THE FIRST, THE LAST

Belgian, France, 2016, 98 minutes, Colour.
Albert Dupontel, Bouli Lanners, Suzanne Clement, Michael Lonsdale, David Murgia, Aurore Broutin, Philippe Rebbot, Max von Sydow.
Directed by Bouli Lanners.

The First, the Last has won a number of awards, including an ecumenical award. It is a blend of realism and apocalyptic fantasy. The title of the film has gospel overtones about the poor and humble contrasting with the proud.

The film is set in rather ugly Belgian/ French landscapes, open roads and woods, motels and diners, farmhouses, bed-and-breakfast as well is the open road and shelter under bridges.

At the centre of the film is a couple who are mentally impaired, Willie and Esther, fearing that the end of the world is to happen and she on a trek to find her daughter whose age she does not know. On the way they encounter a wise traveller who says he is Jesus and gives them spiritual and practical advice. And he later turns up to help. However, Willie is accused of beating the wife of a prominent man at a motel and a group of thugs pursue him. In the meantime Esther gets lost.

Also at the centre of the film are two bounty hunters, in their early 50s, taking on a job to find a mobile phone from a wealthy man. They have a GPS, travel up and down the countryside but get into their own troubles, one of the men collapsing and having to go to hospital, the other being bashed. The other man encounters a woman, helps with the car but she drives off – but returns and invites him home, for a meal, the night together. They discover Esther and the woman looks after her.

Also in the film other character actors Michael Lonsdale and Max von Sydow, the former is the very old manager of a bed-and-breakfast, a kindly man, and Max von Sydow as an organiser of funerals when a very old corpse is found in a warehouse. There is a moving funeral sequence, prayers and hymns.

While there are storylines, the film is more evocative, delineating the characters, unusual characters, in the context of the possibility of an Apocalypse.

1. A Belgian film, blend of realism and imagination?

2. The realism, the Belgian countryside, the roads, bridges, farms and barns, motels, homes, diners? Ugly landscapes? Yet the beauty of the scenes of the sky? The musical score?

3. The fantasy? Apocalyptic tone, the end of the world, the religious dimensions, the presence of Jesus?

4. The focus on the two men, their age, disputes about their age, working together, the phone call and the job, searching for the phone, the GPS? Their arguments, the in the bar, taunts, the little dog, the collapse, the man going to hospital?

5. Willie and Esther, travelling together, the intellectual difficulties? The bond between the two? The end of the world, travelling to find Esther’s daughter? The motel, the clash, Willie taking the phone? Willie and his search in the town, losing Esther? Their encounter with Jesus, his advice? Esther being found by one of the men, his being a good man, helping her?

6. The presence of Jesus, walking along the road, talking, giving advice, helping? Having to move on?

7. The focus, the issue of the phone, taking it, the pursuit of Willie, the confrontation with the good man, the fight and bashing him?

8. The bed-and-breakfast sequence, the old man, his care, looking after the men, the breakfast, working in his garden? The dead body? Getting the funeral director, the funeral, the prayers?

9. The issue of the phone, the two men seeing what was on it, the owner bashing a woman? The change of attitude? The pursuit?

10. The woman and her car, the good man helping her, her returning, bringing him home, the night together? The sequences with the deer – and his being shot? Symbol? Her care for Esther?

11. Willie and Esther and their journey, the bond between them?

12. The two men, their friendship, jobs, integrity?

13. The background of villains, criminals and thugs?

14. The biblical overtones of the title – and with references to those who would be put down, to those who would be raised up?

THE SHAPE OF WATER

US, 2017, 123 minutes, Colour.
Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones, David Hewlett, Nick Searcy.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Has water shape? But it can be shaped by its containers. Has water a life? Depending on how you look at it, its qualities, life-giving.

There are many aspects of water in this film. But, the initial water focus is on a strange amphibian, brought from the Amazon region to a facility in the United States for examination. For those with movie memories – and Guillermo del Toro certainly has these with many illusions and quotes in this film, Shirley Temple and Bojangles dancing, Betty Grable and musicals, Alice Faye singing the Oscar-winner, You’ll Never Know – there is the 1950s Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The amphibian is brought to a facility in an American city which, to all intents and purposes, looks to have been created in a studio, the exteriors of the street, side of the local cinema, the interiors of the apartments. But this is in contrast to the facility where the amphibian is kept, military, security and laboratories, sterile corridors, a white coated staff for medical purposes, officials for experiments and, significantly for this story, the cleaners.

But, this is a story of Elisa, a mute but hearing woman who lives alone in her apartment, gets up in the morning, starts her routine, bath, sexual awareness, breakfast, bringing food to her kindly neighbour, going to work – where she is one of the cleaners, along with the benign Zelda.

British actress, Sally Hawkins, so good in such films as Happy-Go-Lucky, Blue Jasmine, and Mrs Brown in the Paddington films, is Elisa, a woman of pathos but of determination. Octavia Spencer, becoming indispensable to so many films, is Zelda.

But, the beginning of the film gives it a fable tone rather than emphasis on realism. An elderly, private and timid, commercial sketcher, Giles (Richard Jenkins) introduces us in voice-over to the story of a Princess. She is Elisa. However, he might have said this is a variation on Beauty and the Beast. And this is the interest of the co-writer and director, Guillermo del Toro. From Mexico, he has built up a reputation over the decades of creating myths and fables, including The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, as well as enjoying creating monster stories, Mimic and Pacific Rim and the Hellboy films. He is able to combine both interests in an arresting way.

