ALL SAINTS

US, 2017, 108 minutes, Colour.
John Corbett, Cara Buono, Myles Moore, Barry Corbin, Nelson Lee, Angela Fox, Gregory Alan Williams, David Keith.
Directed by Steve Gomer.

All Saints is an American faith-based film. It is designed as inspirational and, in its pastoral outreach and social concern, it is. It is based on a true story, business and Michael Spurlock becoming an Episcopalian priest and his work in his first parish, the parish of All Saints, in Smyrna, Tennessee. Burdened with a heavy mortgage, the authorities have decided to close the parish, sell the church to a developer, sell all the goods within the church and rectory. Michael has to supervise everything for an almost immediate sale.

John Corbett tends to be laid-back in so many of his performances (as in the Big Fat Greek Wedding films). Here he is a rather ordinary man who has failed in business and wants to succeed in ministry. He is strongly supported by his wife while his son, teenager, has accepted this mission far from New York City and his friends.

The members of the parish are particularly hostile, some of the women with photo albums reminiscing about the past, and a crusty old man, Forest (Barry Corbin) who served in Vietnam and thinks that Michael is a huckster. You know he will come around but it does take a long time, convincingly so.

What changes the situation is the arrival of Burmese refugees, Karen, escaping from the Civil War but finding it difficult to settle into American society and to speak the language. Their leader, Nelson Lee as Le Win, becomes friendly with Michael, explaining that Burma was colonised by the British and that they were brought up as Anglicans.

Michael and the family collaborate with the Karen people who become part of the congregation, work hard in chicken factories. During rain, Michael gets an inspiration hearing it as the voice of God, that he should stay, work the property around the church as a farm, market the vegetables, pay off the debt. He is allowed a temporary reprieve by the church authorities and there are months of sowing, watering, finding extra equipment, the parishioners coming round, the Karen working hard.

But, with all this hard work and dedication, rain scarce but, as they prepare to harvest, there is a and much of the crops destroyed.

Just as Michael is prepared to go back to his previous job, the Bishop announces that there is another reprieve, that All Saints will become a missionary church and supported financially as such, a job for Le Win as a lay assistant.

Michael Spurlock and his family are appointed to parish in New York City. At the final credits, there are photos of the real characters and explanations of what it happened and the explanation that what God had created was a strong community.

1. An American faith film? Impact for Americans, Christians, non-Christians? Worldwide audiences?

2. Based on a true story, Michael Spurlock and his family, the church of All Saints and its community?

3. The Tennessee settings, the town, the film made on location at the church itself and its grounds? The surrounding countryside? The musical score? Hymns?

4. The film as inspiring? For human hope and endeavour? For following the gospel injunctions, especially towards strangers, refugees?

5. The opening, Michael Spurlock being appointed to the parish, the presence of the Bishop, Michael making a promise to obey whatever the circumstances? His being strong minded, his previous job selling paper, his wanting to do good? The support of Aimee? The difficulties for Atticus and his being away from New York friends? The small community, the general hostility? Michael being commissioned to make an assessment of the church and the property, to raise money for the mortgage? Selling off the possessions of the church?

6. The Karen from Burma? The refugee status, civil war in Burma, persecution of the people? In the United States? Difficulties in language, customs, farmers coming to the US? Le Win as the spokesperson, at the welfare centre, the difficulties for getting food? Local jobs? Crowded houses? The children?

7. Le Win coming to the church? The encounter with Michael? The need for food? The group coming to the rectory? The group coming to the church? The reaction of the locals?

8. The challenge to Michael, business or the gospel? The pressures from the Bishop? Michael and the rain, thinking he had heard the voice of God, discussions with Aimee, his decision to stay?

9. The possibilities, the ground, growing vegetables, farming, his wife's caution about it being an ego trip for him? The reactions of his son? The decision to go to the Bishop, to the board, taking Le Win with him? The presentation of ideas, the board and the business focus? Le Win and his plea, timeout, the discussion, given to Thanksgiving for achievement?

10. Aimee, her wanting to do something with music, with the children, the singing, laughing at her pronunciation? The three boys in school, kickboxing, having to be in the program, unwilling in the choir? Their joining in?

11. The locals, gradually mellowing? Contributing machinery, volunteering for work? For food for those working on the field?

12. Forest, cranky, Vietnam experience, calling Michael a huckster, continually challenged him? The memories of the church? His visit to Le Win, their talk about weapons, war and the jungle, his being given food, his later visits, at home with the Burmese?

