REASONABLE DOUBT

US, 2014, 91 minutes, Colour.
Dominic Cooper, Samuel L. Jackson, Gloria Reuben, Ryan Robbins, Erin Karpluk.
Directed by Peter P. Croudins (Peter Howitt).

Reasonable Doubt is an interesting thriller. It opens with a very smug lawyer, played by Dominic Cooper, winning a case, going out on the town, drinking, finding a gang with his car, failing to find a taxi, driving his car and then hitting someone in the street. He then disguises his voice and rings the police, hoping to avoid detection.

It certainly all comes back to haunt him. A man is accused of murder, a man who had been brutally attacked in his house and his wife and child killed in front of him. He is played with Samuel L. Jackson.

The man is released – but there are many twists in the plot, in the role of Jackson, in a serial killer operating in the city, in the lawyer’s half-brother coming out of jail and taking the blame for his brother…

And, quite a buildup to a violent confrontation, the lawyer in great danger and his wife and child.

An interesting brief thriller.

1. Crime thriller, legal thriller? Twists?

2. Chicago settings, the city, the courts, legal officers, the streets, homes, the warehouse? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on legal cases, guilt, innocence, reasonable doubt?

4. The introduction to Mitch, prosecutor, winning the case, his theatrics, his complacency, the reaction of his partner? Going to the hospital, his relationship with Rachel, love, admiration for the daughter, photos? His going out on the town, drinking, the men of the car, taxi not stopping, his deciding to drive?

5. The Drive, the police pursuit, stopping, hitting the man? His concern, the plea of the dying man? His phone? Going to the phone box, concealing his voice, asking for the ambulance? His leaving?

6. Edgy, with his wife, not sleeping? The encounter with his brother? The past, Jimmy and in prison, drugs, not being introduced to Rachel? Mitch going to court, is looking for the case against the accused man, Clinton? Going to see him, his being caught with the body in his car, the hammer, the blood? Detective Cannon and her interest? The company, deciding to take case?

7. Mitch in court, the interviews, voice detection? Losing the case? Jimmy, is coming as a witness, alleging he saw the body, phoning in?

8. Mitch talking with Clinton, the underlying meanings? About giving himself in for his and run?

9. Mitch, investigating the case, the alternative? That Mitch was guilty, with the victim going to the street, hit, and Clinton taking the photo and planting it in the house? The audience seeing this alternative?

10. Mitch deciding to follow Clinton, his going to the parole meetings, the assistant and giving Mitch the idea, Clinton and the killing of his wife and family, his own being wounded, that he was picking fenders to kill, going to parole meetings to pick the victims so that they would not send any more?

11. Jimmy, his help, Mitch going into the house, looking for documentation?

12. Clinton, taking Jimmy, torturing him? Mitch going to rescue him? The set up, the blood, the hammer? The police arriving? Arresting Mitch? Taking Jimmy to the hospital?

13. Detective Cannon, her curiosity, not liking Mitch? The interrogation, the evidence pointing to him? Motivations? The phone call, Clinton pretending to be his partner? Mitch any
sitting the policeman, getting out, taking his car, going to rescue Rachel?

14. Rachel, the baby, Clinton coming to the door, getting in, menacing her, and shrewdness innovating him? Mitch arriving, the discussions about Clinton’s case, Mitch calling him a coward, his wanting Mitch to experience what he experienced? The threats to Rachel? Mitch being willing to die for her, Clinton shooting him?

15. The partner arriving, Cannon realising that Mitch was telling the truth, sending the police?

16. Clinton about to shoot Mitch, Cannon killing him?

17. The family reunion at the end, to be surviving, Mitch surviving, gathering and the delight with the baby?

PENTHOUSE NORTH/BLINDSPOT

US, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Michelle Monaghan, Michael Keaton, Barry Sloane, Andrew L. Walker.
Directed by Joseph Ruben.


Joseph Ruben has directed quite a number of small budget thrillers including Sleeping with the Enemy, Dreamscape, True Believer, The Good Son. This film comes rather later in his career.

After a prologue set in a battle sequence in Afghanistan where the central character is deceived by a suicide bomber posing as a mother with a baby, actually a doll, loses her sight. The action takes up three years later and becomes a variation on the Audrey Hepburn thriller, Wait until Dark.

In that 1967 film, the issue was drugs, and it is here. The photographer’s boyfriend is murdered in their apartment, and a thug terrorises her to tell him where diamonds and drugs have been hidden. When she escapes from the apartment, she literally runs into a man who claims to be a policeman but, in fact, is the head of the gang who seems to be controlling his violent henchman but is setting up a situation with the two of them can terrorise the woman.

Michelle Monaghan is the photographer and plays her being terrified quite convincingly. Surprise is that the head of the gang is played by Michael Keaton in his menacing manner. There is some irony in the concealment of the diamonds – and the photographer’s using this to save herself. And then the question, whether she knew what her boyfriend was up to or not.

An effective small thriller.

1. Thriller? Crime? Blind victim? Twist?

2. The opening, the sequence in Afghanistan, the war action, Sarah as photographer, the dangers, the confrontation with the woman with the baby, the burqa, sinister, eyes, the baby being a doll, the explosion, Sarah being blinded?

3. The written city, three years later, the apartment, Sarah and her relationship with Ryan, New Year’s Eve, the plans for her sister and brother-in-law to come to watch the fireworks, her going to the shops, without a stick, the bicycle knocking over and asking whether she was blind, the man helping her? Her return home?

