THREE

China/Hong Kong, 2016, 88 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Johnny To.

Audiences who have been following Hong Kong films over several decades would be very familiar with the name of Johnny To. He has specialised in a wide variety of gangster films, efficiently made, complex stories about police and interaction with Hong Kong’s criminal gangs, from Hong Kong itself to Macau and to the mainland.

While this particular film – giving the audience some difficulty in deciding who are the three – does have a gangster, the crime recounted is off-camera. And all the action takes place in a hospital, surgery in the operating theatre, recovery, main ward, the stairwell, all interiors except from some moments of looking out of the windows and part of a finale hanging from sheets from an upper window.

There is quite a deal of surgery in the film, in close-up. We see the medical staff, the doctor making decisions, tensions, cutting, blood spurting, haemorrhaging, threads for sewing up wounds… And these recur throughout the film with several operations.

After operations, in between operations, the screenplay returns to the ward, concentrating on several patients: a large man, jovial, with mental problems, which does not interfere at all with his capacity for eating, getting out of bed, wandering down to the canteen, stealing keys and other mischief; a young man who is angry about the failure of his operation, paralysed, spitting at the doctor, attempting to slit his wrists; and someone new in the ward, and gangster brought from the scene of a robbery with a wound to his head and the need to extract a bullet.

Along with the gangster is the police force, a stern officer and his team, keeping guard, surveillance, but with a vested interest as regards the gun used for the wounding of the gangster. And then there is the doctor, a middle-aged woman with ambitions which have been generally achieved, yet somewhat on the edge, especially in connection with the extraction of the bullet.

This then provides an atmosphere for police alert, medical action, cynical barbs from the gangster who is rather literate quoting Greek philosophers as well as a story from Bertrand Russell, and the arrival of assassins to control the situation.

It does build to a rather grim climax, bombs in various wastepaper receptacles throughout the hospital, the entry of assassins with guns firing, mayhem on the ward, and the attempted escape of the gangster with the doctor and police chief in pursuit.

And all under 90 minutes, a different Johnny To story.

1. The films of Johnny To, Hong Kong-based, the extension to China? His police stories? Gangster stories? The addition of the medical story here?

2. Everything happening in the hospital, the theatre, surgery? The ward? Staircases? Looking outside, hanging outside? The mood of the score?

3. The impact of the details of the operations, the doctor, her skills, the medical staff, the place of each during surgery, cutting, blood, threading, haemorrhage? Successes and failures? Decisions about life and death? The challenges, fatigue, anxiety? The impact of Three as a hospital film?

4. The ward, the different patients, the fat man with mental problems, his continued eating, his escape, in the canteen, taking all the keys, jovial? The young man, his paralysis, anger, wanting to sue, spitting at the doctor, slitting his wrists, falling down the steps, able to walk? Husband, dying, tensions with his wife moving, the surgery, his quiet death? The details of life in the ward, the nurses, aides, the caterers?

5. Dr Tong, the background story and success, ambitions, skills, in surgery? The doctor confronting her, wanting her to rest? A feeling of failure, going, returning?

6. Her attempts to retrieve the bullet? The issue of the gun? His waiting for a phone call? His contacts, criminals, robberies? The phone call and the ordering of deaths? The assassins, well dressed, coming to the hospital, whistling the melody?

7. The prisoner’s behaviour, the police, their supervision, the doctor ringing the phone number, Chan’s being upset with her? Chan, his presence? The patient quoting Hippocratic oaths, Bertrand Russell stories, his fluency, smart? The situation with the police? The gun, accusations, cover?

8. Chan, serious, working with his staff, supervision, the conspiracy about the situation, the plan? His angers, confronting the doctor, slapping her, her slapping him later? The fat officer, lunch, his whistling the tune? Phone calls to the superiors and apologies?

9. The doctor, switching the medication, the patient shrewd and not injecting, his pretences?

10. The climax scenario, the assassins and their arrival, the bombs in the bins, guns and shooting, wounding, mayhem? The patient, escape, the sheets, hanging from the window, the doctor and Chan and their pulling him up, the fall?

11. The story as a crime episode, leaving the follow-up to after the film? The importance for the audience just being there and experiencing this?

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!

US, 2016, 117 minutes, Colour.
Blake Jenner, Zoe Deutch.
Directed by Richard Linklater.

Part of the attraction for going to see this film is that it was written and directed by Richard Linklater. Many appreciated his slacker films in the early 1990s, especially Dazed and Confused. But, many remember his cap before Sunset, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight series with his portrait of a man and woman over almost 20 years, and the strength of the dialogue in their conversations. His range has been particularly strong, some social dramas, the interesting portion of Bernie, and the animation of A Scanner Darkly and the philosophical-theological hundred minutes of existential and metaphysical reflections in Waking Life.

This film is almost the opposite of Waking Life. After completing Boyhood, the film he made over a period of 12 years, he has returned to his own memories of his past, college days.

