THE REMORSEFUL DAY

UK, 2000, 90 minutes, Colour.
John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Meg Davies, Eddie Webber, Anna Wilson- Jones, Paul Freeman, Clare Holman, James Grout, T.P.McKenna, Jesse Birdsall.
Directed by Jack Gold.

This is the final episode in the Inspector Morse series, based on novels by Colin Dexter, popular television from the late 1980s, into the 1990s and some later episodes, including this one in 2000. Actor John Thaw was to die soon after.

In some of the previous episodes, Morse was beginning to show signs of age and ill-health. This comes to a head, with Morse in hospital, but able to contribute to the solving of a case. Lewis had been missing from the previous film, but comes to be with Morse, help in the detection, farewell Morse very touchingly and with Morse finally expressing his appreciation for Lewis.

The case is complicated, the murder of a rather promiscuous woman, with her husband as the main suspect. It is in the context of academia in Oxford as well as some ordinary suburban liaisons.

Some killings follow, with the revelation of blackmail and the accidental death of the blackmailer.

As in the whole series, 33 episodes altogether, the atmosphere of Oxford is strong and the murder mystery complex.


1. The popularity of the long-running series? Television movies? With style? The popularity of Morse and his personality, enigmatic and mannered style? The personality of Lewis? Their relationship? The solving of the crimes? Intricacy of the plot? The psychological dimensions, the mystery and clues? Police work and solving the mysteries with their own abilities? The work of Colin Dexter?

2. The Oxford settings, the city and landscapes, the cityscapes, the buildings? Comments about Oxford and Oxford society? The ironies about Oxford and the dons? The university city? Ordinary people? Their interconnections? So much beauty – and so much crime?

3. The quality of the mysteries, character-driven? Sufficient information, sufficient clues? The exploration of character and clues?

4. John Thaw as Morse, his personality, the changes over the years, yet remaining the same? The mystery of his name? His crusty manner, the bachelor (but romantic at times)? His own authority – exercised over Lewis – and his reaction to authorities? Promotion or not? The changing of his attitudes towards Lewis, bossing him, patronising him about education and culture? The issue of music? Drinking ale? His car? Quietly at home, at work? With Lewis, understanding the situations and characters, the deductions? His being a good listener – but critical?

5. The contrast with Lewis, the family man, the ordinary policeman, education and lack of education, his being put down by Morse – but enjoying his comeuppance now and again? Music and his ignorance? The first reactions, Lewis being patient? His admiration for Morse, having to do so much leg work, to formulate hypotheses? Working under pressure? Collaborator and partner of Morse?

6. The police authorities in Oxford? The medical examiners – and Morse and his attitude towards the female authorities? Sexist and patronising? Changing?

7. The quality of the film as a crime thriller, a thriller with intelligence and demands on the audience?

8. The range of personalities, motives? Truth and concealment? Jealousies? Deceits and angers? The academic and religious backgrounds?

9. Morse, his increasing ill-health, hospital, his heart? taking on the case? The details of the investigation? The collaboration with Lewis? The solving of the case?

10. Lewis, his personality, his working with Morse for so many years? His absence in the previous film, his return? Interactions with Morse? His role? The nature of the investigation? Visits to hospital, the farewell?

11. The victim, the nature of her murder, suspicions on her husband, other dubious characters? The prisoner released from prison? The workman? The academic?

12. The prisoner, his release, the possibility of his being the murderer, his death?

13. The builder, his relationship with the dead woman, at work, his death?

14. The academic, his implications?

15. The blackmail, its effect? The grieving husband, his organising a conspiracy?

16. The boy, his bicycle, revealing the accidental death of the builder?

17. The revelation of the blackmailing, the plot against suspects, his hold over the husband?

18. The film as a farewell to Morse, a fine career, an interesting character, his characteristics, his collaboration with Lewis? A fine television series?

MAD MAX FURY ROAD

Australia, 2015, 120 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keayes- Byrne, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington- Whiteley, John Howard.
Directed by George Miller.

In 1979, the original Mad Max was a small-budget Australian feature, a road movie, a vengeance and violence movie, a chase movie, featuring the up-and coming star, Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky. The film was also a breakthrough for the director, Dr George Miller.

Nobody could have predicted how successful the sequel would be, Mad Max 2, released in the United States as The Road Warrior. It was a great hit, again a road movie, violence and vengeance, but this time with a post-apocalyptic world and the need for a saviour, especially to drive away from the hostile humans and mutants with their strange and exotic and features, clothes and vehicles. Max had become a saviour, especially with the children who survive to populate a new and hopeful world.

George Miller then made a third film in the series, in 1985, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The budget was bigger, Mel Gibson had become an international star in the meantime, and singer Tina Turner came to Australia to take a role, ruling over a kind of latter-day Roman Empire town with its own arena and gladiatorial combat. Max was again the saviour who had to suffer. Tina Turner sings ‘We don’t need another hero…’. But it was very clear that the world certainly did need a hero, a Mad Max figure.