4. The audience seeing Ryan dead, Sarah not seen, calling out, going around the apartment, the blood, the discovery of the truth? The presence of Chad, his attack on the? His sadistic approach, wanting the information?

5. Her escape, down the stairs, Chad and his pursuit, the caretaker and his death? Going out on the street, meeting Hollander, is claiming he was police, a return to the apartment?

6. The issue of the money, stand over tactics, touches of torture, Hollander seeing the picture and finding the money at the back of the picture? But wanting the drugs? His pretense of leaving? His return, arising Sarah?

7. The conflict between Hollander and Chad, Sarah urging Chad on, there telling the story of Ryan and the truth about him? Sarah suggesting the balcony to search for the drugs, the pots? Chad making the drink for Hollander and discovering the diamonds in the ice?

8. The confrontation between Chad and Hollander, his death?

9. Sarah’s sister coming, pregnant, wanting to come in, her husband the policeman, the information about Ryan? Sarah persuading them to go, the water breaking and their going to the hospital?

10. The final confrontation tween Hollander and Sarah, the guns, the knives? On the balcony, Hollander’s advance, her hearing it, the interruption of the fireworks, her memories of the
close confrontation with the woman in Afghanistan, her shooting Hollander?

11. The knowledge of the diamonds and putting them back in the ice?

SAND STORM/ SUFOT CHOL

Israel, 2016, 87 minutes, Colour.
Lamis Ammar.
Directed by Elite Zexer.

Sand Storm is an Israeli film, about a Bedouin village and its customs, spoken in Arabic.

As the film opens, we see traffic on the highway, the goods train passing by, and then a dirt track down into the Bedouin village. A father and daughter are driving, carrying a bed which he cannot take into the house because women are present and his first wife is preparing for his marriage to a second wife.

Immediately the focus is on the role of women in this village, the domination of the men, the subservience of the wives, the older wife having to prepare the house and the marriage celebration for the younger wife, while the younger wife is young and inexperienced. The man already has four daughters.

Another complication is that the rather wilful oldest daughter has been seeing a young man in secret, wants to marry him, the father forbidding it and organising a husband for his daughter. The prospective young man comes to the village to visit, the mother hides him amongst the washing so that he won’t encounter the father, but he does.

The film shows the somewhat cavalier and patriarchal attitude of the father, the determination of the young daughter, the suffering of the mother who then leaves the home to stay with her own mother.

The action of the film is inconclusive – one of the mischievous younger daughters who has already laughed when the new wife has sat on the bed and it collapsed, is now looking at the young wife again, and the credits roll.

1. A film from Israel? A story of Palestine? Bedouin village? The situation of the 21st-century?


2. The impact of the locations, the highways, train lines, the roads off-track to the Bedouin village, the desert, the town? And the city sequences? The musical score?

3. The introduction to Layla, with her father, driving, the result in the exams, his displeasure? Transporting the bed? Her father’s marriage to the younger wife? The presence of his first wife, working hard, not allowing him into the house because of the women, putting the bed together, organising the celebrations, the young bride, her dress, entering?

4. The house, lavish, the household, the rule of the father, the mother to work, hospitality, meals, the washing? Introducing herself to the new bride? Her relationship with her daughters?

5. Layla, seeing the young man, wanting to marry? Her mother’s severe reaction? Meeting the young man, his decision to visit? The mother hiding him? Meeting the father and his severe reaction? The father and his plan for Layla to marry his choice?

6. The mother, her experience, with her husband, leaving, going to live with her mother, taking her daughters? Layla’s visit, the confrontation with her grandmother?

7. The father, with the men, the planned husband? Layla, upset, dragging down the washing? With the new wife, getting the groceries, leaving? Driving to her mother?

8. The new wife, the mischievous little girl who wore jeans, playing, watching the young wife collapsing on the bed?

9. The final sequence, the young girl, watching the young bride – and leaving it to the audience to ponder?

10. The film immersing its audience in the location, with the characters, and with the issues of men and women in the Bedouin village?

ANACONDA

US, 1997, 89 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, John Voight, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, Owen Wilson, Kari Wuhrer, Vincent Castellanos, Danny Trejo.
Directed by Luis Llosa.

Anaconda is no masterpiece but provides a lot of tongue-in-cheek entertainment for those who have enjoyed monsters and their threat to humans, a kind of giant snake-Jaws.

It is the kind of material that was popular in the past at Saturday matinees, all the contrived situations for danger, a range of sometimes cardboard characters, some pop dialogue, exotic situations – and, in case we did not realise it, the character played by John Voight is devoured by the Anaconda, vomited (as predicted) out and then giving a wink!

Jennifer Lopez is glamorous as the leader of the expedition, a would-be director making a documentary for an anthropologist played by Eric Stoltz who is bitten early in the film and plays most of it prostrate on his bed in the cabin. Ice Cube is Ice Cube, the photographer for the expedition; Jonathan Hyde is a pompous English Professor. And it is a surprise to see Owen Wilson in the late 90s, just being Owen Wilson, part of the team for the making of the film and offering a bit of double dealing with John Voight who poses as stranded in the jungle, comes on board, takes over the boat to pursue the Anaconda to get its skin and make money. There is a cameo at the beginning of the film by Danny Trejo as one of Voight’s collaborators.

1. A Jaws variation? Monster film? Destruction?


2. The Amazon setting, the hotel, the jungle, the boats, the river, the musical score?

3. How serious? Matinee style adventure? Exaggeration? Pop dialogue?

4. The title, the description, the animatronics? Size, colour, movement, eyes, mouth, throat? Squeezing? Action sequences?