One reviewer said that to enjoy this film you needed to have been there – and, after viewing the film, that is absolutely right. Otherwise, especially if the characters and their behaviour do not arouse interest, this film can be something of an endurance.

It takes place over the three days before the opening of school at the end of August 1980. Plot -wise, not a great deal happens. We are drawn into the film with Jake (Blake Jenner) a freshman with a baseball scholarship. Even though he is not yet 20, he looks the All-American? type – as do a number of the other jocks whom he meets at their dilapidated house. He is quite outgoing and despite the rather initial off-hand reception, he easily makes friends. Actually, on his first day at college, off they all go to a bar, plenty of noise, plenty of music, plenty of drinking, plenty of girls, plenty of dancing…

As a group of them cruise the parking lot, they are attracted to girls who snap at them – although one of them, Beverly (Zoe Deutch) has a shot at the others by praising Jake, quiet in the backseat. This will have good consequences when Jake leaves flowers at her door, when she phones, when they go out and talk, when he goes to a party at the arts-dance student house where she lives. In fact, Beverly is the only female character in the film – Although there are other females around but they are for the men and for the camera to ogle. There are some moments of dialogue about objectification.

On the Sunday, all the baseball players assemble for practice – which does give a bit more interest to the plot in terms of pitching, batting, fielding as well as some locker room pranks.

Some commentators have linked it to National Lampoons Animal House of 1978. There may be some resemblance but this one is far, far milder, a bit more humane even though the whole atmosphere is particularly, as Australians would say, blokey.

1. In memory of the 1980s? College? Southeast Texas?

2. The films of Richard Linklater? The beginnings with slacker comedies, his expansion into witty comedies and dramas? The philosophy of Waking Life? Remembering his own younger days?

3. The three-day setting, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the beginning of classes on Monday?

4. The college setting, South-eastern Texas, the house or the jocks, falling apart, the clubs and bars, the locker room and the baseball field, the party for the arts students? The ending with the lecture room?

5. The range of songs from the period, atmosphere?

6. The focus on Blake, his background high school, baseball champion, coming to college, his age, manner, car, getting to the house, meeting the odd characters? Their taking to him? Going out, driving, seeing the girls, getting Beverly’s room number, the parties, the jocks and their behaviour, conversation, language, the drinking, the girls? The phone
call from Beverly, the bonding, going to see her? The baseball play, Jake as a pitcher, interactions with the other members of the team? Their being taped to the wall and the team hitting them with the baseballs? The interaction with the other jocks, being persuaded to invite them to the party, everybody going, Jake agreeing to go into the Alice in Wonderland role play, the swim with Beverly, talking, having a rest before going to class, the wave goodbye? The taunts of Finn and the others? The professor coming in, his writing comments about frontiers on the board, Jake nodding off, smiling? His future?

7. A Jock film, the focus on men, the range of characters, the blokey talk, jokes, pranks, ambitions, forbidden to have alcohol in the house, girls upstairs – a signal for them to disobey? The sexist attitudes of the period? Objectifying the girls? Finn and the other characters, Dale and his being African- American?

8. Dale and his being singular as the African -American? The only other black man the receptionist at the club?

9. Beverly as the only female character, the two girls being chatted up, a comment favouring the quiet one in the back seat, Jake leaving the flowers, the phone call, her explanation of her past, at school, arts and dance, ambitions for New York? At the party, who ruled playing as Alice in Wonderland? The evening with Jake at the pool? Getting ready for class?

10. The other girls in the film, targets for the jocks, objectified?

11. The baseball, the coach, his warnings, the men assembling, the locker room pranks, especially for the country boy, his awkwardness, not giving the room to Blake, the comment about his girlfriend being pregnant? His becoming one with the group?

12. A film for the male audience which can identify with the characters, college, the sport? And those who were there at the time?

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE

US, 2016, 93 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Simon Pegg, John Leguiazamo, Nick Offerman, Seann William Scott, Max Greenfield, Josh Peck, Keke Palmer, Adam De Vine, Wanda Sykes.
Directed by Mike Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu.

This is the fifth film in the Ice Age series. It follows much the same pattern as the previous films and has most of the same characters. It also means that the formula is running down and that this is probably the best place to stop. In the meantime, it is enjoyable in its slight way but reminiscent of the better ice ages of the past.

Of course, Scrat is still there, still pursuing his acorn. He has been the start of the past films and his antics in trying to retain the acorn or searching for it are amusing. However, his scenes are rather futuristic as he gets trapped in a spacecraft (presumably left there by aliens) and does a lot of hurtling around space, messing with spacecraft controls, and creating a certain amount of mayhem in the galaxies including turning the Earth-like luxuriant planet, Mars, into the red planet in one stroke.

