AFFLICTION

US, 1998, 114 minutes, Colour.
Nick Nolte, James Coburn, Sissy Spacek, Willem Dafoe, Bridgid Tierney, Holmes Osborne, Jim True -Frost, Marian Seldes, Mary Beth Hurt.
Directed by Paul Schrader.

Affliction is a profound film about dysfunctional family, the oppression of alcoholic fathers and abusive fathers on children, the damaging repercussions in family as a consequence.

Nick Nolte is at the centre of the film as the abused son of James Coburn (in his Oscar-winning performance). Willem Dafoe appears briefly but provides voice-over for the narrative and explanations of what has happened in the family. The film has an excellent supporting cast including Sissy Spacek as Nolte’s girlfriend, Mary Beth Hurt as his ex-wife, Brigid Tierney as his alienated daughter and Jim True -Frost as his friend who is involved in the disappearance of a hunter.

Set in bleak New Hampshire locations (with Canada standing in for New Hampshire), the atmosphere and the weather give a tone to this very bleak film. With the title, Affliction, it could apply in different ways to all the characters in the film – and that is the intention of the writer-director Paul Schrader and of the author of the novel, Russell Banks. Russell Banks wrote a similarly bleak story, The Sweet Hereafter, filmed by Atom Egoyan the year before and winner of many awards. Paul Schrader was screenwriter for several of Martin Scorsese’s best films including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Last Temptation of Christ. Schrader also directed a number of films himself including Blue Collar, Hard Core, Auto Focus, Mishima.

This is a film for adult audiences, gruelling for those who have experienced some of the hardships that the characters in the film experience.

1.The work of Russell Banks? The adaptation of the novel by Paul Schrader? Paul Schrader and his interests, human conflicts and suffering?

2.The New Hampshire settings, the town, the countryside, the forest, the bleak winter? The photos during the credits?

3.The sombre mood, the wintry mood for all the situations and characters? The musical score? Themes?

4.The title – and its reference to all of the characters? All of their afflictions?

5.Rolf, Willem Dafoe’s performance, narration? His focus on Wade, telling the stories, the audience having to test whether they were true or false? The father and his treatment of his sons? The flashbacks? Their mother? The present, Wade as the police inspector, the crime, the investigation? The sense of doom and tragedy?

6.Nick Nolte’s performance as Wade? Wade in himself, middle age, his experience? The marriage to Lillian, Jill as his daughter? Their alienation from him? Halloween and their being irked? The dance, going home? The divorce? Custody issues? Lillian and her stances? The lawyer? The funeral? Shame? The Big Mac, throttling? Wade alone?

7.Wade and his work, the policeman in the small town, his investigations? With Gordon? The role of the police, Jack, the friendship, going out on the hunt, the businessman, the shooting, his returning home alone? The suspicions, the theories? Rolfe and his theories? The confrontation? Gordon and his wife? The summons? Wade and his obsessions, Jack in the car, shooting the tyres? Gordon and the paranoia? The truth?

8.Margie, her age and experience, her love for Wade, talking for him, caring for him, his opening up to her? The relationship with Wade’s family, the visit to his father and the reaction? With Jill? The cold, the mother dying? Her growing puzzle about Wade? The paranoia and her leaving?

9.The portrait of Glen Whitehouse? The flashbacks, the adult men telling the stories? Glen’s harshness, drinking, his relationship with his wife, pushing her around, the abuse of the children? His cruelty? Physical and psychological? Later as an old man, his drinking? His being out of it? His wife’s death? The visit from Margie and his flirtatious behaviour? Alone in the house? Wade hiding the keys so that he wouldn’t drive and drink? The struggle with his son? Not tolerating weakness, no love? The funeral of his wife, his disbelief in God? His own death?

10.Rolfe and his life, the phone calls, the visit, not so much affected, not so much afflicted? His contribution to the paranoia? His blame? His father and his death?

11.The bar, the tender sequences, Margie and her work?

12.The range of townspeople, relating to Wade, relating to the Whitehouse family?

13.Wade, going berserk, his being sacked, the house sale and his reaction, the shooting of Jack, his disappearance?

14.The overall impact of the film, the performances, the situations? The bleakness and the pessimism?

BIDAR SHOW, AREZOO (WAKE UP, AREZOO)

Iran, 2005, 90 minutes, Colour.
Behnaz Jafari.
Directed by Kianousch Ayari.

Wake Up, Arezoo is a moving drama set in the immediate aftermath of the tragic earthquake in Iran, destroying the city of Bam and its surroundings, the homes of many people as well as many ancient monuments. The earthquake of Bam elicited worldwide response for helping people through this tragedy.

The film shows the story of a young teacher who is staying in a village outside the city of Bam. After the earthquake, she emerges from the rubble. After going into Bam itself, she discovers what has happened, helps with the care for bodies, especially those of women. A criminal asks her to help with the care of his mother, wife and daughter.