In the local facility, scientists are concerned about space travel, beating the Russians into space, studying how humans can survive in space travel – and hence wanting to dissect and study the amphibian (Doug Jones). Elisa makes friends, brings eggs, plays music, and the amphibian is able to comprehend her sign language. It is not a spoiler to say that the central part of the film is Giles and the two women spiriting the amphibian out of the facility and into the apartment.

The man in charge of the experiment is Richard Strickland, played by Michael Shannon in a very Michael Shannon kind of role, always seeming sinister, intense, short-fused…

So, the drama is the search for the amphibian, Elisa keeping him in her apartment with Giles’s help until it is time for him to go back to the sea.

There is a very emotional conclusion to this fairytale involving death and life.

1. The title? The focus on water, visually, thematically? The creature, the background of the Amazon? The sea and canals? Rain? Baths? And the ending in water submersion?

2. The American city, the streets, the buildings, interiors – studio artificiality? The 1967? The rooms and the stranger look? The facade of the Orpheum, the interiors? The movies, Story of Ruth, Mardi Gras The television of the period, looking at old fox musicals on television, Betty Grable, Alice Faye, You will Never Know, and the comedy with Mr Ed?

3. 1960, Cold War and its background, the facilities, experimentation, secrecy and security? Espionage?

4. Giles, his voice-over, his talking about Elisa, his admiration for her? In himself, older, drinking, in his room, sketching, his commercial sketches, going to the office, his being sacked? His personality, reclusive, timid? Wearing the toupee and its effect? His life, the apartments, the super? His friendship with Elisa and sharing her outlook, the stories, and helping with the creature?

5. The film has a fable, the story of the Princess, the beauty and the beast, love, destruction? The fairytale tone? The interests of the director, fables and monsters? Combining them?

6. The amphibian, from the Amazon, like the creature from the Black Lagoon, the government handling the situation, seeing the creature as an asset, experimentation, keeping him in water, submerged, the possibilities for dissection? The background of travel into space, learning the human capacity for travelling in space? The comparisons with the Russians? The facility, the corridors, the various rooms, laboratories? The doctor and his staff?

7. Richard Strickland, his arrival, bringing the creature, his attitude towards the creature, the religious language, the ugliness of the creature, not in the image of God? His military background, with General Hoyt, his plans, the dissection, the study? Is personality? A typical Michael Shannon role? The contrast with his life at home, with his family, the children, domestic attitudes, relationship with the wife, sexual relationship? The later sequence at home and his bewilderment about the loss of the creature?

8. Elisa, her age, experience, living alone, her room, getting up, the bath, sexual, meals, food for Giles? The friendship with him, the visits to him? Her being mute, the cuts on her neck? Words coming on screen to communicate her sign language? Watching television with him, the delight with Betty Grable, Alice Faye, the tapping feet? The little dance in the corridor?

9. Elisa at work, late, Zelda and friendship, to the head of the line and checking in? The domestic work, cleaning, dusting? Zelda and her conversation, communicating with Elisa? The head doctor? The Russian doctor? The helping with the creature, Strickland and the severing of his fingers, Elisa recovering them, in the bag? Her seeing the creature, communicating with the creature, talking, bringing the eggs, his eating the eggs, listening to the music and liking the music, Benny Goodman…? The effect of the bond between the creature and Elisa? A variation on Beauty and the Beast?

10. Zelda, her personality, life at home, her husband, at work, in control?

11. The plan to take the creature, the vehicle, Giles and his toupee, driving, the Russian doctor? Crashing the car? The escape? Carrying the creature into the apartments? Filling the bath, the salt, reviving the creature? Communicating? Elisa and her delight, caring for the creature? Giles, his bewilderment?

12. The disappearance, Strickland and his reaction? His severed fingers and there being sewn on again, the smell? His accountability, not wanting to fail? Interrogating everyone? Interrogating Elisa and Zelda, previously meeting in the toilet, his condescension towards them, the touch of racism, explaining words and meanings to them? No real suspicions of them?

13. The Russian doctor, the spy, audience sympathy with him? His liking the creature? Helping to remove it? The Russian contacts, through the restaurant? The meetings, the plans? The agents coming to his home, eating the cake? The plan for the rendezvous? His being shot? Strickland’s reaction?

14. Strickland and the general, the command to find the creature? The intensity? Strickland attitude towards failure, his military service?

15. Giles, looking after the creature, sketching him, falling asleep, the creature’s disappearance, Elisa searching, his going into the cinema, watching the Story of a Ruth? The return? Elisa and her plan, marking the calendar, to go to the docks, with the rain, the rain filling the canal and his being freed? His cutting Giles, the rapid healing? Elisa, romanticising situation, the fantasy of her actually being able to sing, like Alice Faye, You’ll Never Know, and the transition to the 1940s black-and-white musical number with the creature and Elisa dancing?

16. Strickland, interrogating Zelda? Strickland’s realisation? Zelda, at home, with Brewster, his being laconic? Strickland arriving, Brewster telling him the truth? The threats? Zelda phoning Elisa? Giles driving them to the canal?