The other thing that script does up there in the ionosphere is to set off all kinds of meteor collisions and the hurtling of many of them towards Earth. They interrupt the now rather placid life of all those prehistoric animals that we have got to know, providing fireworks in the sky for our friend Manny, the Mammoth, who has forgotten his wife’s wedding anniversary.

After reminding all our memories of Manny and his wife, his daughter, Peaches, who now has a beau of whom Manny is rather jealous, Sid the Sloth carrying on but, of all things, acquiring a girlfriend! Diego and his fiancee from the previous film are happily content, though still scaring some of the smaller creatures.

Neil, the weasel, returns, pursued by prehistoric flying creatures, who is able to help them avert the meteor that is heading straight towards Earth, getting a whole lot of crystals which have emerged from eruptions and feeding them into a volcano so that, with all other outlets of the earth’s energy covered, there can be an enormous explosion to blow the meteor off course. So, we have the benefit of a rather big physics lesson and successful experiment to make sure that the ice age continues in peace.

The same voice cast entertains us again, zany characters, comic situations – but, unless a screenwriter gets an extraordinary and different inspiration, the end of an era.

1. The popularity of the series? The characters, situations, interactions? Talking animals? Comedy? Crises?

2. The Ice Age? Prehistoric? The landmasses, instability, cracks in the earth? The prehistoric animals? The familiar animals? Survival?

3. The animation and its style, familiar? The opening with Scrat? His perennial search for the acorn? Ups and downs, losing, finding, chasing? The irony of the spacecraft?
The comedy within the craft, the controls, flying through space? The effect on the meteors? Crashing to earth?

4. The visuals, the familiar characters, the voice cast? The musical score?

5. The animals, the community? Manny and his wife, Peaches, Julian as her fiance? Sid and his zany comedy? His finding a girlfriend? Diego, his partner, their peaceful life, yet frightening the smaller animals? The rabbits, the small animals? The prehistoric creatures? The weasel coming to the rescue?

6. Manny, Playing ball with the son-in-law? The jealousies? Peaches wanting to leave with Julian? His unwillingness to let his daughter go? Her mother and the more open attitude? Crises, Julian coming to the rescue, his being accepted into the family?

7. Manny forgetting the anniversary? Covering? The fireworks in the sky? The realisation of the danger? The meteors? Hiding in the cave?

8. The weasel, pursued by the prehistoric creatures? His intelligence, his claim, covering the energy holes? The crystals, piling them into the volcano? The split second activities, dangers?

9. Everybody involved? The huge explosion? The meteor going off course? Community saved?

10. Scrat and his continued adventures, turning Mars into the red planet?

DECK THE HALLS

US, 2006, US, 2006, 93 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Broderick, Danny De Vito, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis, Alia Shawkat, Jackie Burroughs, Kal Penn.
Directed by John Whitesell.

A title from the familiar Christmas carol:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

This corny Christmas offering has lots of Fa la la la la.

I am not sure whether American slang uses ‘deck’ as a word to describe hitting someone really hard. If it does, then that is what dentist, Steve Finch (Matthew Broderick) wants to do for most of the film to his new, exasperating neighbour Buddy Hall, (Danny de Vito), a car salesman. Amongst other things Buddy wants to do is to make sure his house can be seen by satellite from space so, instead of boughs of holly on his halls and walls, he sets up the most elaborate system of lights and decorations (using the Finch electricity). It is not the season to be jolly!

This is one of those comedies where the two main characters spend most of the time being cantankerous towards each other while their sympathetic wives are friends. Even the children get along. But, you know that all will be well in the end in the spirit of Christmas.

With the main emphasis on the decorations side of Christmas, it is at least better than the all time low of American Christmas spirit (Frosty the Snowman the focus of celebrations) in Christmas with the Kranks.

1. A Christmas story? Christmas comedy? The touches of meanness and rivalry? Final goodwill?

2. The title, the song, the meaning of “deck” as hitting – and the family next door as the Halls?

3. Locations, the town, homes, the ski race? Fireworks? The musical score?

4. The Finch family, optometrist, the plan for Christmas, wife and children, making their own cards, the traditions? The incoming presence of the neighbours?

5. The Halls, Buddy and Tia, the children? Moving in? Buddy stealing the newspaper and the clash with Steve?

6. The next generation, visiting, all becoming friends?

7. My Earth, the Hall house not being visible from space? Buddy being upset? His remedy, the lights, the electricity source, getting the sleigh with the horse?

8. Sleigh, Steve and his pictures, Carter getting into the sleigh, the rush through the town, into the water, freezing, the two men naked – and Buddy offering body warmth?

9. Clashes, meanness of spirit, the lights, the snow, the electricity backup?

10. The ski race, the bets, Buddy winning, Steve angry, having to buy the car? The fireworks, the rocket, the Finch house on fire, the family going to the motel?

11. Concessions all round, rebuilding, everybody’s phone offering light to the house, finding the plug, everything bright and happy Christmas ending?