13. The expenditure, the seeds, the equipment? The credit card? His wife buying the guitars for the choir? Trust in Providence? The help with watering the seeds, needing something bigger, the day off and picnic and the offer of the bigger sprinkler? The possibility of a tractor, bargaining, raising the loan to buy the tractor? Watering the seed?

14. The Burmese, working in the chicken factory, volunteering in the fields? Hard work? The need for water? In time for Thanksgiving? The rain coming, the heavy rain, the sand bags, the ruining of much of the crop? Salvaging what was possible? Going to the farmers market, the truck impounded and the crop inside ruined?

15. Michael, checking the possibilities of returning to his work, sense of failure? Asking about God? The questions about God and the rain from Atticus?

16. The Bishop, acknowledging all that they had done, bringing the message of the missionary Council, All Saints as a missionary church, supported, salary, Le Win being paid as a lay assistant?

17. The Bishop, his work in Africa, the story about building a church when the people wanted an aqueduct? His making way, going back to Africa? The appointment of Michael to a prominent parish in New York City?

18. Atticus asking his father about what it happened, Michael replying that things would happen with God's help and Atticus replying that Michael himself was God's help?

19. The aftermath, the photos, the information about the church, the community, Michael and his work?

20. The picture of an Episcopalian pastoral ministry, outreach to the persecuted and the refugees, refugees becoming part of the American community?

 

THE GATEWAY

Australia, 2018, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, Myles Pollard, Hayley Mc Elhinney, Shannon Berry, Ben Mortley, Ryan Panizza, Shirley Toohey, Troy Coward.
Directed by John V.Soto.

The Gateway was not anything like what was expected. There was talk of science fiction, horror, making it sound like one of those selections for the B-Budget? films at horror festival.

Not so.

Yes, it certainly is a science-fiction film but focused more on laboratory work, experiments with teleportation, discussions about multi-universes and parallel worlds, some science-fantasy. However, the film is also something of a domestic story, of tragedy in a family. It then moves towards more psychological drama, menace and threat in a marriage. And, all the time, exploring the possibilities of moving in and out of the parallel worlds.

The film was made in Western Australia on a small budget but generally looks very effectively and efficiently made. Perhaps the laboratories are somewhat simplified and might be said that security looks very lax! However, Jacqueline Mc Kenzie gives a strong performance as Jane Chandler, in charge of the teleporting experiments, assisted by a genially geeky Regg, Ben Mortley, and under threat from the powers that be with deadlines and budget cuts.

At home, Jane has a very nice husband-author, Matt (Myles pollard) and teenage son and daughter (not so very strong in acting for performance, undermining the family impact).

In the lab, the experiments concern the teleporting of an apple from one vehicle to another. But, when the apple disappears, Jane suspects it has gone somewhere else in the world and, trying to find out how and where, discovers that it has gone to one of those parallel universes. Contact is made. The locations in each world are the same, the persons are the same, real cases of alter egos.

All this moves briskly along but is jarred by Matt’s death in a road accident. So, when Jane gets to the lab in the other world, she meets the other Regg, and then meets the other Matt (with Myles Pollard doing quite a significantly different Matt while remaining the same).

Since this is a dramatic thriller, and Matt comes back to her own world with Jane, it will not be smooth sailing – although that is what it seems for some time, the family keeping the secret of his still being alive.

The climax moves to a combination of Jane being menaced, moving from one world to another, trying to deal with the different Matt, getting the help of the new Regg, even her getting to visit another parallel universe.

This works well enough as an interesting entertainment – although the final 30 seconds are somewhat disconcertingly unnecessary. Best to forget about them and just remember the dynamic of the film itself.

1. A small-budget science-fiction, science-fantasy film?

2. Australian made, the Perth locations, home, streets, the laboratory? The same locations in the parallel worlds? The musical score?

3. Jane, scientist, her work and project, teleportation, working with Reg, the experiment with the apple, the failures, the upping of the energy, the disappearance of the apple? Wondering where it had gone? The theory of parallel worlds? The sending of a message, the return, the photo, Jane in the parallel world?

4. The opening, two Janes, one retreating, the other at the table? The story eventually returning to this episode?

5. Jane, Matt, the children, the family group, Matt Is an author, genial, riding his bike, the accident and his death? Jane, her grief, not spending more time with her family?

6. The decision to travel to the parallel world? Regg and his hesitation, the achievement? Her arrival in the parallel world, the similarities, a different kind of Regg, meeting Matt, a more serious man, the news of Jane’s death? The bond between the two, Jane and her compensation for her dead Matt?