17. The confrontation at the canal, Elisa to let the creature go, his wanting her to come? Strickland and shooting, Elisa shot? Giles hitting Strickland? The creature recovering, the fight with Strickland, slashing his throat?

18. The creature taking Elisa, going into the water, down into the depths, the romantic image, Elisa’s recovery?

19. And Giles continuing to tell his story of the Beauty and the Beast and the fairytale?

FLYING BLIND

US, 1941, 69 minutes, Black-and-white.
Richard Arlen, Jean Parker, Nils Asther, Marie Wilson, Roger Pryor, Eddie Quillan, Dick Purcell, Grady Sutton.
Directed by Frank Mc Donald.

Flying Blind is a strange concoction of 1930s screwball comedy elements along with 1940s wartime espionage. The screwball comedy dominates the espionage.

This is the second film that Richard Arlen and Jean Parker appeared in together in 1941 with aerial themes. The other was the much more serious Power Dive.

The aerial background is contemporary, commercial flights, pilots and flight attendants setting up their own companies, this time as a honeymoon company to take people to Las Vegas and back. There is a certain amount of bickering between the pilot and the flight attendant though romance is inevitable. There is a rival for affections but he is tricked into leaving California and going to work with a better salary New Jersey! There are various couples who go on their honeymoons but a lot of attention is given to Grady Sutton, a scout leader with a touch of the sissy as in all his films, and Marie Wilson with her verbal gaffes and dizziness, something she was to capitalise on over the next 10 years (as remembered in My Friend Irma).

As regards the espionage, one of the hero’s copilots loses his job, is approached by spies to get information about tests and to use the honeymoon company to fly him to Mexico and to hand over the information.

During the flight, there are certain amount of heroics, the plane landing, the scoutmaster lighting a fire, the pilot getting the plane going again, a fight with the villain – and safe landing.

The film was directed by Frank Mc Donald who made quite a number of thrillers at this time, often written by Maxwell Shane, but this is not one of his best.

Very much a take-it or leave-it, possibly the latter.

THE COMMUTER

UK/US, 2018, 105 minutes, Colour.
Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Sam Neill, Elizabeth Mc Govern, Killian Scott, Florence Pugh.
Directed by Jaume Collett- Serra.

This is another fast-paced thriller with Liam Neeson. In older age, he seems to have been specialising in this kind of film, especially with the three films of the series, Taken. And this is the fourth film that he has made with Spanish director, Jaume Collett- Serra. The previous films were Run All Night, Unknown, Non-stop.

Non-stop provided tension in the air. This time a lot of the action takes place in a train, one of those commuter trains that travels north from New York City along the Hudson River. So, The Commuter can take its place confidently in the catalogue of exciting films that take place on trains – as well as train crashes. But, there is also some good action after the crash when the train is under siege from the police and FBI agents.

Liam Neeson is usually a hero – he has played some villains but, tall and strong, he was born to be a hero. It is only after some time that we learn that he actually was in the New York police force but left and has become an insurance salesman. He lives in the suburbs, devoted wife, Elizabeth Mc Govern, intelligent son about to go to college, Killian Scott, colleagues at work, attentiveness to clients – and then he gets fired. He begins to drown his sorrows with his former police partner, Patrick Wilson, noticing that the head of the squad, now a captain, is also in the bar (Sam Neill).

We have seen him on and off the train many times. This time a woman, Vera Farmiga, comes to sit with him, a psychologist asking him a hypothetical question – well at least she says initially it is hypothetical. For $100,000 she challenges him to find someone on the train who answers to the name, Prynne, who needs to be eliminated. As a former detective and feeling miserable about his situation, he accepts the challenge.

At this stage, we might be wondering what on earth we would do faced with such a challenge and the impossibility of identifying such a character on a crowded commuter train. Well, he recovers the initial outlay of the money, starts to move up and down the train. He has to use all his ingenuity, causing all kinds of disruptions and suspicions, getting phone calls from the mysterious woman who seems to be observing close-up all that he does or fails to do.

Lots of suspicious characters, lots of suspicious behaviour, and seemingly no nearer to identifying Prynne.

Eventually, as they near the end of the line, the main suspects are in just one carriage but, of course, it doesn’t end there.

Plenty of excitement, plenty of scrutiny of potential criminals, some twists and who are the goodies and baddies, and then the crash and the siege.

After the preview, there was some discussion as to whether the plot was plausible (hopefully not happening too often) and whether it all made sense, especially the role of the woman who challenged the commuter as well as her involvement in the situation that led to this fatal trip. It seemed to require a bit of thinking, connecting and linking, but it does seem that the plot, despite its far-fetchedness, can actually be explained.

On the other hand, with the fast action, not so many members of the audience will be sitting back and detachedly working out whether it all makes sense.

1. A successful thriller? Strong characters? Situations? Twists?

2. The settings, New York City, the train to the north? The title? The musical score?

3. The collaboration between Liam Neeson and the director? The succession of thrillers?

4. New York City, the rail line, railway stations, the Hudson River? The town? The contrast with the city, offices, bars?

5. Michael, the commuter, his age, his relationship with his wife, his son going to college, financial difficulties? The collage of his daily rides into the city, the range of friends and associates on the train? His job, insurance, work with clients, the suddenness of his being fired, the impact, his not telling his wife? Alex and the drink at the bar, Captain Hawthorne being present, Alex’s advice? Suspicions of the captain?

