MORDBRANNARAN/ THE ARSONIST.

Sweden, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Krister Henriksson, Charlotta Jonsson, Christoffer Nordenrot.
Directed by Charlotte Brandstrom.

In the Swedish version of Wallander, Krister Henriksson plays Wallander in twenty-six episodes, the first in 2005, the second in 2009/10. He is a contrast with Kenneth Branagh who portrayed Wallander in six British/Swedish telemovies.

The Swedish film is much more ordinary in its presentation of police work in Sweden, contrasting with the Branagh version where he is a tortured soul and the film focuses on his own personal crises, relationship with his father and his daughter, his anguishing over his work and its implications.

Wallander seems a much more ordinary person in this film, laughing a great deal more than does his Branagh counterpart. The team is there working with him as well.

The films are interesting police stories in themselves, as well as Swedish interpretations of the novels by Henning Mankell.
The Arsonist is a more straightforward story and mystery. it was the penultimate television film for the Swedish series.

On the one hand, Wallander is beginning to forget, showing signs of dementia, concerned about it, going to the doctor, finely telling his daughter who accepts his condition. His working with his daughter in the police investigations along with members of the staff from the previous films. He is also involved with a teacher in the town.

A teenager was arrested for arson and served five years in jail. On his release, the townspeople are against him, fearful, prejudiced. This is true of a teacher who puts posters around the town against him. But it is two young men who are hostile, bashing, setting fire to a kiosk which results in death and blame for Tom. While he is vindicated, he finally sets himself alight.

1. The opening, fires? The husband and wife, putting the fires out? Suspicions of Tom?

2. The title, straightforward? Tom as an arsonist, and not a pyromaniac? As a boy, with the teacher, his getting revenge? The arrest, the five years imprisonment? his getting out, his sister taking him in, her husband being suspicious, the townspeople not wanting him there?

3. Wallander, having arrested Tom earlier, on the case, the interviews, his wanting to support Tom, his suspicions of characters in the town?

4. Wallander and his health, the beginnings of forgetfulness, not knowing where he was, going to the doctor, wary of telling his daughter, his finally telling her, his woman friend, the bond, at the concert, his imagining himself with her, his reluctance because of his condition?

5. The young men, suspicions, their being taken in, questioned, their violence towards Tom and bashing him? Their taking the side of the townspeople,
wanting to get rid of Tom, setting fire to the kiosk?

6. The teacher, the fire, disfigurement, Tom and his attitude towards her? Her being under suspicion, questioned, taken in, watching the fires? Her putting up the posters against Tom?

7. The man in the kiosk, his receipt refusing to serve Tom, Tom and his threats, the fight? The burning of the kiosk, his death?

8. Tom, with his nephew, explaining the flame-throwing, the reaction of the boy’s father? His lying about the fuel?

9. Tom, desperate, with the petrol, with the boy, letting him go, setting himself alight?

10. More straightforward wild understory, solution, but the added pathos of Wallander’s physical and mental condition?

WALK OF SHAME


US, 2014, 95 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs, Sarah Wright, Ethan Suplee, Bill Burr, Alphonso Mc Auley.
Directed by Steven Brill.

Walk of Shame is a star vehicle for Elizabeth Banks, who, since the early 2000s, has had an increasingly successful career in films, showing herself a versatile actress and comedian, as well as moving into direction, especially with Pitch Perfect 2.

Here she plays a TV anchor who has the possibility of a better job after a successful audition. When she receives news that the other candidate has been chosen, she gets depressed, allows two of her ditzy friends to take her out to a club, dressing her in a provocative yellow dress, her getting drunk, and finding herself locked out of the club and dependent on the bartender, a sympathetic James Marsden. They spend the night together.

This is a film about the morning after. When she receives a phone call that the other candidate has been excluded because of a bad reputation, she goes to hurry to the studio, only to find herself locked out of the apartment, her card towed away. This leads to a range of dangers, difficulties and adventures in the city streets, dressed only in the yellow dress, thought of as a prostitute by the police and by the prostitutes themselves, encountering a gruff taxi driver, getting caught up in a crack house but finding the inhabitants friendly, especially a young man who recognises her from the television.

Eventually, she is able to make some phone calls and her friends set out to look for her. In the meantime, she tries to sell some drugs to get some money for a taxi, has a huge clash with a taxi driver – and ironically encounters him again when she tries to hide doing massages in a parlour. A little boy wants to see her breasts in exchange for lending him her bicycle. She is chased by the police and eventually crosses the freeway, gets herself back to the studio, goes into make up, and then tells her story very frankly on the evening news – with the result that the executives think she would be good for reality TV investigations.

There are a number of amusing situations – with touches of the raunchy.

1. An American urban story, television channels, clubs and bars, the streets overnight? Locations, the streets and the variety of characters, ordinary characters, drug dealers, police?

2. The title, the focus on Meaghan Miles, her squeaky-clean image, her ambitions, on television, the news, her agent, the audition for the new job, a good impression, hearing that the other candidate was preferred? Her girlfriends, their support, taking her out, their ditzy behaviour, the yellow dress, provocative, her drinking, letting go, Gordon at the bar, locked out, Gordon helping her, but not wanting her to drive, taking her home, the night together?