7. The son and the daughter, their personalities, age? Relationship with their parents? Their grief?

8. The friend, looking after the children, support for Jane? The visit of her busy mother?

9. The children meeting Matt, accepting him, keeping it a secret?

10. The difficulties with Jane? Her possessiveness? Matt going for a walk, encountering the man who recognised him, his stun machine, killing the stranger? Jane not understanding, the threats?

11. The arrangement to meet at the lab, Matt and his sinister intentions, his killing Regg? Jane, discovering what it happened, teleporting Matt and his being unconscious, to an anonymous prison-like alternate world? Her discovery of Jane in the house and Matt having killed her?

12. In the other world, with Regg, trying to get back, the reprisal of the opening scene, the wrong world? Eventually getting back, home?

13. Satisfying science-fiction, fantasy, family menaced drama? The final 30 seconds and the ambiguity, satisfactory or not?

VARGAS: THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN/ L’HOMME AUX CERCLES BLEUS

France, 2009, 87 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Hughes Anglade, Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Spiesser, Jean- Pierre Leaud, Stanislas Merhar. Helene Fillieres. Corrine Masiero.
Directed by Josee Dayan.

French television made a series of murder mysteries based on stories by Fred Vargas, the Fred Vargas Collection. This is the second film in the series.

At the centre of the series is a sympathetic police officer, Detective, Jean- Baptiste AdamsBerg?, played by Jean- Hughes Anglade. His assistant, Danglard, is played by Jacques Spiesser. They are in each episode.

There is some background to the life of the detective, especially his past relationship with a musician and his living with these memories.

A photographer is introduced. She has a sharp and direct manner and is played by Charlotte Rampling. In recent years she has gone to photography sites but without film in the camera because of a scandal that she was involved in earlier. She encounters a blind man in a restaurant – and a link with the scandal. She offers him an apartment, introduces him to her assistant, an elderly lady from the provinces who spends a lot of time talking about and arranging dates and meeting men.

There is a strange character who draws circles in the Paris streets and puts objects in the centre. Eventually, there are three murders. Mathilde helps Inspector and Danglard in their investigations and their theories – Danglard having some children at home who are experts in crime and are forthright in giving their opinions and interpretations.

The other central character is a professor whose wife is killed (Jean-Pierre Leaud). As it turns out, through some strange twists in the plot, that he is the killer, framing the murderer’s wife with other murders.

Charlotte Rampling was to appear in another of the episodes. All were directed by Josee Dayan.

1. Murder mystery and investigation? Part of a series for television? The Paris settings, the police and the investigation?

2. Paris by night, by day, police precincts, apartments, restaurants, the variety of murder scenes in the streets? The musical score?

3. The inspector Is the hero, his work with the police, detection, his personality?

4. The situation, the circles, the objects in the centre of the circles, dead animals, toys? Fears for humans to be found? In fact?

5. The inspector, his character, his memories of his relationship with the musician, her absence? His work, a man of ideas, assisted by Danglard? The staff, the detectives, the female police? The sites and the visits? The encounter with Mathilde, their discussions, sharing ideas?

6. Mathilde, following the man, mysterious, cloaked, his waving to her? The background of her career, photography, the scandal of the affair, the lover murdering his wife? Photo opportunities but no film in the camera? Her manner, in the cafe, the blind man and her talking with him? Interested, the search for him, her offering him the apartment? The discussions, the truth about his identity and his parents?

7. The range of suspects, Mathilde herself, the blind man?

8. The murders, the woman, the speculation about her background, the man and his past relationship with Mathilde’s assistant? The wife of the scholar?

9. The secretary, the story about her dates, her past, rejection? The revelation that she had been murdered and impersonated?

10. The scholar, his manner, his house, his expertise, the visits, the discussions with the inspector, his assistant? His wife, her death? Her writing his papers?

11. The inspector and Dan, making the connections, the identity of the killer, the scholar and his behaviour?

12. The scenes with Danglard, the children, their knowledge about crimes, their opinions?

13. The confrontation with the scholar, his arrest?

14. Mathilde, her daughter and the music tour, her returning home, the connection between Mathilde and the inspector through her daughter?

VARGAS: UN LIEU UNCERTAIN

France, 2009, 87 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Hughes Anglade, Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Spiesser, Jean- Pierre Leaud, Stanislas Merhar. Helene Fillieres. Corrine Masiero.
Directed by Josee Dayan.