STORMBREAKER/ ALEX RIDER STORMBREAKER

UK, 2006, 93 minutes, Colour.
Alex Pettyfer, Mickey Rourke, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Nighy, Sophie, Okonedo, Damian Lewis, Missi Pyle, Stephen Fry, Sarah Bolger, Andy Serkis, Ashley Walters, Ewan Mc Gregor, Robbie Coltrane, Jimmy Carr.
Directed by Geoffrey Sax.

Secret agent, Alex Rider.

While many adults have been absorbed by Ian Fleming’s novels and the James Bond films for almost half a century, younger readers in more recent times have been following Harry Potter and Alex Rider. While J. K. Rowling has a worldwide ready and waiting audience for the movies, Anthony Horowitz, the author of the Alex Rider adventures, is best-known in the UK. So, the release of Stormbreaker has more of an impact for teenage audiences than on adults. The older adult reviewers tended not to like the film, not appreciating the sensibilities of the young

What to expect? Understandably, the film’s marketeers are sick of hearing of the James Bond parallel and prefer that Alex Rider be seen as a hero in his own right. But, given the plot and the espionage action, the comparisons are inevitable. Was James Bond like this when he was 14?

At this age and stage of his life, Alex is a presentable and sturdy schoolboy. As embodied by Alex Pettyfer, he is a handsome, blonde and curly haired young British potential hero, to be imitated by the boys and something of a heartthrob for the girls. But the film doesn’t have time for that kind of emotional or sappy goings on.

The film also has a PG rating which means that the action is suitable for its audience. Violence is more suggested than actual, although Alex is not bad at some basic but effective martial arts. At first he uses his wits and a fast-paced chase through London on a bicycle. But, then, his quiet uncle (Ewan Mc Gregor) dies and he discovers that this uncle was a secret agent and had really been grooming Alex since he was little to follow in his footsteps.

When Bill Nighy (looking rather severe and pinched – maybe the effect of having that octopus on his chin throughout Pirates of the Caribbean) and Sophie Okenedo explain the truth and try to recruit him for a dangerous mission, then he is offered an entertaining (rather than deadly) arsenal of weapons by a genial Q type (Stephen Fry).

Special agents have to have a mission. A young agent has to have a mission that makes sense to teenagers. Enter Mickey Rourke (looking rather embalmed) as the villain of the piece. He is a wealthy American who went to public school in England and was bullied and mocked – which gives him his motivation for revenge. He is donating a new computer, The Stormbreaker, to every school and inviting the Prime Minister to a public ceremony to launch the online power all over the country. But he has something more sinister in mind…

So Alex Rider infiltrates the headquarters in Cornwall, discovers the secrets, combats various villains (Andy Serkis, Damian Lewis and Missi Pyle as a latter-day Nazi-type assistant). Will he save the day – of course! But how will he do it? This leads to some over the top escapades and some split-second timing. The Prime Minister is played by Robbie Coltrane who gives a speech praising ‘Education, Education…’, then forgets his line and has to sneak a peek at his notes, …Education’.

Just when you think it is all over, it isn’t and there are some more chases through central London and deadly confrontations. And skin of the teeth cliff-hangers.

There are several more books in the Alex Rider series. One hopes that the intended audience will give this film a welcome and that the producers will be encouraged to continue.

In fact, they did not.

1. The popular novels about Alex Rider? The author adapting for the screen, changing plot aspects? A brief adventure?

2. An adventure for younger audiences, boys identifying with Alex? Girls identified with him, with Sabina? Not so much an adventure for adults? Adult enjoying the range of characters and the quality cast?

3. The settings, school, homes, MI5, training camps, the villain’s lair in Cornwall, the launching of the Stormbreaker program? Action and stunts? Musical score?

4. The credibility of the plot, in the James Bond tradition, espionage and action tradition? For a 14-year-old boy?

5. Alex, his age, appearance, family background, living with uncle Ian, with the housekeeper, is attachment to her? At school? His uncle being away? His ordinary life?

6. Uncle Ian, murdered by the assassin? The intervention of Mr Blunt? The commission,? Mrs Jones and their control? The personalities? Comic and serious touches?

7. Alex, the information that he was being trained by his uncle, his disbelief? The visa threats forcing him to go to training? The SAS and the training program, the other students, Alex and his skills, growing reputation?

8. Darrius Sayle, Mickey Rourke, his appearance, face, surgery? Archvillain? The background of his story, studying in England, bullied, the American? His laboratory, his plans? Stormbreaker? The computer, into every school? His intention to destroy the students?

9. Alex, undercover, his mission, his role as competition winner? Seeing Stormbreaker? In action? The presence of Mr Grin, of Nadia Vole?

10. Nadia, the touch of the Nazi, at the dinner, searching Alex’s belongings, his phone, the lead to Chelsea? Nadia and her fight with Jack, superior strength but losing?