3. The morning after, her regrets, locked outside, the car disappeared, her purse in the car? Not remembering phone numbers? Ringing and leaving messages?

4. The early hours of the morning, in the dress, having heard the news that the other candidate had been excluded, her desperately wanting to get to the television studio?

5. The comedy of wandering the city, without money, identification, ability to phone?

6. The variety of people she met, hiding with the dress, the presumption that she was a prostitute, the car stopping and the man driving off, the other women and sending her away? Her protests? The taxi driver and wanting her to do lap dances – and his reappearing at the massage parlour?

7. In the crack house, the three men, wary, suspicious that she was the police, her gradually explaining things? Pookie and recognising her from the television, his praise of her? The other men believing her? Helping? Pookie giving her the drugs? Her trying to gain some money by selling them in the park, the man apprehensive?

8. The police, the encounter, not believing her, at the end of their time, conscientious, giving her warnings? The officer and his sending them out again? The information to the media, ‘the woman in the yellow dress’?

9. The range of other people she met, the boy with the bike, his wanting to see her breasts, taking the bike, the pursuit, the police?

10. Her friends, confronting Gordon, checking out the truth, the GPS, their all searching? Finding her, helping?

11. The television, the reporter in the helicopter, the past conversations with him on air, his attitudes, dumb?

12. The old lady, helping her to cross the freeway, eventually getting to the studio, the phone calls? Make up, transforming her? The executives and their being interested in her, a reality TV show?

13. Decisions and consequences – and the humorous style of the film with the raunchy touches?

WILD TALES/ RELATOS SELVAJES

Argentina, 2014, 122 minutes, Colour.
Leonardo Sbaraglia, Walter Donado, Ricardo Darin, Rita Cortese.
Directed by Damian Szifron.

Wild Tales was the official entry by Argentina for the 2014 Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film.

The film certainly lives up to its title, and not just one tale, but six. They are not related by characters or situations, but are linked as stories of some kind of revenge.

The audience is immediately put in the mood with the opening pre-credit story, called Pasternak. While it starts simply enough, two people on a plane chatting across the aisle, others start to be involved in the conversation, listening in, making connections, until it emerges that the whole planeload of people, including the steward, have all been in contact with a man called Pasternak, using him, exploiting him, mocking him. And then they are informed that he is in the cockpit and has locked the door. Then we see the plane veering towards an elderly couple sitting in their backyard, the plane getting ever closer.

This story sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Each of the stories is nicely self-contained and each of them works well as a short story. The second one is called Rats. Again, a straightforward story in an isolated diner on stormy night with a waitress recognising the gruff guest as someone who has destroyed her family. The cook observes this from the kitchen and suggest rat poison. The waitress does not want this and is caught in some dilemmas when the cook actually puts the poison in the food. And the man’s son arrives and eats some of it. Again, complications arise, with the cook intervening.

Anyone who has been tempted to road rage will relish the third story, The Strongest. An impatient driver in a remote part of the country (with intriguingly beautiful barren scenery) tries to overtake a driver who impedes him. When the first driver gets a flat tyre, one can anticipate what is going to happen – an increasingly vigorous and violent exercise of road rage with dire results, although they are presented in a comic fashion.

Two other stories are city-set. One, Little Bomb, concerns a skilful engineer who oversees the implosion of a large building, goes to get his daughter’s birthday cake and finds his car towed away. This leads to all kinds of heated arguments, threats, alienation from his wife and daughter, until he decides to take vengeance into his own hands, targeting the towed car area – although there is something of a happy ending, even though he ends up in prison! The other story concerns prison, The Proposal, when a young man’s car hits a pregnant woman, kills her. He wants to confess but his wealthy father decides to pay a groundsman to take his place, having to fork out more and more to the groundsman as well as to the lawyer.

The final story, Until Death Do Us Part, is quite farcical, a very, very happy wedding reception, everything being photographed, the bride absolutely exhilarated until she notices the groom talking to a young woman, get suspicious, creates a scene, walks out of the reception onto the roof, goes into a clinch with a workman, comes to hate her husband, wanting to destroy him, much to the embarrassment of the in-laws as well as the wedding guests.It certainly does not end up in the way that we might have anticipated.

The films are all well-scripted, well-photographed, both dramatic and comic. An insight into Argentina, its people, its emotional issues and how they handle them.

1. An Argentinian perspective on life? Oscar nomination, 2014? acclaim?

2. The title? The film living up to the title, each story?

3. The Argentinian background, city stories, countryside, the mountains and scenery? The interiors, the wedding reception?

4. The six stories and one leading into the other?

5. Desperate situations, revenge and its variations?

6. Pasternak: the two people chatting across the aisle, people overhearing the conversation, everybody claiming to know Pasternak? The links, people exploiting him, using him, mocking him? The variety of jobs? The revelation of Pasternak in the cockpit? The couple in the garden – and the plane crashing down?