French television made a series of murder mysteries based on stories by Fred Vargas, the Fred Vargas Collection. This is the second film in the series.

At the centre of the series is a sympathetic police officer, Detective, Jean- Baptiste Adamsberg, played by Jean- Hughes Anglade. His assistant, Danglard, is played by Jacques Spiesser. They are in each episode.

There is some background to the life of the detective, especially his relationship with a musician, his young son, and his living with these memories. Charlotte Rampling plays the mother of the musician and is called in to assist – and finally to rescue – Adamsberg in a crisis. All were directed by Josee Dayan.

This was the first in a series of four telemovies based on novels by Fred Vargas. There are some bizarre murders in this story, the finding of feet cut off from victims, bodies cut into small pieces.

The investigation opens up aspects of a cult from the 18th century, especially in Eastern Europe, the clash between the family of vampires and their enemies, the 21st-century descendant destroying the vampires by cutting off their feet.

There is a murder of an old man and his body cut to pieces, suspicions on his gardener to whom he left all his money, a visit from his doctor who also serves as a vet helping with the birth cat. It soon becomes quite evident who the murderer is but the audience is taken through the process of the research, trying to identify who the family descendant is who is doing the murders, and a mysterious character who seems to be the villain who is revealed to be the unknown son of Adamsberg.

Pascal Greggory has a key role.

The next in the series, the Chalk Circle Man, involves Charlotte Rampling’s character more directly.

1. Murder mystery and investigation? Part of a series for television? The Paris settings, the police and the investigation?

2. Paris, police precincts, apartments, restaurants? The visit to England, Highgate Cemetery? The concert and London streets? The visit to Serbia, the train, homes, bars, the crypt? Houses on the outskirts of Paris, the countryside? The musical score?

3. The inspector as the hero, his work with the police, detection, his personality?

4. The inspector unwilling to go to London, helping with the birth of kittens, unwilling to be present when his partner plays the violin at a concert? Danglard’s going, the concert, the Scotland Yard detective, the madman in the street, the body at Highgate Cemetery, mangled, the discovery of the feet? The connection with other murders?

5. The murder of the old man, cut to pieces, his gardener inheriting the money, running away? The arrival of the doctor? The doctor helping with the kitten?

6. The suspect, the leads? The detective and his violent attack, his seeming to thwart the investigation? Problems with his daughter, drugs and arrest? The suspicion that somebody authoritative was impeding the investigation? Blaming the inspector?

7. The young man, the revelation that he was the inspector’s son, the inspector not knowing? The young man and his determination to destroy the inspector?

8. The judge, her missing husband, Danglard and his interview with her, her impeding the investigation, the later resignation?

9. The message with Cyrillic lettering, the town in Serbia, the inspector travelling by train, in the town, the woman at the restaurant? The inspector, his being trapped, in the vault, coffins, the voice from outside, his being rescued by Mathilde? That the voice from outside was not a young man but an old man impersonating the voice?

10. Danglard, his concern, the briefing with Mathilde, her going on the train, the rescue?

11. The inspector with the young man, the fact that he was not the killer, some kind of understanding and reconciliation?

12. The doctor, the audience suspicion of him, his knowledge of the female kitten, his impersonating the voice, using the young man as the fall guy, the confrontation, the shooting, the explanation that he was the descendant of the enemy of the vampires and saw his mission as destroying all of them, ending the line? His request to check on the tree in Highgate Cemetery – and its being dead?

13. A more optimistic tone for the inspector and his spending time with his newly-discovered son?

THE HOOLIGAN FACTORY

UK, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jason Maza, Nick Nevern, Tom Burke, Ray Fearon, Stephen O' Donnell, Leo Gregory, Craig Fairbrass, Tamer Hassan, Danny Dyer.
Directed by Nick Nevern.

The Hooligan Factory is not a film that many audience will want to watch. The word, hooligan, may well be offputting – and there is quite a lot of hooligan behaviour in the film. It follows in the path of an earlier film Green Street Hooligans which also had two sequels.

This is a very British film, a focus on football, matches, the fans, the local groups who have established quite extensive “firms� who follow the clubs but who engineer situations where they can confront members of the other firms for violent clashes. They are continually pursued by the police.

This film was written and directed by Nick Nevern who appeared in a number of British action films. He appears as Dex, previous leader of his firm but having spent time in jail and, on release, wanting to re-establish himself, gathering together the former members of his firm and targeting his chief rival.