The film, made on location, shows the aftermath of the earthquake, the devastation, the effect on people. The film is an interesting story of Iranian life as well as the response to a disaster.

1.The impact of the film? Set in Bam in the aftermath of the earthquake? The visuals, the surrounding countryside, the city itself, the collapse of the buildings, the modern ones, the ancient monuments? The devastation?

2.The pace of the film, the personalised story, giving both human interest as well as the background on a wider scale?

3.The editing, the effect on the audience, immersing the audience in the experience of the earthquake and its aftermath? The musical score?

4.The nature of the earthquake, unexpected, people not anticipating it, going about their ordinary life, its striking and the transformation? The immediate aftermath?

5.The portrait of the survivors, the women, their frantic running? Exhaustion?

6.The prisoners, the prison itself, the escape? The mother, Arezoo, help?

7.The young woman, her experience, coming out of the rubble, going to the town? Helping get people out of the rubble, the girl, the sister?

8.The relief work – and the relief of those who survived, yet their grief? Generosity and people helping?

9.The contrast with the looting, people lacking scruple?

10.The images of desperation, hard work, the need for food? The overseas aid?

11.The days passing, some semblance of order, people becoming calmer? People and the trek to Teheran?

12.The prison, the prisoners, their freedom, the need for setting up the prison again?

13.The children, the need for establishing order, teaching? The young woman and her teaching, her experience – and the audience understanding what had happened through her?

MARRIED LIFE

US, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel Mc Adams, David Wenham.
Directed by Ira Sachs.

What more straightforward title could you get for a film? And, yet, how much possible ambiguity!

The novel on which this film is based is the 1953 Five Roundabouts for Heaven by John Bingham. That title is a little more indicative of what we find in the film.

First of all, the story is set in late 1949 and the way that it is filmed is very much in the style of those times: the setting of scenes, the costumes and décor, the more ample dialogue than we have now – and a visual reticence in portraying relationships. The film is all the stronger for that.

But, the question comes up: how serious is it, how comic and sardonic, how moral (or not)?

We are guided in our response by a voiceover throughout the film. It is that of Pierce Brosnan, who delivers it most agreeably. He plays Richard who emerges, even from his own descriptions of himself, as something of a cad. He is the best friend of middle-aged grandfather, Harry (the excellent Chris Cooper) and finds himself listening to the seemingly staid and upright Harry telling him how he is going to leave his wife for a younger woman. Nothing particularly new here as life goes. However, Harry does not want anyone, especially his wife, to be hurt. He feels he couldn’t possible divorce her. The solution: murder. And a very genteel and loving method (straight out of Agatha Christie or her then American equivalent) through poisoning, quick and not leading back to him.

You will have to see the film (or read one of those ‘spoiler’ reviews or blogs) to find out whether he succeeds or not.

Kay, the young woman Harry is smitten with is played with great sympathy by Rachel Mc Adams, coiffeured and dressed like Lana Turner in movies of the time. She will play a crucial role in the murder situation though she does not know it.

The wife, Pat, is played by the always impressive Patricia Clarkson. We find that Harry has read her correctly only partially and that there is more to her than we think if we listen solely to Harry and Richard.

The strength and interest of the film is in the screenplay and the performances. It is the character portraits of the four protagonists that keep the interest and it is their dialogue which intrigues us.

1.The blend of the serious and the comic? Sardonic dialogue? Allusions to Hitchcock style and content? Moral/amoral/immoral?

2.The title, straightforward? The title of the original novel?

3.1949 and its look? In colour rather than black and white? The staging of the scenes, the visual style? The nature of the dialogue, talk, verbal emphases? The voice-over? Manners? Clothes, behaviour? Not explicit? The musical score, the songs of the period? The movies of the time?

4.Richard and his voice-over, Pierce Brosnan’s tone? Observing, his friendship Harry from schooldays, Kay and Pat? His comments, editorialising, moralising? Revealing himself as a cad? His intentions? Leading the audience and slanting their perspectives?

5.Harry, his age, at work, serious, his admiring secretary? Phoning Richard, the restaurant, the quiet discussion, telling Richard about his intentions, explanation for leaving his wife, rationalising? His being unable to tell his wife (and the flashbacks visualising this)? His radical decision, wanting some happiness? Kay’s arrival, her charm, in love with her? Richard and Harry’s decision? Harry at home, his interactions with Pat? The discussions about love and sexuality? Their own experience in their marriage? The long marriage? Their daughter, son-in-law, grandchild? Going to visit, the talk at the table, the reactions of their daughter, sullen? The boy and playing?

6.Harry and his visits to Kay, leaving the Sunday dinner for Kay? His giving her gifts, her comforting him? The romantic aura of the relationship?

7.Richard and his visiting Kay, their discussions, her being a widow, talking about her marriage, the death of her husband? Harry picking her up, her love for him, hopes?