11. Alex witnessing the midnight delivery?

12. Alex trying to escape, the capture? Discovering what the aim of Stormbreaker was, small box capsules, in every school, the destruction of all the students? Taking Stormbreaker to the conference?

13. Alex and his capture, in the tent, the man-o’-war? The cream, his being fully equipped by Smithers?

14. The escape, breaking the tank, the man-o’-war and touching Nadia? The injection for Mr Grin? Piloting the helicopter? Alex parachuting into the meeting, the last moment, the Prime Minister ready to push the button, Alex using the rifle, destroying the machine, saving everyone?

15. Alex and Sabina, the pursuit of Sayle, dismantling his equipment, hanging from the buildings? The arrival of his uncle’s assassin, killing Sayle – but he and Alex still remaining enemies?

UNDERWORLD EVOLUTION


US, 2006, 106 minutes, Colour.
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Derek Jacobi, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh.
Directed by Len Wiseman.


At the end of this episode in the battle between vampires and lycans (wolf-creatures), the warrior-heroine Serena, instead of rejoicing that enemies have been destroyed and there is a possibility of peace, ominously suggests that there are dark times ahead. A signal that there will be a further film in the series.

The first Underworld was a surprising hit. Not that it was easy to follow the dark history of the emergence in the 13th century Central Europe of the conflict between the two races who could live only in the darkness of an underworld, not visible to ordinary mortals. (The present episode has an introductory explanation of the origins, a reminder of who the main characters were, the nature of their betrayals and their enmities and cruelty, as well as frequent flashback glimpses of scenes from the first film – for which I was thankful, enabling me to follow this one better.)

A prologue set in 1202 takes us back to the vampires conquering the lycans, both descended from twin brothers who were bitten by bat and wolf respectively. Betrayed by their ally (Bill Nighy who was seen to do all this in the first film), the wolf brother is condemned to eternal imprisonment. The other wants to develop a more powerful creature (who is vampiric but who flies with huge wings that can pinion the enemy – which is demonstrated many times). Derek Jacobi turns up as their father.

In the meantime, Serena, played by Kate Beckinsale in a black leather outfit and the hybrid Michael, the rather underwhelming Scott Speedman, are on a mission to save the vampire race from the mad machinating twin.

Part of the intrigue of the Underworld films is that the characters are also immersed in the contemporary world of scientific experimentation – as well as a helicopter climax.

This re-imagining of the horror genres has its exciting moments but also has its very gory moments which gain it a more restrictive rating.

1. Continuing immediately after the first episode?

2. The popularity of the series, continuing for more than a decade?

3. The atmosphere, the recreation of the Middle Ages, dark, castles, tombs, prisons? Humans, vampires, Lycans?

4. The contrast with the 21st-century world, cities and buildings, underground? Modern machines and helicopters? The musical score?

5. The characters able to move between each world?

6. Costumes, decor, light and darkness, locations?

7. The history, 1202, the Elders, the search for the Lycans, vampires, the destroyed village? William Corvinus? In prison?

8. The characters from the first film: Selene as the vampire, Michael as the Lycan, their natures, Michael and the human component? Their heritage? Not as alien as traditional vampires or werewolves, the concern about humans and having stores of blood?

9. Markus, his sleep, Kraven to kill him, the fight, Kraven’s death? Lorenz and his group of cleaners, searching out the vampires?

10. The importance of the pendant, its origins, the two halves?

11. Markus, his pursuit of Selene and Michael, their hiding in the warehouse, their love, the sexual encounter, the two parts of the pendant? Their wanting answers?

12. The history, Alexander Corvinus, the bites, the heritage, immortals and mortals, William, the Lycan animals, their development? Viktor, the bat and the bite, the tradition of the vampires? The brothers, their intrigues and deceptions?

13. Selene, her father, William’s prison, the pendant as the key? Markus and his killing her father? The death of Markus? Selene’s blood – and her drinking the blood and being reinvigorated?

14. Michael, seeming death, his revival? Markus and the bite, the cleaners and their being turned into Lycans? William and ambitions, Alexander? Markus and Viktor at their
deaths? Selene and the drinking of the blood, renewed, the role of the helicopter in the deaths of the brothers?

15. Selene, strength, and her able to being able to withstand sunlight? The readiness for the next episode?

RANGO

US, 2011, 107 minutes, Colour.
Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nigh, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone, Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Root, Beth Grant, Vincent Kartheiser, Gore Verbinski.
Directed by Gore Verbinski.

An animation (often quite animated) film for an adult audience rather than for children (with a PG13 rating in the US). Children might enjoy the action but it requires some sophistication, there is a lot of dialogue (more dictionary-oriented than popular) and there are frightening elements as well.