Jason Maza appears as a young man, wanting to emulate his father who was sent to jail for forcing the judge sentencing him to eat his wing. Danny has admired his father, has not liked his school years, clashes with friends and enemies. (The opening of the film has a strange sequence of three men in a car driving to a rendezvous, masked men shooting, realising they have made a mistake, recognising Danny and letting him go – but one of the men in the car, glimpsed and killed, is played by Danny Dyer who appeared in a number of this kind of film.)

Danny ingratiate himself with Dex, with Nick Nevern doing an over the top performance.

Danny becomes inseparable from Dex, Dex being his father figure, involved in all kinds of personality clashes, rendezvous with the enemy, travelling the countryside to establish authority again, being looked down on by some, violent clashes at the time of football matches.

It can only end violently – and does.

The strange aspect of the film is that there is quite a lot of parody of the behaviour of the members of the firms, taking them seriously, but not as seriously as they take themselves.

For audiences who are interested in the phenomenon of the football firms and the hooliganism that went on in the past. Perhaps a bit much – a bit mysterious – to the popular audience, let alone the worldwide audience.

THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET


Spain, 1995, 102 minutes, Colour.
Marese Paredes, Juan Echanove, Carme Elias, Rossy de Palma, Chus Lampreave, Kiti Manver, Joaquin Cortes, Manuela Vargas, Jordi Molla.
Directed by Pedro Almodovar.


Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has relished his reputation as an enfant terrible, with his controversial subjects and his irreverent treatment of serious issues. He must be getting older or something...

This is a perfectly respectable drama influenced by Hollywood high-class soap-opera. It is straightforward (although there is a trace of his old kinkiness in a mother-son flamenco ballet) and raises issues of relationships, marriage, betrayal and obsession. In the past, Almodovar has used the intense and devouring Carmen Maura to give power to his films. Now he has discovered Marisa Paradese. She is an extraordinary screen presence as a writer of Mills and Boon style romances but who flounders obsessively in her own.

On paper, the movie seems conventional enough. But with the star and Almodovar's love of melodrama, the film is arresting and entertaining.

1. The title? The reference to soap opera? Mills and Boon?

2. Madrid, the 1990s? The city, the buildings, externals, traffic? Homes and interiors? Publishing offices? The office for organ donations? Clubs? An affluent world? The references to the military in the Balkan wars of the 1990s?

3. The musical score, the songs, the dancers?

4. The portrait of Leo, Marisa Paredes and her presence in Almodovar films? An obsessive woman? Scenes of her typing? The importance of writing? The absence of Paco and his military service? Her devotion, leading to obsession? Wanting him to answer is phone calls, the return, the food, the shower, his decision to leave? Becoming emotionally frantic?

5. The writing, the revelation about her books, her articles and the novel, going for the job interview, the encounter with Angel, his interest, his liking the novels she disliked? Her own soap opera novels? Her wanting anonymity in the newspaper? Going to the publisher, wanting to break her contract? Discussions, the threat to sue and the breaking of the contract? Alicia and her interest in publicity? The manuscript and Bigas Luna wanting to film it?

6. Leo and her mother, her mother’s continued complaints, living with Rosa, Rosa being trapped yet staying? Her mother’s continued criticisms? Wanting to go back to the village? Her going, Leo going with her, giving her financial support? Her relationship with Rosa, the outings and the meals? Rosa’s own life?

7. The world of the donors, the opening film, the story of Juan’s mother, dead at 16? Revealed to be a film rehearsal? The actors, the impersonations, Betty and the seminars, the range of scenarios and the evaluation sessions?

8. Betty, her friendship, the seminars, continually available to Leo, the meals, listening, advice? Leo and the visit after Paco’s departure, the phone call, the truth about the affair and Betty telling her?

9. Blanca, the devoted maid, at work in the house? The son and his presence? His persuading Leo to let his mother go for the dance rehearsals? Her reputation as a dancer, the past? The disappearance of the earrings? Angel going to the dance with her, the impact of the performance? Going home, Antonio and his visit, the sexual implications, refusing, his confessing to the stealing of the jewels, his also taking the manuscript and selling it to the film producer?

10. Angel, his character, as editor of the paper, his interest in literature, attracted to Leo, offering the job? His differing from her on the opinion of her novels? His not knowing? The articles, his acceptance? The delight in being published? The manuscript as private? The outings, going to the theatre, drinking, dancing, their walking the town, his proposal, her going home?