8.Harry and his decision to kill Pat, his frequent travels, arriving home late after meetings? Their discussion about marriage and break-up? Pat weeping, her convulsions, getting the doctor? His not wanting to hurt her and so death being the only way out? The irony of his not knowing about her relationship with John O’Brien? Reading the article, the nature of the poison, going to buy it, the camera issue, signing a false name, the irony of his picking up the hitchhiker, discussing the hitchhiker’s sister’s death, the possibility of poison? Using his name? Forgetting to pay? Testing out the poison on their dog, Pat’s grief? His digging the grave, burying the dog? His changing the poison bottle? Buying the new one? The plan, being away, the phone calls home, their being busy, the businessmen’s meal and his going to call? Ringing Mrs Walsh (and his earlier dislike of Mrs Walsh and her dog when he and Pat were on their walk)? Pat calling him back, her saying she was going to a film?

9.Richard, his life and style, womanising, unscrupulous? His visit to Kay, their discussions, her story, going out, the meal? Their talking about Harry? Further going out, to the movies? The growing bond between them? His discussion about the burdens of morality and unhappiness?

10.Richard going to the cabin, seeing Pat and John, awkward, the discussion, coffee, the cover-up, the lies?

11.Pat and John, the relationship, not wanting a divorce, Pat feeling that Harry needed her?

12.Harry visiting Kay, the slow revelation that they should break up? His being hurt? His return, discovering Richard there? His manner in covering it over, not wanting to discuss it?

13.Harry and his rush home, being held up by the police, their having nothing else to do? His arrival, the window, seeing John leaving? Pat’s lies about the film? Not taking her medicine? His hurriedly changing the poison?

14.A year later, the charades, John and his performance, having a girlfriend? Richard and Kay together, Harry and Pat, their daughter and her family, everyone together? The happiness of the evening?

15.Richard, summarising, everybody using the lines about morality, burdens, not hurting others? Not building relationships on the hurt of others? The issues of truth and lies?

16.The final scene of Harry and Pat cleaning up? Happily married – after a blip in their lives, and now a deeper relationship?

HIGH ART

US, 1998, 101 minutes, Colour.
Radha Mitchell, Ally Sheedy, Patricia Clarkson, Gabriel Mann, Helen Mendes, Bill Sage, Tammy Grimes.
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko.

High Art was highly praised on its release in the late 90s. It focused on a photographer, based on the real-life photographer Nan Golden, played by Ally Sheedy in a very strong performance. Once famous, she has spent a decade out of the public eye, caught up in a drug world.

Radha Mitchell plays Syd, a young woman, an editor on the up, who encounters the photographer and falls in love with her. The film portrays both characters in some depth as well as portraying their relationship. Patricia Clarkson is highly histrionic but effective as a former lover of the photographer. Tammy Grimes is the photographer’s mother.

The film was directed by Lisa Cholodenko who went on to make Laurel Canyon as the award-winning Cave Dweller.

1.The title, the serious overtones, the pretentious overtones? As applied to photography? The variety of comments and discussions about photography, some pretentious, others serious?

2.The world of New York City, the magazine offices, the apartments, the streets? The countryside? The musical score?

3.Photography of film? Photography as a theme? Photography as art? The jargon of photography?

4.The New York art world: the magazines, the world of study, chatter and jargon, serious criticism, the art world and sales, reputations? The variety of lifestyles, drugs? The ever-presence of death? Exploitation and responsibility?

5.Syd, the young woman, seeing her at her desk, talking, her work? Ambitions? The interactions with Harry? With Dominique? Her job, the name, the menial work, her skills?

6.Syd and James and their relationship, the photos, the encounter with Lucy, Lucy’s lifestyle, the drugs? The beginnings of the infatuation? Her return to see Lucy? The party sequences? The drugs, sex, James? Lucy and her book, the truth about Lucy?

7.Lucy and the set-up, the lunch, her past life, ten years of doing nothing, her previous success, her waste of years? Her being energised by the relationship with Syd? The trip, not taking any drugs? The car and the photos, the sex and the photos? The gift of the photos?

8.Lucy and Ally Sheedy’s style, her attitude towards her photography, art, her retiring, having to cope? The significance of her mother and her relationship with her? The distant mother? Money? The past relationship with Greta, Greta and the drugs? The clique around Greta? The encounter with Syd, her response, the possibilities, going into the countryside, telling her mother? Discussions with Greta? Death? A strongly delineated character?

9.Greta, her personality, sexual orientation, age, drugs, the clique around herself, grief? Arnie and his being around?

10.The background work of the office, the production of the magazine, its success?

11.The climax, Syd and her grief? Her using her relationship with Lucy, the infatuation – and the questions of her future?

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE

US, 2008, 104 minutes, Colour.
David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Alvin ‘Xzibit’ Joyner, Callum Keith Rennie, Adam Godley.
Directed by Chris Carter.