6. On the train, his mood, the encounter with Joanna, the focus on her legs and shoes, sitting with him, as a psychologist, a hypothetical question, the issue of the money, the identity of Prynne, the debate with her? Her getting off the train? His finding the money in the toilet? Beginning his search, the range of suspects, male and female? The financier, his friend and the stranger and their playing cards, the nurse not wanting her bags searched? The train staff and their activities?

7. His dilemma, phone calls from Joanna, her knowing everything that happened to him on the train? The suspicions of the young man, his death, the irony that he was an FBI agent? The other agents waiting on the station further along to meet him? Other people coming under suspicion?

8. Walt as a friend, getting off the train, being knocked down?

9. The phone call, the threat to his family? The psychological pressure?

10. The voices on the phone, the threats, persuasion?

11. The various stations, tickets and zones, people changing seats. moving towards the terminal? People getting off?

12. The final group in the carriage, their stories, the discovery of the actual Prynne, her being a witness, the murder, her friend, having the photos?

13. The train, the explosion and its careering out of control, going through the station? The plan to dislodge the final carriage? The guard and his heroism and jumping, the other
guard and his fears? The spectacular crash?

14. Michael in charge, papering the windows, the police arriving, the carriage under siege? The media? Captain Hawthorne present? Alex, his being the liaison, talking with Michael, coming on-board? His comments about nobility and audiences and Michael realising that he was the link? The siege and the shooting? The woman getting up and saying she was Prynne, all the other standing up – a Spartacus moment? The family arriving? Saved?

15. The resolution, Michael going back to work for the police, catching up with Joanna confronting her?

16. The intricacy of the plot, the plan to involve Michael and use him, the role of Joanna?

VISAGES, VILLAGES/ FACES, PLACES

France, 2016, 89 minutes, Colour.
Agnes Varda, JR.
Directed by Agnes Varda, JR.

There is a great deal to enjoy in this documentary or, rather, cinema essay. It has great humanity as well as a delight in cameras and photography.

The French title is quite arresting but the English title capitalises on the play on words in the French title and gives us an English equivalent. In fact, there is quite a range of faces/visages throughout the film, both men and women, photographed for the documentary but also photographed for the installation which is the goal of the journey. And, as the filmmakers travel throughout France, quite a range of places/villages as well.

There is amusing animation for the opening credits, introducing the two central characters by sketch before we see them in real life. Agnes Varda is a veteran of the French film industry from the 1950s. She was a director, cinematographer, collaborator with a lot of the key filmmakers of the time including Jean- Luc Godard. And she was married to the director, Jacques Demy. At the time of making this film she was 88. In more recent years she had shown an interest in photography and documentaries with the feature film, The Beaches of Agnes.

And JR? This is the official name of artist and photographer and muralist, Jean-Paul? Beaujon. There is more than half a century in ages between the two. He is 33.

The film amusingly shows a number of scenes of coincidence – where the two are in the same place but do not encounter each other. Rather, Agnes eventually seeks out JR and proposes a mission. They will drive around France, not with any set itinerary, but rather an excursion of discovery. He has a van, The Outside Project, which has its own studio, cameras, and a capacity for developing giant photos.

And this is what JR does. He photographs what interests him, especially people, and with his loyal long-term team, he pastes them on all kinds of surfaces, seemingly the larger the better. He and Agnes enjoy meeting people, interviewing them, finding out about themselves and what their lives are like, then photographing them and installing the photos.

The audience will enjoy going to various locations, small towns, docks, goat farms, restaurants, factories, along a street of houses owned by miners, about to be demolished. There are scenes by the sea, and a huge bunker which has fallen off a cliff and has landed on the sand. The title more than justifies the focus on places.

And the faces are very strong: the discussions with the miners and the memories of their way of life are quite intense as is the talk with Janine, the sole survivor, who has remained in the homes which are to be demolished. She stands at the door of her house with a giant photo of her towering above her. At the goat farm there is a debate about whether the horns of the goats should be removed or not as they are herded into be milked and the milk turned into cheese. There is a huge photo of the goat on the barn wall. This is the same with a farmer who does all the work, formerly done by so many, on his own. The visit to a factory leads to conversations about work, and each shift taken in a group photo.

At the fish market, there are many photos of fish which finish up on the water tower of the country town. At the docks, there are interviews with the men but, especially with their wives who do substantial work on the docks and their portraits, head to toe, pasted on the containers on the wharf. Finding the bunker which has fallen off a cliff onto the Normandy Beach, Agnes offers a photo of her photographers from the past – but the high tide washes it away overnight.

There is also a visit to the house of Jean-Luc? Godard with whom Agnes had worked in the past but the visit does not turn out as hoped for.

Agnes has failing eyesight and needs injections – leading to the idea of photographing her eyes as well as her feet and toes with their finishing up on rail carriages.

At the end of the journey, the couple sit together, the animation returns, a gentle pleasure for audiences to remember what they have experienced.

1. A cinema essay? A visual tour? Genial and arresting guides?

2. The titles, the English play on words with the French title? The range of faces, the range of places?

3. The animated credits sequence? Introducing the two characters? The various episodes and their coinciding, but their not meeting? Shops, on the road, the bus stop, buying the cakes, the dance? Their finally meeting each other?