5. The opening, the man on the boat, the attack of the Anaconda, on the mast, shooting himself? The boat adrift, later? The photo of the three hunters? The skins, the snakes?

6. The group, the plan for the documentary, the search for the tribe?

7. Steven, American, his leadership? The professor, his British arrogance? Terry, the director? Danny, photography? Gary and Denise on the staff? The team work? In the boat, the search, personal clashes, the professor and his golf practice…?

8. Finding Serone, his wanting help, to bring him on board? Training to be a priest, going to the real world? His character, knowledge, control? Shooting the boar? The threats, bribing Gary, choking Denise with his legs? Searching the boat, the gear? His being overcome, tied up, getting loose? The goal of the Anaconda, his being taken, vomited out – and his wink?

9. Terry, leader, relationship with Steven, his being poisoned, the hole in his throat, bedridden? Terry and her orders, the dangers?

10. Danny, the confrontation, the filming, on the boat, his being shot?

11. The professor, haughty, having to help, in the water, the Anaconda getting him at the waterfall?

12. Gary, betrayal, relationship with Denise, her sadness, her being killed?

13. Matteo, on board, partnership with Serone, the first to die?

14. Crisis, effects, dangers, thrills?

15. Finally finding the tribe?

MY FATHER’S GUESTS/ LES INVITES DE MON PERE

France, 2010, 100 minutes, Colour.
Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Michel Aumont, Valerie Benguigui, Veronica Novak, Raphael Personazz.
Directed by Anne Le Ny.

This is a French comedy of manners.

The film reflects some attitudes in Europe, specifically France, in the first decade of the 21st-century, the range of migrants, their illegal status, social protest, and a portrait of middle-class French and migrants from Eastern Europe.

The film has a very good role for Michel Aumont, a veteran of films for many decades. He is an old man, veteran of the Resistance, now a widower, who gets it into his head that he should make his home available for some refugees, possibly from Senegal. In fact, he invites a mother and daughter from Moldava, goes through a form of civil marriage, is attracted to the woman, falling in love, and doing everything at her behest, including firing his long-time housekeeper – and decides to ask his son and daughter to renounce their inheritance in favour of the woman.

Fabrice Luchini is the son, somewhat alienated from his father, critical of the woman, but deciding to support his father. Karin Viard is his doctor sister, rather proper and exact. However, she breaks out, is concerned about the migrant’s daughter and her education, the little girl playing with Luchini’s son. His wife is not in favour and eventually goes to the authorities.

Quite a lot of dialogue in the film, some strong discussions about the issues and articulated very well by the central characters.

1. A French comedy of manners? Social situations in France? With migrants from Eastern Europe? 21st-century issues?

2. The city settings, homes, apartments, offices, shops, streets? Musical score?

3. The title and its application? Lucien and his plans, migrants from Africa, illegals, his decision about the mother and daughter from mole Darfur?

4. The focus on Lucien, his age, his record in the Resistance, his social causes, yet hard on his children? Love for his wife, her death? His decision to help migrants? The reaction of his children? The decision about Tatiana and Sorina? The civil marriage? His protection? His attitude towards Tatiana, sexual, falling in love? Her reactions, cold, mercenary, his money? Sorina and her playing with his grandson? His going out, riding the bike, the concert and Tatiana walking out, his asking his children to give up their inheritance?

5. The focus on but Babette, her work as a doctor, severe, organised, her living with Remi, her concern about her father? Growing up, the model child, severe towards her brother? Her reaction to Tatiana, Sorina? Discussions with her brother? The meals with him, the remembering of the past? Her going out on the town, the drinking? Deciding to be more liberated? The affair with the assistant doctor, its continuation, separating from Remi, walking out? Her signing to give up her inheritance? Her concern about Tatiana, not wanting to go to the authorities? Her sister-in-law and the visit to the authorities, arguing with her brother, standing back?

6. The focus on Arnaud? Age, experience, corporate law, in his office, his secretary, orderly? His resentment towards his father’s treatment of him when young, going out, his studies? His marriage, children, 20 years? Love for his wife? Concern about his daughter, her radical causes, her rebellion, his picking her up from the demonstration, her arguing and getting out? His son and his sympathy for Sorina? Her reaction to his father’s plans? The shock of the mother and daughter from Moldava? Her disapproval, seeing Tatiana as a prostitute? Talking with his father? The discussions with his sister? The issue of giving up the inheritance, his signing? His motivations? The authorities? His wife going to the authorities, his standing back?

7. Tatiana, refugee, her background, mercenary, her daughter? The papers, wanting to stay? Lucien helping? The marriage? Her going to work? The daughter going to school? Her slatternly manner, smoking? Going out with Lucien, arranging his pills – and wanting his money? The clashes with the brother and sister? The meals? Lucien going to hospital, and not going to visit him, the preparation to leave and go back home, Arnaud signing the check? The regrets about the daughter doing so well at school?

8. Arnaud’s wife, her place on family, her resentment of Tatiana, the meals, the visits, her exasperation, going to the authorities?

9. Lucien, his housekeeper for so many years, Tatiana firing her? The discussions with Arnaud?

10. Lucien, getting sick, hospital, resenting his daughter, getting out, realising Tatiana did not visit him, her leaving?

11. His retiring to the coast, with his sister, her strictness, vegetarian, Arnaud coming to visit her and sitting and looking at the sea?

12. Issues of society in France? Families, father and children, inheritance? Social consciousness? And the critique of mercenary migrants?

