), so repentant of her misdeeds, so becoming in her uniform that we are prepared (or are supposed to be prepared) to forgive her everything.

1.Americans, teenagers, Mean Girls, Material Girls? A school film?

2.The title, Poppy and her wildness, at home, at school, the changes?

3.Popular sentiment of the wild girl, the rebel, her being challenged, learning, changing?

4.The Malibu princess, her lifestyle, wealth, spoilt, luxurious home, the beach, hedonism? Her relationship with her father, her dead mother? Her getting her friends, taking the clothes and the possessions of the girlfriend, diving into the water? Her discussions with her sister? Ruby and Roddy? Her being brazen? Challenged by her father?

5.To England, to the school, Abbey Mount? A proper school, the countryside, the girls in their uniforms, Harriet as the head girl holding court, the principal and her charm and strictness, no negotiations? Her father leaving her there? Her discovering her mother’s photo, captain of the lacrosse team? Her tantrums, her being a snob, moody, self-centred? Kate and her offer of help? The other girls in the room? The wet trunk? Matron and her strictness, taking the mobile phones? Trying to settle in or not?

6.The classes, the translation, the eccentric teacher? The sports, the sports mistress and her attraction to the teacher? Meals in the dining room, grace, her Buddhist chant?

7.The principal and the order of the school, discipline, the meeting with Poppy after the fight with Harriet, her wise words, confidence in Poppy’s character? Freddie as her son? The fire, her talks with Poppy, Poppy confessing? The trial, her presiding, her irritation with Harriet, the decisions? The final lacrosse games?

8.Freddie, his story, with the girls, Harriet and her crush on him, the dance, Poppy, in the bath and Poppy coming in and his advising her how to get out? The outing, the kiss? His upset at the email? The reconciliation?

9.The group of girls in the room, their antagonism, suspicions, very British? Combining to help Poppy be expelled? The various plans, the mishaps, going to town, shopping, the clothes, the dance, the kiss with Freddie? Discovering the emails? Their being hurt? Insulted? The solution about the time of the sending of the emails?

10.Harriet, her background, the pheasant, her minions, her regal manner, a snob, at sport, discipline, letting the bucket of water fall on Poppy? The antagonism, her doing the emails, setting the fire?

11.The fire and the drill, the real fire, Drippy being missing, Poppy to the rescue? Her being in the room, with the lighter, her phone call to Ruby, disillusionment with Ruby and Roddy? Ruby and her rejection of Poppy?

12.The decision, the confession to the principal? The consequences?

13.The court, the trial, Harriet and her speeches, objections? All the girls saying that they were present? The mistake by Harriet about the lighter, the exposure?

14.The lacrosse games, Poppy and her joining in, her skills, the photo of her mother, her father being present, the victory, morale and the cheerleaders’ dance? Her reconciliation with her father? Her transformation? Yet the coda of the film and luxury in Malibu?

EL CANTANTE

US, 2006, 116 minutes, Colour.
Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez.
Directed by Leon Ichaso.

The singer in question is Puerto Rican born Henry Lavoe who is credited as being a driving force behind Salsa and its popularity in the US.

Interest in this portrait will depend on the audience’s interest in Salsa and Latin American music because, without it, the story is the familiar one of young man gets an opportunity, makes good, becomes famous and well-loved, marries a strong-minded woman, is unfaithful, becomes drug-dependent, suffers family losses and contracts a life-terminating illness. While the structure of the film has the plot going backwards and forwards, it really doesn’t make the story any more captivating. The framework, however, in black and white, is a reconstruction of a long filmed conversation in 2002, a decade after Lavoe’s death, with his wife, who tells her side of the story and her staying with him for more than twenty years despite everything.

The curiosity angle of the film is that it stars real-life husband and wife, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Jennifer Lopez is always an intense screen personality and is so here, especially in the moody interview sequences which drive the film along. Marc Anthony brings his singing talent and some exuberance to the frequent rendition of the songs. The film does evoke the 1970s and 1980s in New York City – and some of the darker aspects of that period.