4. Agnes Varda, at age 88, the long career, in film, cinematography, her partnership with Jacques Demy? Her eyes, limited sight and focus, injections? The two colours in her hair? Her personal impact, genial with the touch of the tough?

5. JR, his name, age 33, his personality? His project, photography, art and installations?

6. Agnes seeking him out, the plan for the journey, no itinerary, going out on the road to find and to discover?

7. The portrait of France, cities, the studio, the roads, the scenery, the countryside, small towns, the mining town and the houses to be destroyed, the docks, the sea, the goat farm, the barn, the town restaurant? The trains and the tracks? The musical score?

8. The faces of France, men and women, the promotion of women, the men’s response?

9. JR, the Inside Out Project, his van, the studio inside, the cameras, printing out the large photos? His group and entourage and their particular work? Photography, pasting the photos?

10. Audience response to the photos, to the art, to the installations? The filmed episodes? The still photography?

11. The repartee between the two, the difference in ages, memories, JR and his dark glasses?

12. The range of examples for the photography, the mining houses, the discussions with the miners, Janine and her being the sole survivor in her house? Her portrait? The girl at the restaurant, her family, the manager and his saying that the restaurant had become famous? The goat farm, the woman and the taking off of the horns, the man in his opposite opinion? Photographing the goats? The factory, the two groups? The fish market, photographing the fish, the photos on the water tower? The man and his barn and his doing his work himself? The docks, the three women and the interviews, the full-length portraits and installation? At the sea, the bunker falling onto the shore, Agnes reminiscing about her photographers, the photos, the naked men, the choice of the photo for the bunker? Studying the tides? The sea washing off the photo overnight?

13. Agnes, her eyes, the injections, the photographs of her eyes and toes? Their being put on the trains?

14. The memories of Jean- Luc Godard, the inserts with Anna Karina, Agnes working with him, the memories? Her husband? Going to visit his house, not being at home, the notes on the door, her writing a note? Her being upset, his being inhospitable?

15. The two finally sitting together, the achievement of the trip and the art, JR removing his glasses?

16. A film of warmth, humanity, perspectives on men and women, work, on nature and the world?

LE GRAND CAHIER

Hungary, 2013, 112 minutes, Colour.
Laszlo and Andras Gyemont, Piroska Molnar, Ulrich Thomson, Ulrich Matthes
Directed by Janos Szasz.

This is a very demanding film to watch.

The setting is Hungary, 1944, German occupation, disruption of families, children having to be refugees and going to family farms in the country.

This is a focus on children, especially identical twins, Laszlo and Andras Gyemont, who have a steady life in the city but when their father is arrested, the mother has to take them to her own mother whom she has not seen for 20 years. The old woman is a farmer, angry, dismissive of the children, making them work to earn their food.

The father has urged his sons to keep a notebook, writing up all their experiences so that they will have a record of the war.

The boys decide that they will fight and torture each other so that they will be able to overcome all pain. The grandmother despises them and treats them badly. An occupying German officer is much more sympathetic. They encounter a girl with a harelip and become friends. They also encounter a deserter in the woods who freezes to death. When they want to get some boots, they go to the local shopkeeper who is very kind to them – and, when the Jews are rounded up, they discover him dead. They are given a bath and some food by young woman who turns out to be anti-Semitic and they set an explosion that destroys her face.

This is a very harsh picture of what happens to young boys in war and how they cope or how they overcome their disadvantages.

There is further drama with the return of the mother and baby sister, the return of the father from prison and his attempt to escape at the border, the incoming Russian soldiers and their brutality and rape, the boys having to face one of the hardest of experiences, separation.

A strong 21st-century perspective on the war and children.

1. Films on World War II? The traditions? Hungary? 21st-century perspective?

2. Hungary in 1944, the city, homes, comfortable family, the father leaving, in prison? The children becoming refugees? Taken to the farm, the house, the animals, chopping wood, their work, experience in the woods, the town, the harshness of life, the shoemaker and his kindness, the hut, the invading soldiers, the woman and bathing the boys, the occupation, the rounding up of the Jews?

3. The title, a record of their experiences, the goals of writing their experiences? The importance of the animation throughout the credits, the recurrence during the film and giving some nuance to the story?

4. The focus on the children, their age, place in the family, life in the city, their studies, bond with their parents? Intelligence? The farewell to the father? Refugees? Identical twins, shared life, the mother and the train trip, revealing the story of the grandmother, her background, poisoning her husband? Her mother, their mother leaving, the sadness, pursuing her? The grandmother ousting them, calling them bastards, hungry, working, earning their food? The grandmother’s antagonism, abuse, killing the chicken and eating it? The refusal to eat, drinking water? Their taking the grandmother’s best chicken? In the town, the vegetable stall? The girl thief, the pursuit, her harelip, their friendship with her? Her mother? The girl being raped by the incoming soldiers, the burning of the hut? The German occupation, the visits of the German officer, his liking the boys? The decision about pain, bashing each other, whipping, pain not meaning anything to them? Survival? No letters from their mother, waylaying the postman, getting the letters and clothes? The encounter with the frozen deserter and taking his gun? Lying? The mother’s arrival, the baby, their not wanting to leave, the explosion, the mother’s death and burial? The shoe seller, his kindness with the boots? The roundup of the Jews, his death? The girl, bathing them, giving them food, her anti-Semitism? The explosion and the effect on her face? Their father’s arrival, eating with him, the planned escape, over the fence, the mines and his death? The writing their journal, the details of the story, the issue of separation, one going into the minefield, the other remaining

5. Themes of children in war, being abandoned, harsh treatment, hungry, hard work, issue of pain, bonds and support? The notebook of the title?