LOVE BIRDS

New Zealand, 2011, 103 minutes, Colour.
Rhys Darby, Sally Hawkins, Emily Barclay, Bryan Brown, Faye Smythe, Craig Hall.
Directed by Paul Murphy.

Love Birds is a very entertaining romantic comedy with a difference. And, it would be a great advantage for audiences to have a love for birds.

The central character is played by Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchordes). He is Doug, living at home, abandoned by his partner of two years, Susan (Faye Smythe) who urges him to grow up and branch out. At the same time, he encounters a duck with a broken wing. This becomes a symbol of himself, the screenplay making parallels between Doug and the duck, Pierre. They both need to learn how to fly.

The duck itself is quite engaging. and goes to a vet, a pleasant cameo by Bryan Brown, who gives him advice about what the duck can eat, suggests he takes the bird to a sanctuary, but Doug changes his mind, takes the bird home - who gets into his bath, wants to get into bed, seems to have a mind of its own – though he does not mind listening to songs by Queen in the car (many of which are in the score with significant lyrics).

Doug goes to the zoo to get advice, encounters Holly, Sally Hawkins, who is not immediately charmed by him but pressed by her co-worker, Brenda, Emily Barclay, they go to Doug’s house and make various suggestions – and, when Doug has a job at the zoo, he thanks her, takes her out, discovers she has a son who dislikes him, but, of course, he wins her over and takes the son to a cricket match, carrying the duck, and filmed for television.

Doug also has an interesting group of mates, multiracial, who enjoy going to a pub for quiz nights.

In fact, the film is quite engaging as are the leads and, for the time it is pleasantly on the screen, it seems rather plausible.

1. The title, romantic comedy? Birds in the plot? Audiences needing a love for birds?

2. Auckland, the cityscapes, houses, the work on the highways, the zoo, the fair, the planetarium? The range of songs from Queen? The apposite lyrics?

3. The duck and its being a metaphor for Doug and his life? The lost bird, losing its mate, masculine, needing the female? Alone, unable to fly? Being tended, urged to fly, the bonding with Doug, the finale?

4. Doug, his age, likeable, and his family home, his job, his mates and interactions with them, two years with Susan, his shock at her leaving, her dismissal of him? That he remained emotionally underdeveloped?

5. The dog in the house, the pursuit of the duck, finding the duck, its broken wing, mayhem in the house and scattering Susan’s goods, her return with her friend and disturbing all Doug’s possessions? Doug going to the vet, the vet and his style, personable, humorous? The advice to take the bird to the sanctuary, the woman in charge, genial, roaring at the birds, giving the duck a hat and the name? Doug leaving, stopping, returning? Taking Pierre home? Going to the zoo, the first encounter with Holly, her seeming indifference, his reaction? Wanting advice? Taylor attacking him in the street?

6. The duck, the identity of its type, the new name? Doug’s decision to keep Pierre? The vet and his advice, at the supermarket, buying the peas, Pierre enjoying them? Getting into the bath? Wanting to get into the bed, creating the noise? Travelling in the car, listening to the Queen music? Travelling in the bag?

7. Taking Pierre to work, the mates, the racial mix, their talk, playing cricket on the median strip, going to the quiz night?

8. Doug going to the zoo, asking help from Holly, Brenda and her interest in Holly dating, urging her to go to help, their coming to the house, the inflatable bath? The job at the zoo, Holly helping, the mates urging Doug on, Brent, the encounter with Brenda?

9. Doug thanking Holly, the meal at her home, Taylor and his friend, making the asteroid? Holly and the story of her husband, leaving, Taylor and his anxieties? Anti-Doug? as a new father? But Doug taking Taylor to the cricket, with Pierre, on television? Taking him to the planetarium, the professor and the explanations about the asteroid?

10. The quiz, Doug taking Holly, Brent upset, Brenda turning up? Doug dancing with Holly – and Susan coming in and seeing them?

11. Craig, friend, his business failing, Doug wanting to sell his house? Bankrupt? Meeting Susan, the sexual encounter, casual? The bankruptcy and his going to with Doug, hearing about Susan, wanting to warn him, going to the restaurant, creating the scene?

12. Susan, wanting only the best, being dumped by Doug?

13. Pierre, lost, the search, Doug going out in the rain, playing the Queen music, Pierre coming back?

14. Doug telling Holly that he was going to have dinner with Susan? Her being hurt? The failure of the dinner and his leaving?

15. Doug coming to the door, Holly not letting him in? At the fair, his dressing up as an astronaut, his apology, Taylor helping?

16. The vet, persuading Doug to let Pierre fly, going up in the balloon? Brent and his getting the mower fixed, its chasing Pierre – and Pierre flying?

17. Happy ending, Doug taking Holly in the balloon – and Doug transformed, like Pierre, and flying and finding a companion?

SNATCH

UK, 2000, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Stephen Graham, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones, Rade Serbedzija, Alan Ford, Mike Reid, Robbie Gee, Lenny James.
Directed by Guy Ritchie.

Snatch is a London gangster film, a genre made popular during the latter part of the 1990s, especially with director Guy Ritchie’s first film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. As with his previous film, there are quite a lot of characters, serious characters as well is an amount of spoof and satire in their presentation.

The narrative is told from the point of view of Turkish, Jason Statham who had made an impact in Ritchie’s previous films and was to go on to a very successful international career as a tough guy. He is small time, with an arcade, boxing connections and a rather slow-witted friend, Tommy, Stephen Graham.