7. Rats: the diner, the remote area, the two women, the rain and the weather, the visitor, his sordid background, lending money, cruelty towards people, causing their deaths? His abrupt manner? Wanting to be Mayor? Ordering his meal, arrogance towards the waitress? The cook, her conversation with the young woman? The rat poison? Her having been in prison, the waitress’s reaction, not wanting to kill the man? The cook putting the poison in the food? The woman’s dilemma, warning the man or not? His son’s arrival, eating something, sick, the man’s fight with the woman, the cook and her knife, the police – and taking her away to prison?

8. The Strongest: An entertaining and ironic story of road rage? The driver, impatient, the vehicle blocking his way? The remoteness, the mountains, the highway? The flat tyre? The driver catching up, the man in the car, afraid? Ringing for the police? Pushing the truck into the water over the cliff? The driver’s return, himself going over the cliff, onto the other car? Getting the petrol, the driver in stranglehold from the car door? The fire, the two men burning – and the police speculating whether it was an accident of passion?

9. The Little Bomb: The engineer, the building implosion, his skills, going to the shop, his daughter’s birthday, getting the cake? Parking the car? Getting the ticket? Going to get his car back, arguing with the clerk? Protesting there were no yellow lines? Wanting refund for the taxi, for the taking of the car? Going home, his wife’s reaction, the daughter’s reaction at his missing her party? Getting advice, his wife leaving him, packing the car with explosives, the tow truck area blown up? His going to prison, hoping the prisoners and becoming a hero, wife and daughter visiting him?

10. The Proposal: The young man, killing the pregnant woman, her husband wanting vengeance? His talking with his father, the father and his plans, getting the groundskeeper to take the boy’s place, the big payout? Consulting the lawyers, each wanting more money and rewards? The boy wanting to confess? The father relenting, angers?

11. Until Death Do Us Part: The wedding sequence, the joy of the wedding, the photography, the happy couple, dancing, the bride noticing her husband talking with the other woman, her change of mood, reactions, anger? The confrontation? Going to the roof, the cook, explaining his situation, the sexual encounter, wanting to be promiscuous, get all the money from her husband? The in-laws and their presence? The photographer and filming everything? The guests and their bewilderment? The bride looking dishevelled, her return, the husband and his exasperation? His finally coming to her, the reconciliation, the dancing together?

12. Serious themes – with the comic and ironic touches?

ROALD DAHL’S ESIO TROT

UK, 2014, 88 minutes, Colour.
Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman, James Corden, Richard Cordery, Pixie Davies, Jimmie Akingbola, Geoff Mc Givern.
Directed by Dearbhla Walsh.

Roald Dahl has been a popular writer, especially for children – Matilda, the Witches, James and the Giant Peach… This is more a story for adults, with a special appeal for older adults, adults in old age.

It is a simple story, with the device of having a narrator talking to camera, James Corden as he walks around London, travels in buses, talks to his daughter and his family and, eventually, joins in the story at the end. It is the story of Mr Hoppy, played with shyness and wit by Dustin Hoffman. He lives alone, with love for his flowers, attracted by the owner of the unit below him, Mrs Silver, played by Judi Dench. Mr Hoppy would like to declare his love for Mrs Silver but is too shy, encountering her day by day for many years, listening to her stories.

Mr Hoppy has an idea, persuading Mrs Silver to recite a Bedouin incantation each day that would make her tortoise grow bigger. In the meantime, Mr Hoppy buys a number of tortoises, substitutes a bigger tortoise every other day with Mrs Silver believing that Alfie, her tortoise, has grown bigger.

Across the way is the boorish Mr Pringle who invites himself to meals with Mr Hoppy, comes to a meal with Mrs Silver in Mr Hoppy’s flat, which requires Mr Hoppy’s skills as his kitchen is filled with so many tortoises. Ultimately, Pringle precipitates a crisis by returning the original tortoise and making a joke.

While Mrs Silver is upset, she then confides in Mr Hoppy that she has had a crush on him – and there is a happy ever after.

1. The popularity of Roald Dahl stories? His imagination? The children? For adults?

2. The title – and tortoise spelt backwards, Esio Trot?

3. The musical background, the Louis Armstrong songs?

4. The narrator, his tone, walking around London, confiding to camera, in the buses, his daughter, going home, the family, sitting down, the personal involvement in the story?

Mr Hoppy, Dustin Hoffman, American background, in London, shy, living alone, love for his flowers? The encounter with Mrs Silver, in the lift, getting close to her, in love with her, listening to her talking? The intrusion of Mr Pringle, neighbour, his listening in? Inviting himself to meals? The meetings with Mrs Silver, the collage of the four different seasons? Their talk, over the years? Mrs Silver, getting the tortoise, Alfie? Sharing ideas with Mr Poppy? His sponsoring her for the dancing marathon? Inviting her to dinner, Mr Pringle, her enjoying the meal? Christmas?