In 2001, director Leon Ichaso made an interesting biography, Pinero, of Latin American playwright, poet, actor Miguel Pinero which is much more telling and powerful than this subject and treatment.

1.Audience knowledge of Henry Lavoe? Of salsa and Latin American music?

2.The film as a biography of Lavoe, Puchi’s version of the story? The flashbacks? Henry and his origins, his talent, discovery, promotion, singing, marrying, his world, fame, drugs, his son, the visits to his family in Puerto Rico, illness, son’s death, collapse?

3.The black and white framework, Puchi’s story? The reconstruction of the interview in 2002? Her memories, her passion, her version – true or not?

4.The New York settings, dark, the music, music publishing, concerts, fans? The world of parties and clubs? Homes, wealth? Drugs?

5.Puerto Rico, Lavoe’s origins, his original name? The change? His later visit, the clash with his father? No reconciliation?

6.Marc Anthony and his screen presence, performance, singing? The young Henry, his name, his emerging talent, recognised, in the US, New York City, the entrepreneurs, the songs, the members of the band, his friendship, going into drugs? His life and vitality? Seeing Puchi, dancing with her, their being together, partners for twenty years? Drugs and the effect on his life? His womanising? The birth of his son, absence from his son, the visits? Puchi and her pursuit of him, her confrontations with him? The effect of the death of his son? The funeral? His being haunted by the past? Suffering from AIDS? His illness and death? His character?

7.The songs, performance, the vitality of salsa? Songs, dancing?

8.Puchi and the flashbacks, her character, her life, love for Henry, staying with him, her jealousy, making him jealous, her love for her son, the home scenes, his going out, the news of his death?

9.The son and his father, the visits, going out together?

10.The publisher, his world, shrewdness, promotion of the songs and records? The demands on Henry, his being late for gigs, his turning up?

11.The members of the band, the variety of characters, support, enthusiasm?

12.The death of his father, the deaths of other relations, his son’s death, his depression and final years?

13.A record of this salsa world of the 60s to the 90s?

AFTER THE FUNERAL

UK, 2005, 100 minutes, Colour.
David Suchet, Robert Bathurst, Anna Calder Marshall, Monica Dolan, Geraldine James, Michael Fassbender, Lucy Punch.
Directed by Maurice Philips.

After the Funeral is one of the sixty-two episodes in the Poirot series starring David Suchet. They began in 1989 and were still in production almost twenty years afterwards. David Suchet has become the standard screen Poirot (Peter Ustinov appearing in four films and Albert Finney, appearing like Suchet, in Murder on the Orient Express). Television also produced a number of Agatha Christie adaptations of Miss Marple stories (with Margaret Rutherford, Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan). Adaptations of Agatha Christie stories have been a staple of film and television for more than sixty years.

This is a typical Poirot story, he investigates with his solicitor friend Gilbert Entwistle, discovers strange doings with a family after a change of will. However, as always, things are not what they seem. There is a very interesting performance by Monica Dolan as the mousey companion, Miss  Gilchrist – the most unobtrusive character who is, of course, the guilty.

David Suchet embodies all the fastidiousness of the little Belgian that Agatha Christie gave him. Michael Fassbender (Angel, Hunger) is the most suspected character. Lucy Punch gives an interesting performance as a righteous Christian member of the family.

The film was directed by Maurice Philips, a regular for television dramas.

1.The popularity of Agatha Christie mysteries? Their style, clues, villains?

2.The film adaptations of Agatha Christie, David Suchet as Poirot embodying her description? The comparison with Peter Ustinov and Albert Finney?

3.The character of Poirot, self-sufficient, his vanity, style? His clues? The investigations, the interrogations, the gathering together for the final explanation?

4.Gilbert Entwistle, his friendship with Poirot, the mystery of the will, the missing documents, his friendship for Helen? His concern?

5.The death of Richard Abernathy? Helen with him? His fight with George? The will and everybody gathering, their hopes, the exclusion of George? His reaction? His mother’s reaction?

6.Suspicions on George? His personality, his behaviour? His relationship with Susanna – and the revelation of the liaison? The truth, the fact that Abernethie was his father, his anger? The fight? His changing the will? His confession of the truth?