The title of the film comes from a cache of diamonds which is snatched from an Antwerp jeweller’s headquarters and change hands many times during the film – including into a dog’s mouth.

The film has an array of oddball characters, with some oddball names. Mike Reid plays Doug, a tough boss with a range of henchmen, with betting connections, fixing matches. Turkish and his friend Tommy want a caravan and go to a gypsy camp to buy one where they seem to be successful but are swindled. They encounter one of the Gypsies, played by Brad Pitt with an incomprehensible accent, who has a powerful knockout blow and they line him up for a succession of bouts which he spoils with his knockout. There is a gambler, played by Benicio del Toro, and his London connection for fencing the diamonds – and his American counterpart, played by Dennis Farina, who comes to the UK and can’t stand it, hiring some muscle played by Vinnie Jones. And then there is a group of inept thieves, mixed race and gay overtones.

All the stories interconnect – but there is vengeance by the boxing entrepreneur and the destruction of the gypsy camp and the fighter’s mother, leading to another bout as well as to a violent confrontation with the entrepreneur and his men.

There is also some Russian muscle getting into the act.

But the diamonds finish up with the original fence making contact with the American counterpart.

Guy Ritchie was to go on to make Revolver and Rock‘n’rolla and then branch out with his Sherlock Holmes’ films with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.

1. The 1990s popularity of British gangster films? The blend of the serious in the spoof?

2
. Guy Ritchie, his career, serious, satire, spoofs?
3. The atmosphere of London, 2000? The variety of locations? The continent to the UK? The world of gangsters, thieves, the boxing world, the Gypsies, farms, the streets, the business world? The musical score?

4. The introduction, Antwerp, the jewellers, the Jewish Orthodox dress, the irony of the thieves in disguise? The screens, the robbery, the diamonds, going to London? The contact in London and the contact in the United States? The title and the reference to the taking of the diamonds?

5. The introduction to all the characters, their names on screen? The interconnection throughout the plot?

6. Turkish, Tommy, the characters, Tommy as slow, Turkish and his wits? The boxing connection, the arcade, wanting the caravan, setting up of the fights?

7. The Russians in the deals, the criminal connections, the thugs, Boris the Blade? The diamonds, the thieves tracking them down, Boris and his selling the gun to Tommy? The pursuits, the car, knocked down, Boris shot?

8. The inept thieves, gay, racial, lack, the deals, going to the betting centre, the robbery, little cash, the being caught? The CCTV? Doug, the fat man, the arrival, the threats, the cutting of the body, the man put in the case? The getting rid of unwanted bodies? The shooting, the hacking? The irony of the concealing of the diamonds? The time limit, 48 hours? Tracking, the dog and the diamonds, the car crash? The Gypsies, the mother, Brad Pitt and his presence in the film, the accent, his friend, in the caravan, the deals, the trick, the crash? Getting him to fight, the knockout, his not fulfilling his promise, the losses, the setup and the repeat, the vengeance, the burning of the caravan, the death of his mother? The fight, the knockout, the setting up in the vengeance the Gypsies have on the criminal gang?

9. Turkish and Tommy, the narration, the events, safe, caught, the connections with the gypsy, arranging the bouts? Finally, with the diamonds and the dealer and the American connection?

10. Avi, American, anti-UK, tough, his experience of London, action, his hiring Tony, Tony and his role, the shooting, Tony’s death? Back to the US, the phone call – and back to the UK for the diamonds?

11. The range of crooks, the names, the associations, no honour among thieves?

12. The situations, the sendup – and the body count?

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

US, 2016, 127 minutes, Colour.
Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Alison Janney, Chris O'Dowd, Terence Stamp, Ella Purnell, Finlay Mac Millan, Lauren Mc Crostie.
Directed by Tim Burton.

Peculiar is definitely the right word for the title of this film version of Ransom Riggs’ novel. He is an American writer and the action opens in Florida but moves to the United Kingdom.

When we think about the career of director, Tim Burton, ‘peculiar’ is certainly a word that comes to mind whether it be films of decades ago like Beetlejuice and his Batman films or his version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd or his Alice in Wonderland. No lack of peculiarity.

Strangely enough, defying the expectations of a Tim Burton film, it opens in a very sunny Florida, with our hero, Jake (Asa Butterfield with an American accent) being harassed at his job in the supermarket. But, his main concern is his elderly grandfather to whom is devoted and who has told him stories of monsters and fables all during his childhood. Grandfather, Abe, is a very BritishTerence? Stamp. Then it takes on a touch of the weird, Abe going out into the woods, a sinister monster appearing, his dying and his eyes disappearing but his final words encouraging his grandson to seek out the monsters and save the children.

What are his parents to do? They take him to a psychiatrist, played by Alison Janney, who quietly sits and listens, suggesting that he go to Britain to track down the home that his grandfather had spoken about. His father, Chris O’Dowd?, decides to go and then pays some youngsters to keep his son company on the island that they have arrived at.

So, Jake decides to try to find the home – and does, finding it situated in a time loop, stuck in September 1943, Miss Peregrine taking care of Peculiars (and, with some of them, that is rather an understatement given their appearance, their powers, touches of fire, blowing of air, little girls with tremendous strength, an invisible boy… Miss Peregrine herself (Eva Green), looks very glamorous, but is something in the vein in her British articulation of Mary Poppins and Nanny Mc Phee.