5. The situation with the tortoise, Mrs Silver wanting Alfie to grow? Mr Poppy going to the shop, the discussions about pets? Getting all the tortoises? His ideas about substituting them and Mrs Silver thinking that Alfie was growing bigger? The different tortoises, eventually the tortoise not being able to get in the door of his little house?

6. Mrs Silver and her character, living alone, the widow, lively, the tortoises, Alfie and her loving the tortoise, its growing? Sharing, the dance, wanting Mr Hoppy to dance? Coming to dinner, and enjoying it? Mr Hoppy not allowing them into the kitchen because of all the tortoises? Believing Mr Hoppy and the problem and the incantation for the tortoise?

7. Mr Pringle, the neighbour, wanting others’ life stories but telling his own, eating, the hors d’oeuvre and the tortoise’s poo? Bombastic?

8. Mr Hoppy, the sudden proposal, the proposal interrupted? Pringle, his bringing Alfie back? His jokes?

9. Mrs Silver, the reaction, Mr Hoppy and the pathos, his decision to move away? Or lowering the rose for Mrs Silver? Her returning it, her confession of her long attraction, the flashbacks and her engineering the situations? Her saying yes to the proposal?

10. The wedding, the narrator and his family, everybody happy?

HONOUR

UK, 2012, 104 minutes, Colour.
Aiysha Hart, Paddy Considine, Faraz Ayub, Shubham Saraf, Harvey Virdi.
Directed by Shan Khan.

Honour takes up the theme of the deaths of women in Asian families, women who are considered to a shame the family. An epilogue to this film indicates that 5000 women are killed each year for these reasons.

The setting is London, the suburb of Southall, and the Pakistani community. The film shows a very strict family, speaking Urdu at home, watching Pakistani television programs. The father is dead, the mother is a strict disciplinarian, the older brother, despite working as a policeman in the area and fitting in, he is fanatic in his devotion to traditions. The younger brother is caught up in all of this but is basically unwilling.

The focus is on Mona, the young woman in a relationship and pregnant, planning to move away with the man, though he backs out because of comments by family and friends. Mona’s mother and brother strangle her and put her in a box, take it out into the countryside to bury her. But, she is not dead, and flees to a refuge in central London.

The other main character is a bounty hunter, initially white supremacist, played by Paddy Considine, who is employed by the family to track Mona down. He himself was in crisis, wanting to move out from his work and change perspective, finding Mona, sheltering her, giving false information to the family. However, there is a final rooftop confrontation, shootings leaving Mona to get out of England, going to a home that the bounty hunter had bought and bequeathed to her.

The film will be received in different ways by particular audiences, Pakistani British audience reacting to their own experiences, other British audiences thinking about different traditions and applications of law.

Some of the sequences are particularly vivid, especially the attempt on Mona’s life, as well as some melodrama of the final rooftop shootings.

1. The title, families, Pakistani backgrounds? Asian traditions? In the United Kingdom?

2. The atmosphere of London, Southall, the homes, the streets, the use of language, Urdu television, Customs? Within the context of ordinary traditional British life? The shops, the police, the butcher, the refuges? The feel of the situation? The musical score?

3. Audience reaction to the honour theme? The final information about 5000 girls killed each year by their families? The nature of these traditions, in relationship to the law? Misogyny? Women as victims? For honour’s sake?

4. Mona, her life, her brothers, the stern mother, memories of her dead father? Her relationship, boyfriend, pregnancy? The plan, her packing, meeting with the fiance, his opting out? Going home, watching the television, the talk? Her brother and mother and the attempt to strangle her? Her emptying the box, her being put in the box?

5. The character of the mother, hard, assisting in the attempted killing? The older brother, his severity, use of Urdu, use of English, colloquial and swearing? The youngest brother, caught, reluctant?

6. The bounty hunter, his history, his tatoo, White supremacist? His work, commissions, the liaison’s with the Pakistani community? The money for searching for Mona, his detecting skills, his associates? The pursuit, finding Mona? His talking with the family, the brother seeking him out in offering more money, his opting out?

7. The box, taken into the countryside for burial, the two brothers, the shovels? Mona and her being alive, the attack with the knife, her escape, the pursuit? In the city, the streets, going to the refuge? Hungry, the diners? The bounty hunter finding her, rescued from the thugs? Her seeing her photo in his pocket, going to the toilet, the pursuit, the chase throughout London, his catching her, their talking, her story, his story? About his mother? The photo of him as a baby with his mother?

8. The confrontation, the bounty hunter giving Mona shelter, bringing the heart to the home, the response of the family, taking it to the butcher?

9. The portrait of the older brother, his police work, tough, the pursuits, finding the bounty hunter, his threats?

10. The bounty hunter, in the house, the decision to leave, the plan to go abroad with Mona? The picture of his house?

11. The brother arriving, Mona going to the roof, the brother and his attempt to force her to jump, the shootings, deaths? The bounty hunter’s final words? The bequest of his house to Mona?

12. The racist young people at the beginning on the train, accosting the passengers? Appearing at the end with Mona, her challenge to them?