11. Alone, wanting to give up drinking, to be not so obsessed with herself? And her going to Angel’s house?

BRING IT ON: WORLDWIDE #CHEERSMACK

US, 2017, 95 minutes, Colour.
Cristine Prosperi, Gia Lodge- O' Malley, Jordan Rodriguez, Stephan Benson,, Vivica A. Fox.
Directed by Robert Adetuyi.

The original Bring It On film was a great commercial success, starring Kirsten Dunst, and produced quite a number of sequels. 17 years after the original film, this film was made, reprising a lot of the themes.

This is a film for the young audience and for those who enjoy films about competitive dancing and rivalries. It is very similar to the kind of Step Up dancing films which were very popular as well as the theme behind the Pitch Perfect series.

The film focuses on the Rebels, led by Destiny, a young woman who is not plagued by self-doubt. She is in absolute command, brooking no opposition. By and large, the members of the group kowtow to her. This is true even of her close friend from childhood days, Willow, who eventually does take some stands. Another young woman is rebellious and leaves and goes to a rival group who continually confront the Rebels with videos of their dancing as well as taunts and challenges.

It would seem that there is a worldwide union for cheerleaders and their dance routines. Destiny wants to keep to the traditions and continues to make demands on the team. However, she comes in contact with two young men who offer some rivalry but are rather indifferent to Destiny. One of them, Blake, is a rather acrobatic dancer and, eventually, there is no surprise that they fall in love, that Blake and his friend join the team (and Willow falling in love), and, most importantly, that Destiny comes to her senses, is told off by some, and – no surprise – in the world finale, the Rebels win.

Cheerleading seems to be so important around the world, aided by social media, websites with interviews and publicity – with one of them hosted by the Cheer Goddess, played by Vivica A.Fox who hands at all kind of advice and commentary.

With such a multiplicity of films on these themes, this one could get lost because it is much the same as the others – except with the authoritarianism of Destiny and her having to face herself and truth.

L’ AMANT DOUBLE/ DOUBLE LOVER

France, 2017, 104 minutes, Colour.
Marine Vacth, Jeremie Renier, Jacqueline Bissett, Miriam Boyer.
Directed by François Ozon.

A more than suitable and informative title for this film might have been Unsane – but Steven Soderberg had taken it for his psychological thriller about a young woman caught up in her psychological problems, clashes with psychologists, and the audience wondering what was real and what was happening in the young woman’s mind.

This time a young woman, in Paris, Chloe (Marine Vacht), is physically ill but her doctor recommends her going to a therapist. She chooses a male therapist, Paul Mayer, who is an intense listener rather than intervening as she explains her life and her problems. However, she becomes infatuated with him, he with her and the therapy has to end. Paul moves in with Chloe. He now works in a hospital and she gets a job in a museum as one of those men and women who sit for security sake observing the visitors. (The paintings and sculptures are more than a touch of weird.)

So far, so psychological. However, coming home by bus one evening, she sees Paul talking to a woman outside a building where she knew he would not be present. She goes back to the building and finds a psychiatrist there, Louis Delord, Paul’s true surname but which he had changed. She begins some therapy with him. He is the opposite to Paul, abrupt, intervening, demanding and very conscious of collecting his fee. She becomes more and more involved and deceiving Paul who by now is truly in love with her and proposes.

One of the features of Chloe’s life is her dreams, planning to go to a dream therapist but going to Louis instead.

Once the relationship between her and the two men is established, she has more and more vivid dreams, erotic dreams, an, the audience at times is not too sure which is dream and which is reality – too far-fetched to be real.

The film offers a lot of reflections on relationships between twins, bonding, rivalry, hatred – and a physiological theory that in the mother’s womb, one of the twins can absorb the life of the other.

And this is compounded by Louis admitting that he and Paul are twins (which the audience immediately realised, although Jeremie Renier does good work in making the two similar but different) and there is enormous sibling rivalry. The name of a young woman from the past is mentioned and Chloe goes to visit her, finding her the victim of a car accident, helpless in a wheelchair, looked after by her mother (an interesting French-speaking role for Jacqueline Bissett).

And, just as we might have been sorting out what was really happening to Chloe and in her dreams, there are even more complications. As with Soderberg’s Unsane, some reviewers have been very critical of the difficulties in following the plotline, seeming to think that this is all a narrative presented realistically. However, realising that this is a blend of reality and fantasy, where life and dream (and we have to keep checking if we can appreciate which is which), the film becomes quite intriguing, at one moment everything seeming to be reconciled, at the last moment the audience wondering whether this is true or not.