Gradually, we enter more willingly into this world with Jake, fascinated by the home, the reliving the past including German bombers flying over the house and dropping a bomb – with Miss Peregrine able to wind back her watch and save the children in the house. There is a lovely girl called Emma who is attracted to Jake and he to her – she has a huge capacity for blowing air which comes in handy when they go underwater and she examines a wreck, removing all the water, and also comes in handy at the end in a confrontation with the villain.

Jake and the audience learn the story of Abe. The dilemma is whether Jake should stay in 1943 or go back to 2016 and his father. Without giving the plot away, one might say “something of both”.

Then we start to see the monsters – although the children cannot see them. Miss Peregrine realises that Jake is a Peculiar because he actually can see the monsters – and that takes us to the rest of the film, the confrontation with the strange creatures, and the humans who have become monsters and depend on (and this is really macabre and peculiar) on gouging out eyes and eating them to regain something of their humanity!

The villains are led by Samuel L. Jackson, hamming it up exceedingly, looking like a voodoo zombie with luminescent eyes and going through all the tics of villainy that he can imagine. On the other hand, there are some cameos by Rupert Everett and a very welcome Judi Dench.

It all excites the imagination, time loops, the closing of the loops, opening up more loops, the survival of the children in other worlds, their growing day by day within the loops but the threat of their immediate ageing if they were to come into the present. What should Jake do?

Well, the only thing is to submit oneself to Tim Burton and his imaginative recreation of Ransom Riggs’ novel and wonder what one might do in Jake’s situation.

1. Popular book? Fantasy? Audience age range?

2. Tim Burton, his career, fantasy, the weird and the peculiar?

3. The fantasy sequences, imagination, design, visuals, special effects?

4. The Florida settings? Ordinary, supermarket, homes, streets, sunshine? The contrast with Wales, the island, the sea and the cliffs? A touch of the bleak? The contrast with the house, exteriors, interiors, the sea, the gardens? 1943? The musical score?

5. The action sequences, special effects, stunt work? Excitement?

6. Florida, 2016, Jake and his work, spurned by the boys and girls? Quiet? His concern about his grandfather, getting the lift? Talking with his grandfather, the disappearance into the woods, his grandfather dying, the absent eyes, the message, the mystery?

7. The grandfather and his telling the stories to the young Jake? Background in Poland, Britain, the war, the story of the monsters, fighting the monsters, protecting the children?

8. Jake and his parents, concern, taking him to the psychiatrist, her advice, the decision to go to the island – (and the later revelation that this was Barron in disguise)?

9. The island, the father and his concern, paying the boys to be with Jake? Jake and his wandering, searching for the home?

10. The home, the time loops, September 1943, the war, the German planes and bombardment? Miss Peregrine and her appearance, manner of speaking, and nanny type? The range of children, Peculiars? Visual, their powers? Emma and Olive, Enoch? The friendliness? Jake and the attraction to Emma? Enoch and his hostility, Emma and her sweetness, Oliver and the attraction to Enoch? The invisible boy?

11. The story of the day, reliving it, the German planes, the bomb, Miss Peregrine and her rewinding her watch? The monsters, her firing the arrow? The children unable to see the monsters? Jake able to see – his gift as a Peculiar?

12. The story of Abe, going to the war, living a normal life, ageing? His 2016 letter to Miss Peregrine and Jake reading it? The possibility for entering into the loop and exiting? Interacting?

13. Jake, going out of the loop, meeting his father, the mystery of the dead sheep and their eyes?

14. Miss Peregrine and others transformed into birds? Barron and his story? His sinister experiment, the creation of monsters, the absence of eyes? Changing? The need for removing eyes, feasting on eyes? His plan, new experiment? In Blackpool?

15. Jack returning, with Emma, going underwater, the boat, her blowing the air, a secret place? The preparation for the later voyage?

16. Miss Peregrine, the bird, transformation into Miss Avocet, her helping with the children?

17. Barron, the attack, Jake and the knife, Barron pressurising Miss Peregrine, transformation into a bird, into the cage? The children and the confrontation with the monsters?

18. Going back to the boat, the children on the boat, the different powers to get it going, the trip to Blackpool?

19. The ghost train, the pier, 1943, the present? The plan, the skeletons coming alive? Jake and seeing the monsters, their attack, the children throwing snow and icing to make them visible? The fights? Destruction?

20. Using the pier, the merry-go-round, the strong girl? The buildup to the confrontation with Barron, his madness, the voodoo look, his death?

21. Jake, the farewell, back to Florida, meeting his grandfather again, his urging him to go back?

22. His arriving, his long story of his journey to get back to the island, the different places, the loops – and a happy future with Miss Peregrine watching over them?

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

US, 2016, 112 minutes, Colour.
Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Alison Janney, Lisa Kudrow.
Directed by Tate Taylor.

A number one bestseller by Paula Hawkins, this was a much anticipated film version. Perhaps audiences were expecting something like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. However, this is a film much smaller in scope, smaller in its plot, depending on the complications and the style of storytelling.

It is a New York story, a story of New York State, especially with the trains running from New York City upstate along the Hudson River, pleasing scenery, and the ability to have a close look at many of the houses on the way, even some close-ups of the people who lived there. This is the point of view of Rachel Watson, a regular commuter. She is the girl on the train – but, at the end, she makes a comment that through the experiences she is no longer the girl; she is the woman on the train.

As mentioned, the complications come in the storytelling. After being introduced to Rachel, with the caption of her name, we soon see another caption, Megan, with her explaining herself in a voice-over, followed by Anna and her story. The lives of the three women will intertwine, Each of the women has dealings with Tom, formerly the husband of Rachel but divorcing her after a failure in her becoming pregnant and IVF treatment and the lack of finance for further trials. He is now married to Anna and they actually do have a baby. For some time Megan has been a nanny in their household.