We are led into the ballad and legend of Rango by a Mariachi-group of four owls who sing and narrate throughout the film. Rango is a lizard, Amelia, not the most handsome of desert creatures, who is a would-be actor, an actual fantasist who performs with a toy fish and a broken doll’s torso – and none too convincingly. And he is voiced by Johnny Depp, a rung more coherently up from Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter and Willy Wonka. And he has a gift for adapting from faux pas situations, quite an affected vocabulary, as has much of the screenplay, an amusing indulgence in words and meanings.

Stranded on a desert highway, Rango encounters a mentor, Roadkill, (Alfred Molina) who gives him advice about crossing to the other side. What does happen is that he lands in a town, boasts that he is a legend, and is made sheriff. They have a crisis: no water, only a bottle preserved in the bank. When Rango gives a morale-boosting speech about keeping the water untouched just in case and not drinking it (while illustrating how devastating it would be if they all drank by downing three glasses himself), we see his skill in political spin.

The crooked mayor, a turtle in a wheelchair is voiced by Ned Beatty. The villainous rattlesnake enemy is hissed by Bill Nighy. The practical iguana heroine, Beans, is Isla Fisher. There are a lot of character actor voices (Harry Dean Stanton, Abigail Breslin, Ray Winstone) and Timothy Olyphant appears as The Spirit of the West, channelling Clint Eastwood in appearance and voice and The Man With No Name. And the final credits song owes more than a small debt to the theme from Rawhide.

Which means that Rango is something of a trip. It is a literal road movie. It is the quest of an ordinary lizard to discover his inner hero. It is something of a satire on the building of Las Vegas. And, most of it is a pastiche play on Western conventions. The villains who rob the bank for the water. The posse in pursuit (and then pursued themselves by villains on birdback to the Ride of the Valkyries). The crooked mayor and his henchman (playing golf while others thirst). The gunslinger snake. The high noon confrontation. The pilgrimage to the desert to seek advice from The Spirit of the West.

Director Gore Verbinski made Mouse Hunt and The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and has an offbeat sense of humour. Writer John Logan is even more versatile with screenplays for Sweeney Todd, Gladiator, Aviator and Hugo for Martin Scorsese – and adapting Shakespeare’s Coriolanus for Ralph Fiennes.

The animation is bold and vivid for the motley characters and the desert locations. For movie buffs, it is something of a wild hoot.

1. An animation film – the impact the children, better for adults? Characters, themes, vocabulary? The work of the director and his previous films?

2. Style of animation, characters, the desert locations, the town of Dirt, action sequences? The voice cast?

3. The Mojave Desert, the look, the inhabitants, Roadkill, the armadillo and his mystical touch? The threatening hawk? The search for water? Coming to the town of Dirt, the animal inhabitants?

4. Rango, Johnny Depp and his voice, the chameleon, falling from the container, encountering Roadkill, the advice, the chase by the hawk? The encounter with Beans? The chameleon appearance, shape shifting?

5. In Dirt, presenting himself as a drifter, the Gila monster, the confrontation, the reappearance of the hawk? The water tower crushing the predator?

6. The response in the town, the mayor naming him as sheriff, the mayor as a tortoise, wheelchair? The fear of Rattlesnake Jake, and his fear of the hawk?

7. The water crisis, the absence of water, the search, finding the robbers in the desert as prospectors? The presence of Mole? The pursuit, the manager of the bank and his death? The chase of the bottle only to find there was no water?

8. The arrest of the so-called prospectors? The trial? The revelation of the mayor buying up the land? Bringing back Jake, to set up a confrontation against Rango? Rango admitting the truth?

9. The appearance of the Spirit of the West? Like the Man with No Name and Clint Eastwood voice? The wise saying: no man walks out on his own life story?

10. Roadkill, his appearance, the mystical yuccas? The discovery of the truth about the water? The mayor setting up the confrontation between Jake and Rango? The diversion for opening the valve for the water? Beans being taken as hostage? She and Rango locked in the glass vault? Jake having no bullet, Rango with the bullet? Breaking the glass? Jake and his rehabilitation that he was an okay character? The expose of the mayor, being washed away, his henchman and their golf playing?

11. The acclaim for Rango, the hero?

THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE

US, 2005, 91 minutes, Colour.
Gretchen Moll, Chris Bauer, Jared Harris, Sarah Paulson, Cara Seymour, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, John Cullen, Matt Mc Grath, Austin Pendleton, Norman Reedus, Dallas Roberts, Victor Slezak.
Directed by Mary Harron.

This is a film where the distinction between ‘what’ is presented and ‘how’ it is presented is very important. It would be easy to dismiss this as a film about a young woman who becomes a pin-up, a nude model, a star of some underground bondage movies of the early 50s. This is, in fact, what the film is about. But, it is a very well-made film and its perspective on the notorious Bettie Page, on sex films and magazines and on the effect they have on individuals and society is a perspective to make the audience think.