SAN ANDREAS

US, 2015, 114 minutes, Colour.
Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Paul Giamatti, Hugo Johnston-Burt?, Heart Parkinson, Kylie Minogue.
Directed by Brad Peyton.

Yes, all the reviews and conversation have made cracks (!) about faults (!) in this earthquake disaster movie. But, that is what it set out to be, and that is what it does - reminding the oldies in the audience of the 70s, Towering Infernos on fire and collapsing, underwater swimming in the Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake..

If you are in any way apprehensive about earthquakes and being trapped in one, this is definitely the film not to see. There is no let-up throughout almost two hours of action – a moment or two every now and then for some of the human interactions but then it is into more quakes, more after-shocks, more buildings collapsing, more fires starting, a great tsunami on San Francisco Bay, then flooding…

One would suppose that San Andreas will have an Oscar nomination for Special Effects (rather than for screenplay and dialogue, some of which is more in the line of the Razzie nominations). The point is that they look particularly realistic, with scenes of Los Angeles collapsing, with scenes of San Francisco collapsing, comparatively lesser destruction in Bakersfield – and a huge canyon opening along the San Andreas fault itself. And there is a pounding score to match.

One of the main surprises for those who read the final credits is to discover that the bulk of the film was made at the Gold Coast Studios in Queensland, with the special effects work and editing done in the United States.

With other disaster films in this vein, the human story tends to be fairly predictable. In this one, we own are introduced to some veterans of helicopter rescues in Afghanistan showing their skills in quite a predicament as a car goes over a cliff above the San Fernando Valley. But with Dwayne Johnson at the controls, there are only momentary doubts, if any, that all will not succeed. The human story focuses on him, his grief after the accidental death of his daughter some years earlier, his inability to communicate, his wife leaving him in frustration, his older daughter still keeping in touch with him.

On the other hand, for the scientific part of the film, which is more credible, there is the always-reliable Paul Giamatti at Caltech, working with his staff for models of gauging the predictability of earthquakes from tremors, especially in California and along the famous fault. His assistant goes to the Hoover Dam when suddenly, only 15 minutes into the film, there is the first of the huge quakes and the extraordinary destruction of the famous Dam. Then ominous readings are found and news of further quakes. The Professor is able to hack into television channels to warn the country and, especially, the state and its two major cities, that they are to expect the worst.

Audiences would not be expecting to find that Dwayne Johnson is able to rescue his former wife, Carla Gugino, so immediately from the top of an LA restaurant and together, first by helicopter, then by car, then by plane, and eventually by boat on San Francisco Bay, they go in search of their daughter (a lively Alexandra Daddario), who is in the company of the young British engineer (Australian Hugo Johnstone-Burt) who is to be interviewed for a job and his teenage brother (Art Parkinson).

So, we follow the younger trio through all kinds of adventures, risks, the daughter using her father’s experience and ingenuity to make contact and to keep them going to the highest point available.

It goes without saying there are some final dramatic, melodramatic tense moments before the final rescue and Dwayne Johnson utters words about: re-building.

Yes, the screenwriter might have made a more imaginative fist of the human story and the dialogue, but it certainly takes a second place to two hours of extraordinary effects which persuade the audience that they are right there experiencing tremors, quakes and after-shocks.

1. The impact of the film? In the disaster film tradition, especially from the 1970s? Audiences identifying with the situations, the characters, the dangers?

2. The credibility of the plot, the San Andreas fault, the explanations and diagrams in the film, through California, for Los Angeles, San Francisco, the opening up of the canyon on the fault? The Hoover Dam, Nevada, the destruction?

3. The special effects, no let up, with the Dam, with all the quakes in Los Angeles, the after-shocks? Buildings collapsing, fires, the sooner army, the flooding of San Francisco? The cumulative impact?

4. The human story, introduction to Ray and his fellow-workers, skills, the background in Afghanistan and the rescues, the dangers? Ray’s personal story, separation from his wife, his love for Blake, the death of the younger daughter and his not accepting it? His previous love for Emma? The divorce papers, going to visit, meeting Daniel, moving in? His accepting the situation? Blake flying to San Francisco with Daniel? His going on leave? The introduction to Blake, waiting in the office, meeting Ben, Ollie? Her being trapped in the car, Daniel leaving, Ben and Ollie and the journey with Blake? Ray the helicopter, finding Emma, going to the roof, the rescue, the crash of the helicopter, the drive, the canyon, the plane, leaving it to go out to sea with no fuel? The boat? Sailing around the city, the experience of the tsunami? The final rescue?

5. Blake, her relationship with her mother, with Ray, with Daniel? His leaving her? Ben hearing him about the car, he and Ollie going to her rescue, he shrewdness in using the Jack, lifting the car and the stone? The resourcefulness of each one? Blake relying on her experiences with her father? The phone, going to the store, the batteries, the connections? Moving towards the high ground, Coit Tower and its destruction, moving to Nob Hill, the buildings continuing to fall, the water, in the high building, Ben’s injury and Blake looking after it? The glass partition, seeing Ray and Emma, coming to the rescue, Blake almost drowning, reviving her?