The film was directed by François Ozon, who for 20 years has been making a range of quite striking and varied French films.

1. Psychological drama? Reality and fantasy, dreams?

2. The work of the director, the range of films over two decades?

3. The title, the emphasis on twins, from a story by Joyce Carol Oates?

4. Chloe’s story, the initial encounter with the doctor, her physical examination, the stomach pains? The referral, her choice of Paul for therapy, uncertain, silence, their talking, his listening, Is Not intervening? Going back over her life, alienation from her mother, her childhood, pains, her career as a model, a number of lovers, her illness, the meetings and her return, the therapy, the effect on her, the effect on Paul? The kiss, ethical stopping of the therapy? The decisions? The style of camera work for the interviews, profiles, split screens…? The effect for the audience examining Chloe and thinking about her psyche?

5. Her moving into the apartment, Milo her cat, Rose and her welcoming? The apartment, unpacking? Paul and his work, coming home, the sexual encounters, her dreams? Paul not liking Milo? Her getting a job at the Museum, sitting and security, and the range of paintings and sculptures, the touch of weirdness?

6. The theme of twins, Paul and Louis, alienation, hatred, rivalry? Both therapists? Chloe, the sense of a twin sister? The plausibility of the story, her absorbing her twin, becoming the cyst, causing it is?

7. Seeing Paul outside the building, accusing him of lies, the irony that it was his twin brother? The return, meeting Louis, the different approach, rough, his instant insights, wanting the fee, her being hurt, the fascination, her return, the development of the relationship, the affair, sexual, his reaction? Her reaction? Her explaining the therapy to Paul as if it was with the therapist for dreams?

8. The range of dreams, with Paul, the anal experience, the ménage with Louis and Paul? Highly eroticised? Audience response to the reality and unreality?

9. Paul away at the conference, discussions about the therapist the Chloe did not go to?

10. The information about Sandra, from Louis, going to visit, the encounter with Sandra’s mother, Sandra’s illness, and the wheelchair, the effect, her staring at Chloe? The mother telling the story, Paul and his relationship, Louis and the betrayal, her attempted suicide? The mother condemning Chloe as a prostitute?

11. Paul, the return, his version of the story with Sandra? Chloe going to Louis’s office, Paul present, the confrontation? The attack?

12. Chloe thinking she was pregnant, Paul wanting a child, the collapse, to the hospital, the discovery about the cyst, the absorption of her twin?

13. Paul, Chloe’s mother, coming to the hospital, the explanations, their support, the mother’s apology?

14. The irony of the characters in Chloe’s imagination and dreams?

15. The finale, with Paul and her mother, the images – and the final imagination, her future, reality or not?

THE EYE

Hong Kong/ Singapore, 2002, 99 minutes, Colour.
Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou.
Directed by Danny Pang, Oxide Chun Pang (the Pang Brothers)

The Eye was a well-received film from the prolific Brothers PAYING rather early in their career. It was released at the time when a significant number of horror films, ghost films were made in Japan – many of them later to be remade in the United States, as was The Eye in 2008 with Jessica Alba.

The story concerns a young woman, blind from childhood, a violinist. She has the opportunity for surgery after a cornea donor has been found. The atmosphere is eerie, especially because of the special effects and images during the opening credits. It is also difficult for someone blind to adapt to seeing, the blur clearing, identifying people and objects, focusing on objects rather than having a general panorama, finding names for objects that have been known but not seen…

However, the violinist suffers from nightmares, hallucinations in the street, seeing a kind of Daoist Grim Reaper taking people off in death. She sees a little boy asking for his school report, a young girl in the hospital, ghosts of other people. In her nightmare she sees fire as well as changing images of her room.

With the help of the doctor who is assisting her in adjusting to sight, she tracks down the donor of the cornea and travels to Thailand. She finds the village of the young woman, her powers, and the realisation that she is seeing through the donor’s eyes. With the premonitions, the film builds to a climax, special effects climax, the young woman warding off a disaster and recovering her own life.

1. An Asian horror story? Ghost story? The atmosphere of the opening credits, disjointed sequences, as if the film stock was burning?

2. The background in Hong Kong, the city, apartments, hospitals, corridors? The visit to Thailand? The settlement, the home of the donor? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on eyes and seeing, the consequences of blindness, the difficulties in recovering sight?

4. Mun and her story, blind since the age of two, her growing up, coping with her blindness? Family and background? Violinist and her music?