This is a ‘stand-alone’ film deriving from the extremely popular TV series which ran for nine years were simply a reasonably entertaining murder thriller with psychic overtones.

Needless to say (but still saying it), fans of the series will want to see this story no matter what. Whether they will be happy that, while Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) are centre-screen, this is not a film about FBI or government paranoia and mysterious aliens. It is a here-on-earth investigation of disappearances and a grim conspiracy that has to do with medical practice and malpractice.

Scully is now a doctor at a Catholic hospital and concerned about a young boy with a rare and deteriorating brain disease and whether he should be permitted to die or to undergo a number of radical and untested surgical procedures. Mulder, by contrast, is living, more or less, as a hermit. Scully is asked to bring him back for an FBI investigation which involves a former priest (Billy Connolly) who claims to have visions about the case. Mulder, with his keen intuitions about intuitions becomes interested. Scully is the rationalist, the sceptic. The FBI (Amanda Peet and Alvin ‘Xzibit’ Joiner) are on the side of the sceptics but keep getting drawn into the search for the missing women.

The surgery issue (and stem cell research) is intercut with the investigation, making the two issues closely connected in themes, especially about the efforts to prolong life. Mulder pursues the hunches and leads to a final confrontation. Scully has to question her presuppositions and the possibilities that there could be more realities than those that science allows. This centres on the truth or fakery of what psychics say and do. The film takes great interest in what advertising says is ‘supernatural’ (which it is not because that is the area of grace) but which, to be technical, is ‘preternatural’, experiences beyond the normal.

Set in a wintry West Virginia (though filmed in Canadian mountain locations), the film has action and chases but it also has a great deal of discussion about issues.

Scully works at a Catholic hospital where the Board is headed by Fr Ybarra (Adam Godley). The film makes him a very serious character and, from Scully’s point of view, quite unsympathetic, especially in discussing the decision about whether to go ahead with the boy’s surgery. This is dramatised in Scully’s discussions with Fr Ybarra, with the boy’s parents and their decision not to go ahead with the operations as well as in her impassioned speeches at the Board meeting where the hospital management support the decision against the surgery.

The screenplay introduces stem cell research since the surgery requires results from such research. In fact, the screenplay does not speak about stem cells from embryos or adult stem cells. And, in further fact, when the malpractice at the centre of the mystery and experimentation with dogs and with humans is exposed, the audience’s emotional response is against what is, as expected, characterised as the work of a ‘modern Dr Frankenstein’.

It can be added that nuns appear in the hospital but the producers have not checked out what contemporary nuns in hospitals actually do, whether they walk in solemn pairs down corridors or what they wear in terms of habits modified from older days – this presentation of nuns is over thirty years out of date.

Writer-director Chris Carter, who created the original series, says that his story ‘involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science’. This involves talk about belief in God or non-belief, Scully ‘cursing God’ for allowing children to be born with fatal diseases. Mulder, somewhat off-handedly but seriously, asks her whether she thinks God is unable to sleep because of this. Mulder is open to faith beyond the senses, at least. The title of the film, taken from a poster used in the series and shown here in his room, states in capital letters, ‘I WANT TO BELIEVE’.

Billy Connolly plays a former priest, Fr Joe, a convicted paedophile, with quite some restraint instead of his sometime over-the-top style, is a convicted paedophile priest, guilty of penetration of 37 of his altar boys.
Derogatory remarks are made about Fr Joe. Scully is particularly antagonistic and judgmental and Mulder makes a few of his offhand sardonic remarks about the priest. But the screenplay is actually leading its audiences into some more serious reflection on these issues and the consequences.

Fr Joe has been suspended from his priestly functions and lives in an institution for offenders. He experiences psychic ‘visions’, stating that he did not ask for them but that God had given them to him. It seems to be an opportunity for him to make some kind of atonement for what he has done. The question of what attitudes people should take towards offenders is a key one. By the end of the film, with some complications about the identity of the central criminal in terms of being one of Fr Joe’s victims – and some ‘mystical’ connections made between deaths and the saving of lives – this introduction of a paedophile priest is not a mere opportunistic device but something more substantial. It seems that underlying the character of Fr Joe in an X Files story we can find some of these deep issues.

1.The film for fans? The criticism of it being only a thriller without extraterrestrial mysteries? Its success as an FBI thriller?

2.The popularity of the series, mysteries, conspiracies, aliens, the government and the FBI? The 1990s? Into the 21st century, the emphasis on serial killers, psychic information? The title and the poster in Mulder’s room? The repetition of the phrase by the characters?

3.West Virginia and the settings from Canada? Winter, snow and ice, the town, the roads, the lakes? The car crashes? The musical score and the series theme?

4.The introduction: the FBI agent and her driving, the stalker, scratching his arm, her abduction, the imprisonment, her fear? The swimmer, her being stalked, the crash, her abduction, the experiments, her death?