6. Daniel, his character, architect, the buildings, the type, fear, leaving, pushing people aside, killed on the bridge?

7. The film’s focus on individuals, the background of people, dying, surviving?

8. The Professor, Kim, the tests, the modelling for predictions? Kim going to the Hoover Dam, the sudden quake, the destruction, rescuing the little girl, his death? Going back to the laboratories, the television interview, the growing amount of information, the need for warning people, hacking into the television, the interview and the warnings – and the gratitude that people were warned in time?

9. The effect of the experience, the blend of the familiar with the vividness of the special effects and a sense of realism?

LARGO WINCH II/ THE BURMA CONSPIRACY

France, 2011, 119 minutes, Colour.
Tomer Sisley, Sharon Stone, Ulrich Tukur, Mame Nakprasitte, Olivier Barthelemy, Laurent Terzieff, Nicholas Vaude, Clemens Schick.
Directed by Jerome Salle.

In 2008, the original Largo Winch film was released, based on comic books by Hamme and Franq. It was a blend of realism with comic book heroics, a story of an orphan, selected in Eastern Europe by a man who was to become a multimillionaire director of the company but who was murdered and leaves his fortune and the companies to the orphan son.

The young man is seen in Brazil, imprisoned, making an escape and returning to Hong Kong so that he can take charge of the company. Various members of the board, especially the deputy, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, are against him. But, he eventually wins out, taking over in dismissing the deputy.

The sequel is something of a prequel, tracing the history already known about the orphan, but situating him for several months in Burma, where he mixes with the locals, is in a relationship – and it is later revealed that they have a child. When there is a massacre in the village, organised by a rogue general, clearing the area so that international companies can come in to mine nickel, a United Nations representative decides to arrest Largo Winch and charge with crimes against humanity.

Once again, Toma Sisley is Largo Winch. The surprise is that the United Nations prosecutor is played by Sharon Stone, drawing on her sexy image as well as her tough stances and investigations. Also in the background is a mysterious presence, played by veteran actor, Laurent Terzieff, looking particularly drawn and emaciated.

A lot of the action takes place in Burma, interesting in terms of Largo Winch’s presence, and his return to vindicate himself, after he has been denounced by the young woman. The MC on his yacht is sent to find an adventurer who had been a chauffeur for a European entrepreneur sent to Burma to facilitate the mining deals. Winch himself is able to confront the general and vindicate himself in the eyes of the United Nations.

Once again, the director is Jerome Salle.

1. The impact of the original film? The impact of the sequel? The continuity between each film?

2. The title, the emphasis on Burma? Largo and his presence there, the plot for the nickel mining, the general, the massacre, the shooting of the European entrepreneur, the consequences, the accusations, Largo’s return?

3. The Burmese locations, the jungle, the beauty? Hong Kong, Geneva? Colourful? The musical score?

4. Action sequences, stunt work, the fights, the chases? Explosions? The final freefall and parachuting? Credibility?

5. Largo and his background, his father, the orphan, his growing up, his father’s search for him, the plan, his being the heir? His being in Burma, living in the village, the girl, the relationship? His inheriting the company? His plans?

6. The Burmese sequences, life in the village, the girl, having the child? The general and the brutality of the attack? His shooting the European? Simon, the chauffeur, the military attacking him, Largo saving his life? The escape?

7. Diane Frank, Sharon Stone, her assistant? The United Nations, her private life and sexual behaviour? Prosecutor, the agents, the arrest of Largo, meeting with him, the girl and her testimony, the note in his pocket? The charges, the escape? His continuing his vindication of himself? The bank account, the codeword, Pandora? Diane listening in, the evidence? Her statements on television? The sending of the seven dollars, to get attention? Her announcement about his guilt, the confrontation, his rescuing her, the shootout? The final announcement on television?

8. Alexandre and Largo, the friendship with his father, the old man, listening to the situation, offering his help, contacts? The continued support? The revelation of the truth, his hatred and jealousy, his motivations, the death of his son, orchestrating the takeover, the sending of the assassins, the final confrontation and the building, the threats to Diane and, his death?

9. Thomas, in Burma, Simon driving him, the deal, the General, his being executed? His corruption? The revelation that Alexandre was his father?

10. Simon, his life, as a driver? Gauthier and his manner on the yacht, his fastidious serving of drinks? His travelling Asia, tracking Simon down? The variety of locations, in the jungle, in Thailand? The success of his mission?

11. Largo, his inheritance, wanting to sell inheritance, to make a foundation, to help eliminate poverty in the world? Cochrane, official, the discussions, the price? The central Asian entrepreneur, crooked, the assumptions that he was the villain?

12. The killers, the attack, Simon and Largo taking the pilots, on the plane, with the assassins, the phone calls, the fight – and the elaborate skydiving?

13. The General, his greed, holding the baby for ransom, the pressure on the girl, her note to Largo, his return, finding her, the truth, that his father was not involved in the massacre? The general and his men, the plan, the fighting, the shooting? The girl dead? Largo taking the child?