6. The character of the grandmother, hard, poisoning her husband, her daughter absent for 20 years, no news? Her being angry with her daughter, with the boys, ousting, making them earn their food, the hard work? Her drinking, her jewels, the treasure in her husband’s coffin? The occupying Germans? The stall in the town? The passing of time, having a stroke, the boys dragging her back home, her daughter arriving, her further anger, the father arriving? The poison, her death and the boys burying her?

7. The girl and her harelip, her mother, the harrowing story, rape and death?

8. The shoemaker, the Jews, the woman and her anti-Semitism?

9. The episode with the frozen deserter?

10. The German occupation, the officer, the rounding up of the Jews, harsh treatment, the guards at the border? Their leaving? The new forces coming in, brutality, the Russians?

11. The interim peace? The future for the boys? A sombre reflection on war?

MOLLY’S GAME

US, 2017, 140 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Chiro, Jeremy Strong, Chris O' Dowd, Brian d’Arcy James, Bill Camp, Graham Greene.
Directed by Aaron Sorkin.

Molly’s Game is actually poker. She does not play herself. She supervises, controls, vets possible players, learns the techniques, and is handsomely tipped by her wealthy clients and gamblers. She is played by Jessica Chastain, another very strong performance.

The writer-director is Aaron Sorkin. He is well-known as a storyteller, excellent script writer, and now he makes his directorial debut as well as writing the screenplay. While the plot is quite strong, it is the dialogue which is very powerful and the actors give it more than capable delivery. This is very true of an extensive voice-over from Jessica Chastain (perhaps a little rushed at the opening, getting so much information across). Idris Elba is her lawyer and has some very powerful scenes and some very forthright speeches. Kevin Costner, on the other hand, as her father is intense but laid-back.

This is a true story, based on a book by Molly Bloom (some references to James Joyce’s Ulysses and assumptions that she is Irish), but some characters and episodes have been fictionalised, as they always are, for dramatic purposes.

We are challenged right from the opening sequence in voice-over to speculate on what would be the worse thing that could happen in sport. There is talk about losing. Molly actually has been a top skier since she was a little girl, pressurised severely to succeed by her psychologist-teacher father., She suffered an accident and spent time in hospital. She recovered, was on the Olympic team but had another accident and was hospitalised. Molly is certainly a determined woman.

Then the scene shifts. Molly is in bed in her apartment. In the early hours, there is a disturbance at her door and armed FBI agents come to arrest her. The accusation is that she has been running illegal poker games and that she has been associating with Russian Mafia gangsters.

The film is quite long but moves rapidly – except for audiences like this reviewer who have no knowledge or experience of a poker game except that everybody is bluffing and putting on their poker face. This is a bit of a drawback for non--players to understand the details of what is going on.

However, there is much else to be involved in, especially Molly trying to persuade her lawyer to take on her case even though she has no money, all confiscated by the government. He has a rather erudite little daughter who was influential in his taking on the case despite himself.

He reads Molly’s book. He sits and listens to her. He interrogates her. And this gives the opportunity for flashbacks, to Molly as a little girl and her skiing and defying her father, to a teenager deliberately baiting her father at the meal table as he sits with the mother he has betrayed and with two sons who were to become very very successful. We are taken back to Molly’s time as a cocktail waitress in Los Angeles, the offer of a job in an estate agency and the boss’s request to her to supervise and then organise the poker games with his high-rolling friends.

There are some interesting subplots involving some of the players, especially Michael Cera as a rather vain and flirting actor, Brian d’Arcy James Is a seemingly innocuous, ignorant player who is rather more shrewd in money matters, Bill Camp as a talented player who gets baited, losing his cool and losing his money.

When Molly is closed down in Los Angeles, she moves to New York, sets up new games, especially with the help of an Irish friend, Chris O’Dowd?, but this leads to the criminal associations and her downfall. To cope, she has become dependent on medication, both uppers to keep her going, downers to give her some kind of rest.

Molly’s character doesn’t quite go in the directions we might have expected and so there is an interesting dramatic conclusion to her story, her appearance in court, her father’s reappearance one evening as she goes skating and his giving her a three-minute therapy lesson for her to ask the right questions to get answers about her relationship with him and its consequences.

For those who know their poker, no problems. For those who don’t, some attention pauses throughout the film, but soon taken up again with the interesting plot and the performances – and the strong dialogue.

1. Based on a true story? Fictionalised characters and aspects? Molly Bloom, the literary references throughout?

2. The director, his skills with dialogue? His reputation? The use of the voice-over, Molly’s delivery? Charlie, the legal background, his impassioned speeches? The lower key for Molly’s father?

3. The structure, the introduction to Molly with the questions about sport loss? Her arrest? The insertion of the flashbacks? Molly as a child, the worst sport experiences? Her skiing experience, as child, the insistence of her father, her defiance? At age 13, skills, accident, hospital, recovery? An adolescent taunting the father of the meal table? Her Olympic skills, class, the tension before her run, the sticks, the accident, hospital, recovery?