5.Dakota Whitney? As an agent? Agent Drummy and his participation? The attempts to recover the agent? Their relying on research and reason? Sceptical about the psychic priest? Asking Scully to bring Mulder in on the investigation?

6.Scully, as a doctor, her concern about her case, the little boy, his brain illness, the discussions about it, hopes for treatment or not? The issue of surgery, the parents and their consent? Father Ybarra and his stance? The stance of the hospital board? Whitney and her going to Scully to ask her to visit Mulder? Her visit, the interactions with Mulder, offering him the possibility to come back, to reconcile with the FBI, his decision? Her raising issues of the past? Her relationship with Mulder, the son? The continued tensions between them in terms of faith and science?

7.Mulder in his retirement, the retreat, blaming the FBI, his resentment, cutting out the pages, his interest in the case, resistance, finally agreeing?

8.The case, the searchers on the ice, the squad searching for evidence, for bodies? Father Joe and his leading the search, the finding of the arm? The attitude towards psychics? Faking or not?

9.Father Joe as a person, Billy Connolly’s performance, his appearance, wild hair? As a priest, as an abuser, the conviction? His living in the institution, his life? His room, the crucifix, his kneeler and prayer, the Bible, quoting Scripture? The visions coming to him, his not wanting them, seeing them as God-given? The mystery of what he was seeing, his asserting that the girl was alive? The searchers, going on the lake, leading to the house? The FBI tricking him? Scully condemning him as a person and as a priest? Mulder and his sardonic remarks? Whitney and Drummy and their dislike of him? Continuing the search, the finding of bodies, his weeping tears of blood? Scully and the scientific explanations, Mulder and his continuing with the hunches, even when he was inclined to give up? Further discoveries, reassurance? Father Joe telling Scully never to give up, her visit to him, her wanting him to explain whether this was psychic knowledge or not, his disclaimer? His talking about himself, the former priests hating each other and themselves, for their baser drives and their behaviour? His continued assertion that the agent was alive? Scully and Mulder and their disbelief, yet the final clues, the criminal being one of his altar boys, the connection? His collapse, going to the hospital, looking at the photo? His death – and its coinciding with the freedom for life for the agent?

10.The topical aspect of the paedophile priest? Audience sharing Scully’s disgust? The issue of consequences after conviction, possibilities of redemption, atonement? The mystical connection and God working through this kind of person?

11.Scully, at the hospital, her research, with the boy, the decisions, her impassioned speech at the board? The stem cell research? Her studies, Googling, the information on the Russians? Spurring her into action after turning her phone off? The issue of continuing surgery for the boy, extraordinary means of prolonging life? The fact that at the end she decided to do the surgery, acting on intuition?

12.Mulder and his pursuit, the toxin, the dogs, going to the pharmacy? The hospital, seeing the courier, following him, the dramatic chase, Whitney’s death? The car, the car accident, Mulder getting out, going to the lab?

13.Scully and her phone calls, the research, her concern, going to the crash site, hearing the dogs, going to the lab? Her care for the agent? Her working with the head from Washington, DC? The rounding up of the criminals?

14.The issue, life and stem cell research, animal research and grafting of organs, the toxins? The two women and their being stalked, the agent and her being imprisoned? The swimmer and her being used for experiments, the failure, her head in the box? The abductions, the imprisonment? The agent in the cell, watching, her food, the crisis and the door left ajar, her getting out, the dogs and her being returned to the cell? The doctors and nurses and their experiments?

15.The criminal, the past altar boy, his lover and the transplanting of the organs, the experiments? His reassurance that the man would recover? Father Joe and the recognition of the photo? The link with him? Saving an agent from one of his victims before he abused her?

16.The case itself, science and life, Mulder and his returning home, the cut-outs?

17.The hospital, the themes about stem cell research, extraordinary means for prolonging life?

18.Themes of faith, reason, intuitions, science, the psychic, criminal investigations? Serial killings, abductions? The putting of the blame on Russians and Eastern Europeans?

19.The final credits, Scully and Mulder in the boat and their waving goodbye?

TOMORROW LA SCALA

UK, 2002, 108 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Stevenson, Samantha Spiro, Shawn Dingwall, Kaulvinder Ghir, Karl Johnson, Dudley Sutton.
Directed by Francesca Joseph (pictured above).

The story defies some credibility but, why not? Could a small operetta group actually be commissioned to put on Sondheim's Sweeny Todd in a maximum security prison in the north of England with a group of lifers? If they were, this is what could happen. While documentarist, Francesca Joseph's first fiction film is full of optimism about touching the potential in human beings, even murderers, and giving them a chance to build a new life, much of the dialogue is quite sharp and highlights the inherent physical and emotional dangers in the project. That said, this is a film that is often very funny, has a gallery of very well drawn characters, especially the prisoners, contains quite a lot of words to the wise and treats us to many selections from Sweeny Todd, surely one of the least likely operas to be suggested for murderers to perform - but, again, that's part of the plot. Very enjoyable, even if one asks whether it could every really happen like this.