14. The humane touches, the child, Largo and his love of the child? A satisfactory resolution?

ROALD DAHL’S ESIO TORT

UK, 2014, 88 minutes, Colour.
Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman, James Corden, Richard Cordery, Pixie Davies, Jimmie Akingbola, Geoff Mc Givern.
Directed by Dearbhla Walsh.

Roald Dahl has been a popular writer, especially for children – Matilda, the Witches, James and the Giant Peach… This is more a story for adults, with a special appeal for older adults, adults in old age.

It is a simple story, with the device of having a narrator talking to camera, James Corden as he walks around London, travels in buses, talks to his daughter and his family and, eventually, joins in the story at the end. It is the story of Mr Hoppy, played with shyness and wit by Dustin Hoffman. He lives alone, with love for his flowers, attracted by the owner of the unit below him, Mrs Silver, played by Judi Dench. Mr Hoppy would like to declare his love for Mrs Silver but is too shy, encountering her day by day for many years, listening to her stories.

Mr Hoppy has an idea, persuading Mrs Silver to recite a Bedouin incantation each day that would make her tortoise grow bigger. In the meantime, Mr Hoppy buys a number of tortoises, substitutes a bigger tortoise every other day with Mrs Silver believing that Alfie, her tortoise, has grown bigger.

Across the way is the boorish Mr Pringle who invites himself to meals with Mr Hoppy, comes to a meal with Mrs Silver in Mr Hoppy’s flat, which requires Mr Hoppy’s skills as his kitchen is filled with so many tortoises. Ultimately, Pringle precipitates a crisis by returning the original tortoise and making a joke.

While Mrs Silver is upset, she then confides in Mr Hoppy that she has had a crush on him – and there is a happy ever after.

1. The popularity of Roald Dahl stories? His imagination? The children? For adults?

2. The title – and tortoise spelt backwards, Esio Tort?

3. The musical background, the Louis Armstrong songs?

4. The narrator, his tone, walking around London, confiding to camera, in the buses, his daughter, going home, the family, sitting down, the personal involvement in the story?
Mr Hoppy, Dustin Hoffman, American background, in London, shy, living alone, love for his flowers? The encounter with Mrs Silver, in the lift, getting close to her, in love with her, listening to her talking? The intrusion of Mr Pringle, neighbour, his listening in? Inviting himself to meals? The meetings with Mrs Silver, the collage of the four different seasons? Their talk, over the years? Mrs Silver, getting the tortoise, Alfie? Sharing ideas with Mr Poppy? His sponsoring her for the dancing marathon? Inviting her to dinner, Mr Pringle, her enjoying the meal? Christmas?

5. The situation with the tortoise, Mrs Silver wanting Alfie to grow? Mr Poppy going to the shop, the discussions about pets? Getting all the tortoises? His ideas about substituting them and Mrs Silver thinking that Alfie was growing bigger? The different tortoises, eventually the tortoise not being able to get in the door of his little house?

6. Mrs Silver and her character, living alone, the widow, lively, the tortoises, Alfie and her loving the tortoise, its growing? Sharing, the dance, wanting Mr Hoppy to dance? Coming to dinner, and enjoying it? Mr Hoppy not allowing them into the kitchen because of all the tortoises? Believing Mr Hoppy and the problem and the incantation for the tortoise?

7. Mr Pringle, the neighbour, wanting others’ life stories but telling his own, eating, the hors d’oeuvre and the tortoise’s poo? Bombastic?

8. Mr Hoppy, the sudden proposal, the proposal interrupted? Pringle, his bringing Alfie back? His jokes?

9. Mrs Silver, the reaction, Mr Hoppy and the pathos, his decision to move away? Or lowering the rose for Mrs Silver? Her returning it, her confession of her long attraction, the flashbacks and her engineering the situations? Her saying yes to the proposal?

10. The wedding, the narrator and his family, everybody happy?

DOT THE I

UK is this 2003, 92 minutes, Colour.
Gael Garcia Bernal, Natalia Verbeke, James D' Arcy, Tom Hardy, Charlie Cox.
Directed by Matthew Parkhill.

For the first part of this film, audiences may be in a take-it-or-leave-it frame of mind. It seems ordinary enough. James D’ Arcy portrays a seemingly agreeable in a relationship with a rather feisty waitress – and, before their wedding, she goes to a fancy dress party, the girls dressed as men, where she indulges in a pre-marriage tradition and has a kiss from someone in the restaurant. This character is played by Gael Garcia Bernal. The kiss is rather intense and the two begin an affair. When the man finds out, he dismisses the young woman.

At which stage there is a rather extraordinary surprise, making audiences think about the first part of the film again. James D’ Arcy this time it emerges as an ambitious filmmaker, setting up a scenario, auditioning the young man who is to kiss the fiancee, all as part of a film that he is making, with the help of two associates, played by Tom Hardy in a very early role and Charlie Cox. While the whole thing is contrived, it does have an effect on the young man who continues the relationship. The young woman, however, does not know what has been happening and on discovering the truth is upset.