Of course, someone who wants or is an addict of this kind of material will stay looking at the film’s surface and will certainly find an amount of nudity and titillation. For those who want to look beneath the surface, who appreciate character portraits, who are interested in the issues of sex, permissiveness, psychological effect of pornography and the differences between the 1950s and the present will have a lot to think about.

Bettie Page was born in 1923 to a devout Christian family in Nashville, Tennessee. There is a suggestion that she was abused by her father who eventually abandoned the family, that she experienced a brutal gang rape, that she married a violent husband. This is given as background not necessarily as cause for her decisions concerning her brief photo modelling career (1950-1957).

In fact, the point of the film is that Bettie was a very nice person, a battler but a winner. She is presented as extraordinarily ingenuous and naïve, extremely trusting of people. Invited to model for photographers and photography clubs in New York, she soon gets a reputation as an agreeable and vivacious model. This leads to nude poses and to the bondage reels which in many ways she sees as a bit of a lark to help out the tensions of highly placed and respectable men. All this time, she is quite devout, can speak about her faith in Jesus and relies on Adam and Eve being innocent and naked in Eden, only putting on clothes when they had sinned.

Gretchen Mol gives an extraordinarily nuanced performance communicating the vibrancy of Bettie’s personality.

Director Mary Herron used to make documentaries but was also a music journalist in the UK and in the US. In 1995 she directed I Shot Andy Warhol which recreated the atmosphere of Warhol’s studio and entourage, capturing the look and feel of New York in the 1960s and 1970s. She also directed the film of Brett Easton Ellis’s American Psycho, re-creating the self-centred yuppy 1980s.

With Bettie Page, she opts for black and white photography for most of the film, the look of the movies of the 50s. However, the film goes to colour for scenes in Miami and photo shoots there as well as for the religious climax when Bettie returns to Nashville. The colour is bright like the Technicolour of those days. The clips from the bondage films were designed and filmed like the 16mm reels of the time.

Many of the characters are historical personalities, from David Strathairn’s Senator Estes Kefauver who chaired a Senate Select Committee on Juveniles and Society, including the effects of pornography, to Lily Taylor’s Paula Klaw who worked with her brother making the films and who were shut down after the enquiry. Jared Harris and Sarah Paulson portray actual photographers who worked with Bettie.

The sex magazines and the bondage films look tame (for want of a better word), even absurd and simplistic, than the material that abounds now, much of which is available on the Internet.

The film reminds us that preoccupation with sex, underground material and violent sexual abuse were realities fifty years ago, not inventions of today’s permissive society. So, what are we to think about the issues? Many advocates of adult freedoms become so preoccupied with attempts to revoke those freedoms by government or pressure groups that they ignore or soft-peddle the issues of gross and crass content and the effect that this might have, especially on children and the impressionable. The debate continues. The Notorious Bettie Page is a superior film contribution to understanding of history and to the debate.

CATFISH

US, 2010, 87 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman.


A documentary. What is a documentary these days? Is it an objective look at some event or issue? Try as the makers do, it will always have the point of view of the writers and directors? Does this matter? And, are the makers at liberty to ‘create’ some of the characters and events you will see? These are the kinds of questions that Catfish raises. And somebody nicely remarked on an IMDb blog that the film demands to be seen because of the excellent arguments you will have during the drive home.

And then somebody else remarked that it is the downside of The Social Contract. How does Facebook work? How valuable and real are on-line chat rooms? And how gullible have we become with all the information made available to us by Information Technology, swallowing everything like fish, hook, line and sinker?

Which means that we have to approach this story of online connections with caution and, perhaps, some scepticism.

Nev Shulman is a New York photographer whose brother and friend want to make a movie. When one of Nev’s prize-winning photos gets a response from an 8 year old in Michigan who has painted her own version of his photo, the flattered Nev follows up and becomes a regular communicator with the little girl (and her many paintings), her mother and her attractive and flirtatious sister, Megan. So far, so good for the social networks.

When Nev and co have to visit Colorado, they decide to visit Megan and surprise her. But, of course, it is they who get the surprise.

Caution with plot spoilers means that the narrative has to stop there and audiences interested will have to see Catfish in order to meet the family, get to know them and what the art work and the flirting all mean. This turns the film into more of a psychological study of the family – ultimately less dramatic than the first half of the film, but certainly interesting to those who puzzle over human nature.

So, a ‘reality’ documentary with more reality than anticipated – or less?
The film was followed by a television series.

THE BFG

US, 2016, 117 minutes, Colour.
Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Rafe Spall, Rebecca Hall, Adam Godley, Jemaine Clement, Bill Hader, Olafur darri Olafsson.
Directed by Stephen Spielberg.

It is only those who have not been readers of Roald Dahl’s stories who will not know what BFG stands for. This reviewer, who has seen film versions of Dahl’s stories but not read any, assumed that it meant Big Fat Giant – only to see Mark Rylance as BFG, not fat at all, rather the contrary, but enlightened by the young girl of the story, Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who decides that she will call him BFG, the Big Friendly Giant. And so he is.