4. The transition to her arrest, the FBI agents, armed, the charges? The effect on her, seeking out Charlie, the visit, the encounter with Stella and the discussion, her arguments with Charlie, persuading him, bringing her chair closer to his desk, preparation for the arraignment, the correcting his terminology, his declaration as her lawyer?

5. Molly, her situation, the confiscation of all the money? The dependence on drugs, uppers and downers? The two-year break, recovery, living with her mother?

6. Charlie, his personality, knowledge, reputation for integrity? Capacity for listening, reading the book, the discussions with her, getting the information, understanding her? The truth, the legal situation, the deals, the plea, recovering her money, going to court with her, her pleading guilty? His relationship with Stella, the studies, The Crucible? Stella’s admiration for Molly?

7. Molly, strong personality, the arguments with her father when she was a teenager, the mockery of Freud? His being a psychology professor? The home video of the quiz about her attitudes to family, heroes? Her parents and the distance between them? The father as a psychologist, bringing up his family, the successful brothers, separation from his wife, infidelity towards her?

8. Molly in Los Angeles, cocktail waitress, charm? Keith, his interest, offering the job, real estate, her computer knowledge, inviting her to organise the game, the texting? The management, observing, business tips, skills? Studying on the computer, astronomy? With each of the clients, Keith, his moods, firing? The seizing the opportunity, the transfer to the other hotel, hiring girls, the dealer, the clients all arriving, their accepting the proposition?

9. The actor, his charm, flirting, deals, taking a percentage of Harlan’s costs, preferring to destroy rather than enjoy the game? Exposing Molly, her change of games? Brad, ignorant, eager to play, not winning, defeating Harlan, his being arrested for his Ponzi scheme, shrewdness? Giving information to the FBI? Harlan, his skills, his anger with Brad, his dependence on the actor?

10. Molly transferring to New York City, the setup, the friendship with Douglas Downey, his thinking her Irish because of James Joyce? The variety of contacts, the success of the games, Downey and his attraction, the money? Contacts with Mafia types, with the Russians? Her driver, setting up the interview with the thugs? Her rejection of the proposition? Alleged parcels for her, the Russian thug and his brutality bashing her?

11. The arraignment, her being prepared to go to jail, the loss of the money? Her father arriving, her going skating, his talking with her, the reconciliation, the therapy session, the three essential question she should have asked to find out about herself?

12. The cumulative effect of the portrait of Molly? A character? Charlie and his intense speech on her behalf to the lawyers? To the judge?

13. The judge, his despising of Wall Street and criminality, his putting Molly on a bond, community service?

14. Molly and her integrity, not wanting the hard drive to expose people’s falls and characters?

15. The final dinner, happy, Molly wondering about her future?

D’ARDENNES/ THE ARDENNES

Belgium, 2015, 96 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Janssens, Jeroen Perceval, Veerle Baetens.
Directed by Robin Pront.

The Ardennes is a tough Belgian film, a film about of characters. Another film, made at this time, The First, The Last, has some similar serious characters in similar situations.

This is the story of two brothers, involved in criminal activity, the younger getting away, the older going to prison for four years and then his coming out. One complication is that the younger brother has fallen in love with his older brother’s girlfriend and she is pregnant. She also works in a bar and a confrontation with the owner and the older brother killing him, relying on his brother to transport the body away and for an associate from prison to dismember the body and get rid of it.

There are the confrontation elements, especially with the girlfriend who comes to a meal with the brothers and their mother. There is also the final confrontation between the two brothers, the older brother knowing the truth, and his violent madness coming out, with a shootout.

1. The title, the forest, the memories of the two brothers as children, mountains and hills, refuge?

2. A Belgian production, from Flemish Belgium, a tough story, tough characters, interactions?

3. The opening, the hijacking, going wrong, the brothers escaping, Dave and his not being caught, Kenny and the arrest?

4. Kenny, four years in prison, the effect, getting out, reuniting with his brother? Sylvie as his girlfriend, her not visiting him? His prospects?

5. The return home, the two brothers, the relationship, age differences, the relationship with their mother? The prospect of jobs?

6. Dave, his relationship with Sylvie, her being pregnant? Her work in the club? Kenny going to visit, the deception? The invitation to the meal at home? The mother wanting Dave to tell the truth?

7. Kenny, his temper, his killing the manager of the club? The difficulty in getting rid of the body? His contacting Steph? Steph and his associate? Dave being forced along, the driving? The Ardennes?

8. The buildup to the drama, the confrontation, Kenny and his knowing the truth? Dave, getting away? Steph, the cutting up of the body?

9. The buildup to the final confrontation, the shootout, the brothers face-to-face?

10. The future prospects?

THE MAN WITH MY FACE

US, 1951, 79 minutes, Black-and-white.
Barry Nelson, Carole Matthews, Lynn Ainley, John Harvey, Jack Warden, Henry Lascoe.
Directed by Edward Montagne.

This is a small-budget feature from the early 1950s. There is a certain novelty in the story which makes it worth a look as well as Barry Nelson as the star with two different roles, the genial hero as well as the criminal doppelgänger. The setting is Puerto Rico.