1.Entertaining? The blend of the light and the serious? The tone of the title and expectations for opera lovers?

2.The credits, the failure? The characters, cast, the prisoners, Kevin as the man in charge? The interactions? Realism? The psychological truth of the film? The putting on of the opera?

3.The visualising of the prison, an actual prison in Cumbria being used? The English atmosphere of the prison? Outside the prison, inside the prison?

4.The musical score, on the road, walking to and fro, the significance of the excerpts from Sweeney Todd?

5.The group, their travel, hopes? The state of the group at the introduction, at the end? Victoria, the leader, her ambitions? The group and its talent? At work? The job – and taxes and government? The credibility of the characters and the plot?

6.Kevin, the introduction, the comic style, his being very correct, the rules for the prison – and the breaking of rules? The drugs? Flirting? Not friendly at first, but changing? The influence of Janey?

7.Sweeney Todd as the choice for the opera? Victoria’s outlining of the plot, the effect? The holding of the auditions and the variety of types? Selections from the group? Kevin wanting to be in the film play? His ambitions? Being present and absent?

8.The rehearsals, the skills demonstrated, the group enjoying the rehearsals? The set? And the later interpretations for and against? The costumes? John at the piano? The absences and Victoria upset? Janey being temperamental? John and his being more straightforward? The bracelet?

9.The CVs and the glimpses, the comic touch, Janey and the facts about the crimes? Jordan, Charly, Cliff? The violence, the rape and Walter?

10.Janey and Jordan, the rejections, the changes? Rajiv and his presence? Sidney and Julie?

11.Prison life, the convicts, raping, bashing, Walter and Victoria, Jordan, Cliff and Dennis, Sidney and Charly? The range of characters, their backgrounds, crimes, contributions to the opera?

12.Issues of sexuality? The speech, Janey? Kevin and the rules? The bar and the apologies? The extra day? The meal, choices? The celebration, the speeches?

13.The journalist and her being told off?

14.The blend of a prison story, rehabilitation of the prisoners, their way of life with the rehearsals for a musical, auditions and preparing, and the achievement of putting on the play?

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

US, 1999, 137 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly, Jena Malone, Brian Cox, J.K. Simmons.
Directed by Sam Raimi.

Here is Kevin Costner being a little like Bull Durham and reprising a 'Field of Dreams' theme as he remembered the influence of his father on his baseball career. I remembered watching 'Field of Dreams' in a New York City cinema in 1989was one of the most alienating movie experiences I have ever had. With little knowledge of baseball except from watching the movies and observing its impact on the American psycheoutside, I could not fully emphathise with the excitement of that audience which was so exhilarated by 'Field of Dreams'. I found myself an outsider.

But, one of the distractions from ' For Love of the Game' was that this movie was directed by Sam Raimi. Raimi had made his cinema mark with horror and action movies like 'The Evil Dead' and 'Darkman'. His reworkings of the western in 'The Quick and the Dead' and of the film noir in 'A Simple Plan' indicated that he was a tough director of strong, even tough, movies. 'For Love of the Game' is scarcely a tough movie. It is a romantic saga of a baseball player at the end of his time, going for a record, cheered by the crowd, remembering his wife and their love and their troubles... Full of sentiment, in fact.

But it set me reflecting on Sam Raimi as a director who, moving into mid-life, is going to anger his admirers who will say that he has no right to make a baseball-sentiment movie. But he is showing an ability to be at home in a range of movies.

1.The title, the focus on baseball, the American sport, the mythologies about baseball?

2.Kevin Costner in the central role, the background of Bull Durham, The Field of Dreams? Baseball themes?

3.The film as a piece of Americana? The American locations, Detroit, the team travelling around the United States? The musical score? The song: ‘The Summer Wind’?

4.The prologue: the father, Wheeler, the game, home movies, the build-up to the career, the game sequence?

5.Billy, his age, experience, his place on the side, hurting and aching, wincing? His friendship with Gus Sinski? The situation? The final game, the review of his life?

6.The hotel and the suite, his name, waiting for Jane, the dinner – Wheeler and the selling of the Tigers? ‘Heart and Soul’, the family? The decision to sell Billy? The question of whether he should retire or not from the great game?

7.The issues of commercialisation of baseball and the players, Wheeler as a character, his role in selling?

8.Jane, the background with Billy, her decision to leave? The final game, her saying that she didn’t need him? Listening to the radio, watching the TV? The lounge and the man at the bar?

9.The rookie, memories of the past, the home movies, the commentators’ voices, the television? The subjective style? Billy and his opponents and their comments?

10.Gus as confidant, relationship with the coach, together for nineteen years?

11.The loud fan, saying that Billy was finished, at the bar and the comment?

12.The plays, tough, the falls, hardball?

13.The memories of meeting Jane, the car breaking down, the towing man and his recognition? Going to the game? The comments of ‘this week’s blonde’?