7.Maude and her husband? His fussiness? The revelation that he changed the documents? His using her as a servant? Being present, his being unmasked – especially his running concerning the documents?

8.Helen, her relationship with Richard, with her son? Her kindness, the mystery of her disappearance, scattering Richard’s ashes? Her son’s antipathy towards her? Her phone call, her being attacked? The revelation of the truth?

9.Cora, her coming to the funeral, the eccentricities, her manner, recognising the servant, sharing stories? The news of her brutal death? Her husband, the art expert, his coming? The discussions with the family? With Miss Gilchrist about the paintings? Poirot using him to make the revelation about the Rembrandt?

10.Miss Gilchrist, unobtrusive, her past, the story of her tea shop, the Lyons Cafes putting her out of business? In companionship, her fussing around the house? Her memories of Cora? The gift of the paintings? The discussions with Susanna and George? Her being poisoned with the cake? Her recovery? Poirot and his discussions with her? The revelation of the truth, her hatred of Cora, wanting the Rembrandt? Her mad outburst at the end?

11.Janet and Michael, the theatre, the poor play, the reaction, Helen coming to see it? Their wanting the money? The revelation of Michael’s affair? Janet’s pregnancy?

12.Susanna, her concern about the missions, collecting money, the nuns? Her going to see Cora, her giving herself away, the relationship with George?

13.The police, the investigations? The standard characters like the butler, the vicar? The doctor?

14.A satisfying Agatha Christie murder mystery? Clues? Poirot’s solution?

MR MOTO’S LAST WARNING

US, 1939, 71 minutes, Black and white.
Peter Lorre, Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Field, John Carradine, George Sanders, Robert Coote.
Directed by Norman Foster.

Mr Moto’s Last Warning was the sixth and last of a series of films with Peter Lorre as the Japanese intelligence officer, Mr Moto. The film was one of many in like series with such characters as The Saint, The Falcon, Charlie Chan.

The film is brief, based on the character by John P. Marquand and the screenplay written by Philip Mac Donald. The film was directed by actor, writer-director Norman Foster (Journey Into Fear, Rachel and the Stranger and a great deal of television).

Peter Lorre is very good in the central role. John Carradine is a British Secret Service agent. George Sanders, affecting an accent, is one of the main villains. How the principal villain is Ricardo Cortez who is a ventriloquist but in the pay of a foreign government (presumably Germany) to blow up the French fleet at the entrance to the Suez Canal. Robert Coote appears as a silly ass Englishman writing a book.

The film is set in Port Said, has a number of spy characters and situations who were soon to proliferate in World War Two films.

1.The popularity of this series? The brevity, the espionage stories, Mr  Moto himself?

2.Mr Moto, Japanese, employed by Britain, his contacts with the Foreign Office? His presence in Port Said, his use of doubles (and their deaths), the antique shop? His being at the play, listening in the dressing room, the threats, the bombing, the capture by Fabian the Great, his escape, freeing Venables? The final confrontation? His judo skills? His saving Connie?

3.The studio sets, black and white photography, editing and pace?

4.Connie, with Fabian the Great, Fabian’s performance, the marionette and his life? His signals, the spy, the head? Relying on Connie for cover? His use of her? His rounding up Norville and Hawkins? The discovery of the truth about Danforth, sending him down in the diving bell? His confrontation with Mr Moto? Connie and her hearing the truth, alerting the authorities? Her finally shooting him? Fabian as a credible spy?

5.Danforth, John Carradine, the disguise, the secret agent, his face in the book, Moto’s advice, the contact with Moto, taken by Fabian, killed in the diving bell?

6.Eric Norville, a George Sanders character, suave, but villainous?

7.Rollo Venables, on board, with the Delacours, his wanting to find local colour, his being mugged, his contact with Moto, his telling Norville the truth, his being captured, tied up, Moto rescuing him?

8.The atmosphere of Europe prior to World War Two? The British authorities? Relationships with the French? The French fleet and the exercises? The Nazi threats?