In fact, pregnancy is an important theme in the story, Rachel and her failure, Anna and her success, Megan and her stories of several pregnancies. To complicate matters, the actresses portraying Megan and Anna, Haley Bennett and Rebecca Ferguson, both blonde, do resemble each other.

But the focus of the film is certainly on Rachel.It is a star turn for British actress, Emily Blunt, who has had a successful career in England and the United States for a decade. Rachel is a disturbed woman, saddened by her failure to get pregnant, obsessed with her former husband, sometimes stalking his new wife and child, an alcoholic who does go to an AA meeting, but who has memory lapses and blackouts. She has also lost her job and has been travelling on the train, back and forth, for over a year. Her life seems to be going nowhere.

When Megan disappears, Rachel decides to act on what she has seen with Megan and her psychiatrist (Edgar Ramirez) on the veranda of Megan’s house. She visits Megan’s husband (Luke Evans), creating difficulties for him and decides to become a patient of Megan’s psychiatrist as well. The two men also becomes the target of suspicions by two detectives (one played by Alison Janney).

The structure of the film is also complex, or complicated, the action taking place in the present but, frequently, captions coming up on the screen indicating action of months earlier, weeks earlier, days earlier. This gives the audience an opportunity to create all kinds of scenarios with all kinds of speculations on characters and motivations – until a revelation at the end which, when one thinks of it, is rather commonplace.

Were the story to be told in direct narrative, it would be fairly slight and developments rather familiar – which means that the film relies very much on the jigsaw structure and its tantalising its audience.

1. The bestselling novel? The adaptation? A version of the story?

2. The New York story, New York State, the city, the train rides, the river, the woods, the homes and observation? The police precincts? The score?

3. The complexity of the plot: the introduction to the three women, the different times, the shift back to the past? The audience putting the pieces together?

4. The title, the reference to Rachel and her comment at the end that she had been girl on the train and had now matured? The narration, her character, on the train, observing, the house with Megan? Her own life, the Megan focus?

5. Megan, the introduction, looking after the baby, her explaining her different jobs? Her relationship with Anna, with Tom, with the baby, her work at the gallery, her marriage?

6. Anna, her relationship with Tom, having the baby, Rachel attempting to abduct the baby? As a wife, the domestic life?

7. And the portrait of Rachel, alcoholic, erratic behaviour, collapses, blackouts? Her being cared for by Cathy? Her stalking Anna and the baby? The feelings of hurt, the unhappy memories, her behaviour at the party with the eggs, Martha’s reaction, Tom saying he was being fired because of her? The attempted pregnancy, failure, not enough money, Tom leaving her? Her going to the AA meeting and explaining herself? Her drinking, going to the bars, the man on the train and her accosting him in the bar – and later seeing the explanation of his considerate behaviour at the tunnel? Her sad life?

8. The police, detectives, the style? Confronting Rachel, the interrogations, suspicions? The continued pursuit of the investigation?

9. Rachel, going to see Scott, her seeing Megan kissing the psychiatrist on the balcony? Her lying about knowing Megan? Scott, his relations with his wife, the effect of her being missing, as a character in himself, controlling his wife, his staying the night and cared for by Rachel, his arrest, the psychiatrist and his giving information, Scott as target? His confronting Rachel, her escape, the going to the police, accusing him of assaulting her? His watching at the end?

10. The psychiatrist and Megan, the sessions, probing, her talking about having the baby when young, the father walking out on her? Her compulsions, the romantic attitude towards the psychiatrist, the scene of his reassuring her and being misinterpreted by Rachel? Rachel going to see him, lies, his astute comments, the talking, his stirring things in Rachel’s psyche?

11. The revelation about Tom, the different perspective on him, the marriage to Rachel, her failure to be pregnant, at home, the party, Rachel’s behaviour, her tantrum, his reaction and saying he was being fired because of her? The revelation of his affair with Anna? Marrying her, her pregnancy and the baby? His seeming the devoted husband?

12. His being violent, Rachel and his lies? The affair with Anna and the deceiving of Rachel? Anna, concerned, searching the computer for the password? The phone? Megan the affair? Megan pregnant, the encounter at the tunnel, his treatment of Rachel and violent, going to the woods, the issue of pregnancy and abortion, Megan falling, his killing her?

13. Rachel, beginning to remember, the encounter with Martha on the train, hearing the truth about Tom, Martha’s concern, confronting Tom? Anna, the baby, Tom hitting Rachel, her recovery, his attempt to choke her, her hitting him, the pursuit outside, Rachel stabbing him, Anna turning the weapon in his throat?

14. The arrival of the police? The interrogation, Rachel, Anna confirming what Rachel had done?

15. The ending on the train, a new Rachel?

16. The plainness of the plot if told in straight narrative but the effect of being told in a convoluted way?

THE NEON DEMON

US, 2016, 180 minutes, Colour.
Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abby Lee, Desmond Harrington, Alessandro Nivola, Karl Glusman, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves.
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

It is a good idea to take a deep breath before going to see a film by Nicolas Winding Refn. He likes to take on rather tough and demanding subjects, even in his early films when he was very young, Pusher, about drug dealers in Copenhagen in the mid-90s. in more recent years he has made the film about prison, Bronson, a somewhat lurid film about Los Angeles, Drive, and an excursion to Bangkok and violence, Only God Forgives. This time we are back in Los Angeles – and lurid again.