The film focuses on Chick Graham, a businessman who has been in the war, setting up a business in Puerto Rico with his brother-in-law. His wife is glamorous – but severe. One evening he arrives home to find his double claiming to be him, supported by his wife and brother-in-law, their calling the police, the testing with signature and fingerprint.

While he wanders around the city, recognised by a number of people, there is a set up which will lead to a climax, especially an ex-military friend of the villain who has a Doberman which he sets on Grahame, unsuccessfully. Graham also contacts a past girlfriend and her hostile brother who decide to help him. Another young woman encounters him, mistaking him for the criminal – and she is killed. A local businessman also tries to doublecross the villain – and experiences the Doberman.

It all builds up to a climax, the girlfriend tricking the brother-in-law and his leading them to the house – but there is a huge climax along the beach, the cliffs, the ruins of old fortifications. And, neatly, when the villain wants to disguise himself as his doppelgänger and elude the police, he forgets that the dog has been trained to attack him. And does. And happy ending.

1. The usual thriller with unusual plot developments?

2. The setting in Puerto Rico, the aftermath of the war, American setting up business, the status of Puerto Rico? The city of San Juan? Homes and streets, the American look? Business offices? Bars? The coast, the beach, the cliffs, the fortifications? The musical score?

3. Barry Nelson, the double performance and his success in making a contrast between the two characters and their attitudes?

4. Chick Graham’s story, the voice-over, his history with his brother-in-law, his wife and her luxury life, work, her not picking him up, going home, the confrontation, his wife and brother-in-law against him, taking over his life and business, the getting the police to pursue him, persuading the police with signature and fingerprint?

5. Graham, wandering, the bar, being recognised, the businessman and the setting up of the appointment and his later being used to identify the villain?

6. The background of the doppelgänger, the brother-in-law and wife, the setup, his friend with the Doberman, setting the Doberman on Graham, his escape?

7. Graham, contacting Mary and her brother, the past story, her love for him, the brother backing down? Their being agreeable to help? Graham accosted by Juanita, the apartment, her love for the villain, shielding him and sheltering him? Graham answering the phone? Her death?

8. The plans to leave Puerto Rico, the ticket, the wharf, the police, Graham having to stay?

9. The man with the dog, taking Graham to the house, under guard, Graham finally trapping the dog in the room? The brother-in-law going to meet Mary, the police, the interrogation?

10. Graham escaping, running along the beach, the cliffs and climbing, the fortifications, the tunnels? The double in pursuit? The man with the Doberman? The police trapping the double? His taking off his coat and tie and pretending to be Graham? And the dog attacking him, his fall?

11. And happy ending?

NAKED ALIBI

US, 1954, 86 minutes, Black-and-white.
Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame, Gene Barry, Marcia Henderson, Craig Adams, Billy Chapin, Chuck Connors, Don Haggerty.
Directed by Jerry Hopper.

The opening credits for this film appear in the portrait of Gloria Grahame, Paul McGuigan’s? Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. The film also includes her song, Aces in the Hole.

This is a standard police thriller and investigation of the 1950s, produced by Ross Hunter was to go on to more lavish productions at universal, with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman, starring Sterling Hayden as a stalwart policeman (the same year that he made Johnny Guitar). Gloria Grahame does not appear until 30 minutes into the film but then makes quite an impression, a variation on her gangster’s moll performances – but she had won the Oscar for The Bad and the Beautiful.

Gene Barry makes quite an impression as the villain of the piece, a short fuse, angry, violent, two-timing his wife and child.

Chuck Connors appears as one of Sterling Hayden’s associates. The film is fairly standard, bad press for the police because of brutality, an urge to find police killers, pursuit of the villain and final confrontation, with a dalliance along the way between the hero and Gloria Grahame. Jerry Hopper was a director of action features in the mid-50s at Universal and Paramount.

1. A film noir of the 1950s? Crime thriller? Police investigation? The title?

2. Los Angeles settings, the streets, homes, bars, police precincts? Border cities and bars, tenements? The musical score? The song, Ace in the Hole?

3. Black-and-white photography, a film of shadows? Willis, the arrest, the interrogation, his drinking, his attack on the police, under control? Conroy arriving? Willis’s apology? Suspicions on Willis, killing the policeman, his being shadowed, going to the church, leaving, the explosions? The contrast with his life at home, wife and devotion to his child, celebration of the wedding?

4. Conroy, criticisms of police killers and police brutality, Conroy and his determination, his associates? Responsibility to the authorities? Willis and all the surveillance? Willis and his nervousness, his bakery, driving, following the surveillance into the street and lane? Conroy confronting him at home, the photographer at the window, the headlines, Conroy stood down?

5. Willis, leaving his wife, going to the city, taking up with Marianna, his being seen as two-timing, his relationship with her, at the bar? His temper, the waiter, anger? His suspicions of Marianna? Confronting her?

6. Conroy, following Willis, the search, the man identifying him, Conroy being mugged? The encounter with Petey, Petey helping him, Marianna looking after him? The attraction? The connection?

7. Marianna, her singing at the club, evocative, provocative? Her relationship with Willis? The sense of betrayal? The attraction to Conroy, helping him?

8. The buildup to the confrontation, Conroy in pursuit, Willis and his escaping, on the roof of the building, with Marianna, her being shot, his death?

9. Conroy, the experience, his being right, righteous? The experience with Marianna?