14.The meal, the questions, her article, the kiss, the elevator? The date? Their relationship, laughing, going to spring training? The girl and the sexual situation?

15.Davis, smile, the trading to New York, the worthy opponent? Giving advice?

16.The phone argument, the masseur, the deal, the possibility of freedom?

17.Jane’s daughter, her character, running away? In the plane, the frank talk, the mother trying to prevent mistakes? Her memories? Jane and Heather and the men? The chalet, skating?

18.Cutting her hand, the outburst about the US and the doctor? Saying that Mike was most important to her then? Anger, about his not coming back? Jane and his feeling distracted, weak? Life as a gift? The declaration of love?

19.Jane, leaving, the airport, her reasons?

20.The issue of the perfect game? Billy not knowing if he had anything left? Gus giving him the boost? Gus missing the catch? The deal, his father? The flashback and his meeting Heather, ringing Jane, making the decision, writing on the ball for Wheeler’s nephew, “Tell them I’m through for love of the game”? The prayer and the pain for ten minutes?

21.Love, stoic, the pain, the team, the motivation, the prayer, the acclamation of a nice job, the strain, strong will, success?

22.The aftermath, Gus drinking, alone and weeping, the airport, Jane and Heather, Jane proud of Billy? His discovery that he needed Jane?

MUK LAU HUNG GWONG (THE VICTIM)

Hong Kong, 1999, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tony Leung Ka Fai, Ching Wan Lau, Amy Kwok, Emily Kwan.
Directed by Ringo Lam.

The Victim is one of Ringo Lam’s best films. Writing and directing since the early 1980s, Ringo Lam’s films have been an influence on Hollywood, especially crime thrillers and martial arts thrillers. Quentin Tarantino acknowledged a debt to Lam’s City on Fire, 1987, for scenes in Reservoir Dogs.

Lam’s only American film was Maximum Risk with Jean -Claude Van Damme. In 2007 he combined with two other top Hong Kong directors of action films, Johnny To and Tsui Hark, for the film Triangle.

The Victim is an ingenious blend of crime and investigation thriller with horror elements.

1.The film as entertaining, as a police thriller, the twists, the horror touches?

2.The Hong Kong locations, the city? The police, Asian crises, gangsters? The environment? The musical score?

3.The blend of Hong Kong and American gangster thriller styles? The Hong Kong horror thriller styles?

4.Manson Maher and the disc, the van, his kidnapping, the guard killed, the video and the mystery?

5.The interrogation, the police? Pitt and his investigations? The exams? Lee and the boss? The assistants? The various questions and theories?

6.Miss Funeral, the house, the questions, the situation, the ten years (her mother and the phone)? Manson’s background, the job, the mint, his getting the sack, keeping the secret, the computers?

7.The message and the tapping of the phone, surveillance? In the haunted house? Its story? The search, the fears, Manson found hanging?

8.Madness, drink, being sick, the secrets, at home? The debts? Television and shares? With Amy? Delivering the drink, night and anxiety, the garden and the flowers, the bricks, jealousy of Amy, the police?

9.Pitt and the child, Grace and the phone? The haunted house, the parallels, the build-up to the surprise party and Pitt’s suspicions? The celebration? The photo?

10.The searching of the house, the candles, leading to the theories?

11.Amy’s kidnap, the role of the gangsters, the deal?

12.The car chase, the dangers? The bar and the phone call, the address? Bee shot and Manson’s interrogation? Pitt and his rage?

13.The mint, the abducting of the boss and his wife, the making of the money? The police outside, helpless?

14.Amy’s release, the ticket, digging up the body?

15.Manson, the money, power, the dates, the guillotine, arms, the battering? The security reacting?

16.Taking the boss’s wife, going to the home, confronting Amy, the truth? The choking? The chase? Pitt, the shooting in the cemetery, the suicide?

17.A thriller with psychological twists, Asian style? The significance of the title – to whom did it refer?

NIGHTWATCH

US, 1997, 101 minutes, Colour.
Ewan Mc Gregor, Nick Nolte, Patricia Arquette, Josh Brolin, Lauren Graham, Brad Dourif, Alix Koromzay.
Directed by Ole Bornedal.

Ole Bornedal wrote a very successful suspense thriller about a serial killer, Nightwatch, released in 1994. It won many awards. Miramax persuaded Bornedal to write a script for an American version of the original and invited him also to direct it. It was released in 1997 to unfavourable reviews.

The Danish version has a very strong cast as does the American version. Ewan Mc Gregor plays the role originated by Nikolaj Coster -Waldau, a law student who takes a job as a nightwatchman in order to have time for study. However, mysterious things are happening, especially women being murdered and sexuality assaulted after their deaths. Nick Nolte plays the intense inspector trying to solve the case. Patricia Arquette plays the girlfriend. Josh Brolin plays the hero’s rather wild friend who seems to be wanting to bring him out of himself with all kinds of dares. Suspicion initially falls on him – but before the end, he is found to be innocent and it is then perhaps more obvious who the killer is.