Roald Dahl was a novelist and screenwriter (for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and even for some Hitchcock television programs) and audiences who are familiar with films for children will have seen James and the Giant Peach, Willie Wonka, Matilda, The Witches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Esio Trot… They will know that he has quite an imagination, often with bizarre touches, sometimes having children in peril but getting through their adventures to be their better selves.

And this is the case with The BFG. It opens in London with scenes of Westminster but then goes to backstreets and a sinister building proclaiming, rather largely, Orphanage. Perhaps experts in recognising cars and their vintage will realise that this is the 1980s – but it is only later in the film when Her Majesty telephones the Reagans in Washington, getting Nancy to wake up Ron, that we know we are definitely in the 1980s.

Sophie has insomnia and tends to read under the blanket at the orphanage. Hearing voices one night, she breaks her rules of getting out of bed, looking behind the curtain, going out on the balcony where she sees BFG – who is doing his best to hide in the shadows and disguise himself so that passers-by at the witching hour, 3 am, will not notice him. He takes Sophie with him, escaping far, far north, hopping over rocks and crags and seas to the Land of the Giants, to his rather strange abode, much of which looks like a ship.

Sophie is one of those lively and plucky young girls and, while sometimes afraid, confronts BFG and gets to know him – especially as he protects her from the other Giants, an ugly and motley lot of ogres, who have an appetite for children.

BFG it seems is smaller giant, collector of dreams, distributor and dreams – which leads to his and Sophie’s going back to London, exploring her dream. Suddenly we are outside Buckingham Palace, Sophie on the ledge, her Majesty asleep, woken by her servants only to be confronted by Sophie and BFG. Her Majesty has generally been a good sport and so invites them in, provides a lavish breakfast for the starving Sophie and masses of toast, eggs, and a huge bowl of coffee for BFG.

By this stage, we are well into the swing of Dahl’s imagination and enjoy what are rather outlandish adventures. It also means, adults having to return to childhood attitudes, for everyone, including the Queen and the corgis, drinking BFG’s special drink where the bubbles go down instead of up – which means that everyone does not burp, but you know what… And the results must be one of the biggest fart sequences in cinema.

There is some more action and special effects, helicopters and SAS types following BFG and Sophie back to the Land of the Giants and a huge roundup so that everyone is safe from the poor old giants. BFG is content and Sophie finds her dream coming true.

Since a lot of the adults taking their children to see The BFG will have read Dahl during their young days, it probably means that both younger and older audiences will be satisfied.

1. The popularity of Roald Dahl and his stories, imagination, the novels, his screenplays, television work?

2. Steven Spielberg, his long career, imagination, interest in entertainment for children?

3. The impact of the film for children, larger-than-life, Sophie and identifying with her, her adventures, dangers, success? The appeal for adults, and the appeal to the imagination?

4. The special effects, 1980s London, the orphanage, visual presentation of the Giants, the Land of the Giants? BFG’s home, in action, the big fart sequence, the finale, the pursuit of the Giants, the helicopters and rounding them up? Audiences involved in the action?

5. Sophie, in the orphanage, loss of her parents, the strict matron collecting the mail, Sophie and the mail, reading in bed, wearing glasses, the noises, getting out of bed, seeing the BFG?

6. The BFG, Mark Rylance and his performance, voice, his vocabulary and mixing up words? In London, collecting dreams, taking dreams, his taking children, orphans? Seeing him in the street, his disguise, appearance, hiding? His going home, leaping over the rocks?

7. The Land of the Giants, BFG’s home, like a ship, the food in the kitchen, the bedroom, ordinary life? The other giants, ogres, their appearance, the visit to BFG, the issue of food?

8. Sophie, her reactions, fear? Talking with BFG, wanting to escape, staying? The details of life in the house, the food, hiding the cucumber…, her clothes?

9. BFG, the audience liking him, his stories about dreams, catching the dreams, distributing them, having Sophie’s dream?

10. The visit to London, outside the palace, knocking on the window, the Queen waking up, her servants? Looking out the window, seeing Sophie, BFG? The Queen’s reaction?

11. Letting BFG in, the palace guards, putting down their guns? The commander, his role with the Queen and etiquette? Mary, service of the Queen? The huge breakfast? The
Queen and her manners, Sophie and the meal? BFG and the enormous amount of food, toast, eggs, cup of coffee – his eating, enjoying it?

12. The drink, the problem of bubbles going down, the consequence of not burping but farting? The rather spectacular fart sequence?

13. The decision to go to the Land of Giants, to prevent them taking children? The helicopters, following BFG and his leaping over the rocks and the sea? Going to the north? Confronting the Giants, their dreams and BFG distributing them, their being rounded up, their survival on the faraway rock?

14. The ending, BFG and his being happy? Sophie and her return to the palace and the care of the adults?