The film opens strikingly with a young girl posing in a glamorous gown on a divan but her throat cut and blood clotted – but then she goes off to remove her make up. The world of The Neon Demon is that of fashion and fashion photography. In fact, throughout the film, many of the sets are made to look as if the performers are in a photo-shoot and close-ups and couples talking are filmed in the style that would be striking in publications.

The young girl is Jessie, Elle Fanning, who turns out to be very under age although she is advised to tell everyone she is 19, arriving in Los Angeles like so many other hopefuls, dreaming of a career in the movies on television or modelling… She is very pretty and knows it, not afraid to say it. And she is ambitious, self-assured with a touch of the narcissistic. And, she is in luck with her looks.

The initial photograph was taken by a friend she met online, Dean (Karl Glusman) who is attracted to her but she is intent on her career. Despite the glamour, she has to live in a seedy motel with a rough manager, played by Keanu Reeves, who is upset when her room is trashed, only to find that a wildcat has been trapped there.

But, she gets an interview with an agent, Christina Hendricks, who gets her a photo shoot with a very grim and “artistic” photographer, Desmond Harrington, which leads to an interview with a fashion designer, Alessandro Nivola, and her career seems to be on the way.

In the meantime, she meets make-up artist, Ruby (Jena Malone) who befriends her but it is obvious to the audience, if not to Jessie, that this is a lesbian attraction. Also in the retinue are two very artificial models, one who has experienced a great deal of reconstruction, the other tall and failing to get employment (both played by Australian actresses Bella Heathcote and Abbey Lee).

The storytelling is both real and surreal, much of it played in the dark, at other times in bright sunlight and vistas of Los Angeles. Much of it is a dreamlike, especially from the point of view of Ruby and her fantasies about Jessie, especially a disturbing scene in the mortuary where Ruby works in make up for the corpses.

In fact, the film moves to some motifs from horror films at the end, with an offscreen explanation that the audience might interpret as metaphorical until we realise it is real, and think to ourselves, no, the Refn is not really going to show that… – and he does, leaving some of the characters bewildered and the audience somewhat stunned and bewildered as well.

With the focus on modelling and the young women models, the issue can be raised about the impact of “the male gaze” and the objectifying of women – but the film also raises the question of “the female gaze” and both gay and straight perspectives.

The films of Nicolas Winding Refn are quite unique in their way, expertly crafted, disturbing content, and certainly not for everyone’s taste.

1. The title? Bright lights? Hellish? Diabolical characters and activities?

2. A dream factory story, fashion? Destruction, and the horror touches?

3. The director, the graphic aspects of his content, the visuals, bright shadows?

4. The narrative, reality, dreams, surreal? The musical score and its dramatic variations?

5. The role of women in the film, the male gaze and accusations of objectifying women as sex objects? The female gaze on the women? The significance of the lesbian gaze and its effect?

6. Style of photography, close-ups, framing of couples, poses and postures, the effect?

7. The fashion world, sets, scenes, colour, clothes? The scenes and the photography looking like photo-shoots?

8. The macabre introduction, Jessie, seemingly dead, the dress, the blood, on the divan, the pose? Jessie alive, taking off the make up? Dean and his photography and hopes?

9. Jessie, her age, lying about it, her absent parents, her plans, self-focused, acknowledging that she was pretty, mirrors and the scene of her kissing her image, narcissistic? Her ambitions, meeting Dean online? The encounter with Ruby, the attraction, Ruby helping her? The blend of the naive and the shrewd? Her surface character – how much depth?

10. The film of surfaces, beauty, the range of female characters, how much beauty within?

11. Ruby taking Jessie to the party, dark, the tableau, drugs, erotic, the conversation in the bathroom? Sarah and Gigi? Their personalities, careers, self-importance? Looking down on Jessie? The relationship with Ruby?

12. Jessie staying at the motel, dark, down-market, the manager, harsh, the chaos in the room, the wildcat (and the later images with Ruby in the mansion), the destruction, Jessie’s fear, Dean and his paying for the damage? Dean and the outings with Jesse, romantic, her resistance?

13. Jessie, the interview, the agent, liking Jessie, the contact with Jack, going to the photo-shoot, his seriousness, intensity, getting her to pose, the closed shoot, Ruby and the glitter make up, Ruby ousted, Jack wanting Jessie to, her accent in?

14. Going to the designer, his style, the lineup, Gigi and her walk, failing, Jessie, his immediate attraction, her success?

15. The talk with Sarah and Gigi, Gigi and her cosmetic surgery, the extent? Sarah, her hopes? The two and their envy?

16. Ruby, the offer of consolation, Jessie going to her apartment, Ruby’s approach, the lesbian experience, Jessie’s resistance, explaining she was a virgin?

17. Ruby, the make up, for the corpses? Her work, the girl after the autopsy, the necrophilia scene, Ruby and the seductive images of Jessie, with the corpse? The effect?

18. The catwalk, Sarah and her chair, Jessie getting ready, the dress, the sequence of the triangles, her kissing her image?

19. The aftermath, Ruby and the girls, Ruby and the menstruation scene? Jessie and her collapse?

20. The beach resort, Jack and the photo shoot, firing the girl, employing Gigi, Sarah and her illness? Vomiting? The macabre aspect of the eye? The two girls saying literally that they had eaten their rival? Gigi, taking the eye, eating it? The effect?

21. The final credits, surreal, Jesse walking…?