The American version is enjoyable in its way. The Danish version has a greater intensity.

The following questions can be used for both versions of the film. The American names are used here. However, in the Danish version the hero is still called Martin, the girlfriend is Kalenka, the best friend is Jens.

1.An interesting murder mystery? Serial killer? A film of the 90s and the exploration of the dark side? A police investigation? A young man being framed for murder? The psychological background?

2.The town, the night scenes, the dark? The morgue, large, dark? The garbage area?

3.The title, the adaptation from the original Scandinavian film? The comparison between the two? The musical score?

4.The credits sequence: the prostitute, the aggressor, the death, the assault, the removal of the eyes?

5.Martin as a law student, his relationship with Katherine? His friendship with James? The bonds? His taking the job, the work, the opportunity for study? The atmosphere, the alarms, the doctor? His brashness? His being interrogated by Inspector Cray? His naivety? Becoming more frightened, the increased number of the corpses? James and his dare? The restaurant, the background of sexual encounters, the clash with the girl? The building up to doubt concerning James? The archives? The build-up to the climax, Martin in danger, vindicated?

6.James as best friend, his manner, personality, risks, sexual encounters, the discussions with Joy, trying to set her up with Martin? His suspicious behaviour? His change of behaviour? The build-up to the climax?

7.Katherine, her work, her relationship with Martin, in love, sharing, the proposal, her being hurt? Joy and the visits? The dangers?

8.The prostitutes, Joy, the set-up with James, the humiliation? The irony of her relationship with Inspector Cray?

9.Inspector Cray, his tough manner, his staff, conducting the investigations, the interview with the doctor, the interrogation of Martin? The information, his theory and the need to confess? The set-up? His framing Martin, the murders, his violence, the final confrontation?

10.The atmosphere of the dark side, serial killers? Deaths, sexuality and violence?

NATTEVAGTEN (NIGHTWATCH)

Denmark, 1994, 105 minutes, Colour.
Nikolaj Coster -Waldau, Sofie Grabol, Kim Bodnia, Lotte Andersen, Ulf Pilgaard, Rikke Louise Andersson.
Directed by Ole Bornedal.

Ole Bornedal wrote a very successful suspense thriller about a serial killer, Nightwatch, released in 1994. It won many awards. Miramax persuaded Bornedal to write a script for an American version of the original and invited him also to direct it. It was released in 1997 to unfavourable reviews.

The Danish version has a very strong cast as does the American version. Ewan Mc Gregor plays the role originated by Nikolaj Coster -Waldau, a law student who takes a job as a nightwatchman in order to have time for study. However, mysterious things are happening, especially women being murdered and sexuality assaulted after their deaths. Nick Nolte plays the intense inspector trying to solve the case. Patricia Arquette plays the girlfriend. Josh Brolin plays the hero’s rather wild friend who seems to be wanting to bring him out of himself with all kinds of dares. Suspicion initially falls on him – but before the end, he is found to be innocent and it is then perhaps more obvious who the killer is.

The American version is enjoyable in its way. The Danish version has a greater intensity.

The following questions can be used for both versions of the film. The American names are used here. However, in the Danish version the hero is still called Martin, the girlfriend is Kalenka, the best friend is Jens.

1.An interesting murder mystery? Serial killer? A film of the 90s and the exploration of the dark side? A police investigation? A young man being framed for murder? The psychological background?

2.The town, the night scenes, the dark? The morgue, large, dark? The garbage area?

3.The title, the adaptation from the original Scandinavian film? The comparison between the two? The musical score?

4.The credits sequence: the prostitute, the aggressor, the death, the assault, the removal of the eyes?

5.Martin as a law student, his relationship with Katherine? His friendship with James? The bonds? His taking the job, the work, the opportunity for study? The atmosphere, the alarms, the doctor? His brashness? His being interrogated by Inspector Cray? His naivety? Becoming more frightened, the increased number of the corpses? James and his dare? The restaurant, the background of sexual encounters, the clash with the girl? The building up to doubt concerning James? The archives? The build-up to the climax, Martin in danger, vindicated?

6.James as best friend, his manner, personality, risks, sexual encounters, the discussions with Joy, trying to set her up with Martin? His suspicious behaviour? His change of behaviour? The build-up to the climax?

7.Katherine, her work, her relationship with Martin, in love, sharing, the proposal, her being hurt? Joy and the visits? The dangers?

8.The prostitutes, Joy, the set-up with James, the humiliation? The irony of her relationship with Inspector Cray?

9.Inspector Cray, his tough manner, his staff, conducting the investigations, the interview with the doctor, the interrogation of Martin? The information, his theory and the need to confess? The set-up? His framing Martin, the murders, his violence, the final confrontation?

10.The atmosphere of the dark side, serial killers? Deaths, sexuality and violence?