5. The surgery, its success? Mun in hospital, the woman in the hospital, the little girl, the visions, the image of the Grim Reaper in Daoist mythology, Mun being disturbed?

6. The variety of ghosts, sinister atmosphere, tragedies? Her nightmares, the clues? The fires, her room changing appearance?

7. The doctor, his help, a device, the difficulties in adapting to seeing, focusing, noticing particular characters, different things, hearing the voices and identifying names…?

8. The search and the discovery of the cornea donor? Thailand?

9. The trip to Thailand, Mun and the doctor, her dependence, going to the village, learning the truth about the young woman, her powers, foreseeing tragedies and death?

10. The buildup to the climax, Mun and her visions, her being able to save people – and the donor being at rest? The special effects climax? Mun to live her life?

THE EYE

US, 2008, 98 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, Parker Posey, Rade Serbedziya, Rachel Ticotn, Chloe Grace Moretz, Tamlyn Tomita.
Directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud.

Another American remake of an Asian horror film, this time something of a classic made by Danny and Oxide Pang in 2000. This remake stays close to the synopsis of the original while re-locating it to California. What works in ghost films in Asia, with the traditions of spirits, is a bit harder to believe in a more rationalist US. However, with a nod to an allegedly more superstitious Mexican culture, the solution here is found in Mexico and Mexican characters.

While the film has its eerie moments, like the recent One Missed Call, it has some better known actors (and older) rather than a group of threatened, unlikeable young adults who feature in slasher horror. And is the more acceptable and accessible to a general audience for that.

Jessica Alba plays Sydney, a blind violinist, who undergoes an operation to get back her sight – this is done rather well with the subjective camera indicating how gradually adjusting to seeing really is. As with movies about people who receive transplants (especially of hearts which take over the personality of the receiver!), Sydney begins to see ghosts and events from the future. Her rather stolid psychologist (Allesandro Nivola) is sceptically helpful but then lets her know the identity of the donor. This means a trip to Mexico, meeting the victim’s mother and becoming involved in a frantic scenario where one of the visions is about to become a disastrous reality.

One is tempted to say that The Eye is nothing startling (although it does have some startling moments) but will be too quiet for many of the avid fans while easy enough entertainment for most.

1. Horror thriller? Mexican mythology? The adaptation from an Asian original horror film?

2. The American cities, auditorium, apartments, hospital? Restaurants, in the streets? The contrast with Mexico, the village? The factory and the house? The highway back to the United States? The musical score?

3. Sydney, her skill at music, the story of the accident, her sister, the fireworks? Blind? Acclaim for her playing?

4. The support of the conductor, the conversation with her in the restaurant, her seeing the ghost and falling backwards from her chair? Receiving her sight – and the scene of meeting the players and recognising them from their voices?

5. The surgery, the visuals of the process? Success? The effect on her, her sister? The time in hospital? Adjusting, the blur, the information about adapting to a seeing world, focusing, recognising?

6. The woman in the bed adjacent, the visit from Alicia, her illness, the conversation? Sydney and experiencing an edge, unsure of herself?

7. Going home, the nightmares, 1.06, the nature of the dreams, fire, the changing room, terror?

8. The consultation with Paul, straight up-and-down character, a device, explanations for learning, recognising? Contact? The stories and his not believing her?

9. Sydney, the range of experiences, the night, the hospital corridors, the cuts on her arm, the face in the mirror, the experiences of death and the mysterious creature taking the dead people, the woman and the accident on the street and her disappearance, seeing the image in the mirror, her going home, smashing all the lights? Seeing people die? Alicia and the photo? Alicia and her death?

10. Her sister and concerns, the worry, accompanying her, the stories? The mirror and her plea? Sydney at the restaurant, the fire, the vision, the ruins of the restaurant, Paul explaining what had happened? The boy in the corridor, searching for his report, his mother and her search? The episodes in the lift? The mysterious presences?

11. Her asking Paul to get the information about the cornea donor? Risk of his licence? The envelope and the information, going to Mexico, the town, the hut with the graffiti, witch? Meeting the dead woman’s mother, the explanation of her gift, what had happened, the people in the factory, considering her daughter a witch, the explosion, the fire and deaths? The vision? Her dying, bequeathing her eyes, Sydney and her seeing with the donor’s eyes?

12. The return to the US, the heavy traffic, the warning, the tanker with the number plate 106? Sydney and the vision, getting the people out of the cars, the little girl and the smashing the window, the explosion?

13. Sydney playing, the achievement, her visions and her being able to rest course of saving lives?