The film concludes with the Premiere of the film, its acclaim, the filmmaker arriving, hoping for an award, his two associates doing some publicity at the door and being filmed. The filmmaker arrives with the young woman, with Gael Garcia Bernal looking on. Then there is quite some melodrama with eventual resolution of the plot.

The film is average in many ways – although the twist probably moves it towards above-average.

1. This film as drama, as romance? The ordinary, the twist, surprise?

2. Life in Britain, ordinary, homes, bars, diners, studios? The musical score?

3. The title – and the explanation at the end, its meaning in Barnaby’s complete plot?

4. First impressions, Barnaby, pleasant, loving, relationship with Carmen, the proposal, engagement?

5. Carmen, engaged, the relationship with Barnaby, the party and women dressed in suits, Kit, the device of the party and the kiss? The attraction, meeting, the affair? The consequences? Barnaby discovering the truth, Carmen being abandoned? Barnaby and his being hurt? The credibility of this part of the film?

6. Kit, Tom and Theo, the chat, at the bar, the kiss, the bonding? The effect on his friends?

7. The revelation of the truth, the true character of Barnaby, his plan, making the film, the plot, wanting real life? His auditioning Kit? With Tom and Theo? Luring Kit to be part of the plot, working on Carmen, her not knowing the plot? The diner, the boss, her work, assertive, the relationship, being fired? Kit, the kiss, being part of the film? Kit in the know? The effect, Carmen and love?

8. The revelation about the film, Barnaby, Carmen and her response? Going away?

9. The Premiere, Tom and Theo, filming, speaking to microphone, the purpose of the publicity? Barnaby’s arrival, with Carmen, Kit watching? Barnaby with Carmen? The announcement, going to the stage, Barnaby and satisfaction, Carmen shooting him?

10. Kit and Carmen at the end? The impression of the film in the light of the twist?

FOREVER MINE

US, 1999, 115 minutes, Colour.
Joseph Fiennes, Ray Liotta, Gretchen Mol, Vincent Laresca.
Directed by Paul Schrader.

Forever Mine is an odd film from writer-director, Paul Schrader who had a significant career in the 1970s into the 1980s with writing such films for Martin Scorsese as Mean Streets and Taxi Driver. Schrader himself moved into directing in the late 1970s with Blue Collar and Hardcore. He also wrote the screenplay, again for Scorsese, for The Last Temptation of Christ.

Admired as a film critic and writer, especially his study of transcendence in cinema, his later career was mixed with this kind of film, success with The Walker, and then the bizarre Lindsay Lohan film, The Canyons.

This film has several time levels, the 1980s in a resort the Florida, with Ray Liotta and his trophy wife, Gretchen Mol. Joseph Fiennes plays a cabana boy who becomes infatuated with the wife and they begin an affair, the husband arranging for the cabana boy to be shot.

The other time level is the 1990s, with the cabana boy surviving, having face surgery, becoming a significant and mysterious Latin American banker, with the other cabana boy as his associate. They travel to New York City, allegedly to give advice to Liotta, but also to see his wife again. There are complications on the legal and financial level, another attempted killing, as well as a romantic pair reuniting to fulfil the title, Forever Mine.

1. An American melodrama? Romance? Credible?

2. Paul Schrader and his career? Writer, director? The poor response to this film?

3. Florida, wealthy hotels and resorts? Exotic? New York, wealthy homes, politics, the law? Crime and violence? The musical score?

4. The title, the romantic tone?

5. The opening in the plane, Alan and his companion, the disfigurement to his face, talking, his friend and his being chatty with the passengers?

6. The flashbacks, the role of the cabana boys at the hotel, Alan’s age, experience, studies, surface, the discussions with his friend, the background of drugs, dealing, prison? Seeing Ella come out of the water? His infatuation, talking to his friend, Ella’s attention, the beginning of the affair, in view, the effect, continuing?

7. Ella, the marriage, difficulties, her relationship with Mark, her response to Alan?

8. Mark, the trophy bride, business, his self-assurance, looking down on Alan?

9. The thugs, the trap, shooting Alan, throwing him into the building site, covered? His getting out?

10. 13 years passing, little explanation, the surgery to his face, his becoming wealthy, the bank, Javier as his associate? Offering advice to Mark? Mark as a client? The changes, Mark recognising him? The meetings, the lawyer, advice?

11. Alan, his change of name, his accent, the bank, the law?

12. Javier, his past, the drugs, the money, prepared for risks? The encounter with Mark’s thug, following him, the tanning machine, killing him, the threat to the receptionist?

13. Alan, the encounters with Ella, not recognising him, her having told Mark all about the affair, Mark having read his letters? Ella lonely, reading to the elderly, courses,?

14. Alan, his approach, her being uncomfortable, reaction?

15. Alan going to the house, leaving the chain, Ella returning, quoting his past sayings, the recognition, resumption of love, the affair, love forever?

16. The plan to go away, leaving, Mark finding them, confronting Alan, the fight, shooting, the wounds, Ella and her arrival?

17. The open ending, Mark and his having been shot, Ella and attending Alan? Would Alan recover?