The film was immediately imitated, iincluding a number of films from Italy, kind of spaghetti Mad Max variations. But, there was no Mad Max 4. Until now…

After 30 years and the older films becoming cult classics and part of myth-making, the world is ready for another film – and Fury Road has been greeted by very favourable critical response as well as big box-office.

It is not as if we have never seen anything like it, but this is a return, bigger, louder, even better.

George Miller has put all his experience over the last 30 years, including Hollywood films like The Witches of Eastwick and Lorenzo’s Oil as well as his involvement in the Babe films and Happy Feet. Unfortunately, rain in outback Australia meant that local deserts were unsuitable for filming and so, in 2013, principal photography took place in Namibia, providing impressive deserts, mountains, canyons. They serve well as post-apocalyptic locations. Very impressive is the location of The Citadel, a plain where oppressed inhabitants are in need of water, facing a steep mountain with greenery atop, holding back water which is released as if from a huge dam – but mercilessly limited. Later, there is an extraordinary tornado like an enormous wave in a tsunami.

In the first part of the film Max appears as something of a victim, taken by the powers that be who rule in The Citadel, chained in a cell, brought out and inverted and link to a young warrior as a blood transfusion supply. We are wondering how this victim Max will become our hero on Fury Road.

The other main character in this film is Imperator Furiosa who is commissioned to drive a huge tank in a convoy to transport petrol to a distant community. Furiosa is a fierce woman, initially laconic, with a metallic arm fixture. The young man receiving the blood transfusion, Nux, is desperate to go in pursuit, vying with his friend, driving a souped-up vehicle – but still wanting his blood supply and having Max tied to the front of the vehicle, like an emblem on the prow of a ship, still blood-linked and masked.

Where to go from here? Furiosa has some ideas, veers off the expected path, is pursued by strange porcupine-spiked vehicles from Gastown which fire but explode spectacularly when hit. The almost cult-like leader at The Citadel takes a vehicle-posse in pursuit of Furiosa so that we have vehicles, many of them with quite a bizarre look, in deadly pursuit of the convoy.

Eventually Max frees himself, gets rid of Nux who returns to the leader, becoming something of a celebrity. It takes some time for Furiosa to accept Max. When Nux returns, he becomes infatuated with one of the young women, the cult leader’s wives, whom Furiosa is attempting to take to a Green Place and safety.

There are plenty more activities and adventures, especially with a commune of older women who have survived and are prepared to support Furiosa and to fight back. There are revelations about the Green Place, chases and deaths, Furioso injured, Max able to revive with blood, and a strong decision is made as to a strategy of how to fulfil hopes and find the Green Place.

George Miller has made the film at something of a furious, Furiosa pace, always relying on his technique for chases, not tracking shots as we follow vehicles but making all the action tell in the editing, quick moves from scene to scene, always suggesting movement, a kind of kinetic impact for the audience. The vehicles are as imaginative as in the earlier films with fresh variations. The humans often have the qualities of mutants which makes them intriguingly repugnant, especially the leader played by Hugh Keays-Byrne?.

One of the main questions for any sequel was: who could replace Mel Gibson? The answer is the excellent British actor, Tom Hardy (in films and television since the early 2000s but making an impact with the prison film, Bronson, then with such Hollywood films as Inception, Lawless, and the villain in The Dark Knight Rises as well as his tour-de-force, the sole character in the car drama, Locke. He is more than matched by Charlize Theron as Furiosa. Nicholas Hoult is the young driver.

The older mad Max films will now have a new lease of life. And fans will not be disappointed with Fury Road. With the worldwide distribution of films like this, the response to Max will be universal.

1. Mad Max as an icon, in the 1970s, 1980s? 30 years later? World impact?

2. The career of George Miller, inventive, his stories, the hero-warrior, post-apocalyptic landscapes, civilisation, the human condition? Vengeance? Saviour? Victim? Conqueror? Invulnerable to vulnerable?

3. The role as created by Mel Gibson? Tom Hardy and the continuity?

4. George Miller and visuals, action, motion, speed, chases, fights, the brutal world, saving and conquering? Editing and pace?

5. Namibian locations, the desert, mountains, the canyon? The Citadel, the green place? Sandstorms? Fire?

6. The range of the musical score, the moods?

7. The cast, international?

8. Max, the wanderer, survivor, a world of cars, the monstrous visuals of many of the vehicles, the need for petrol? His being alone, taken, his cell, being used as a blood transfer source? Chained? On the prow of the vehicle? His mask? Suffering?

9. The Citadel, Gastown? Human survivors, the populous, the slaves on the treadmill, the albino children? The hard life, Immortan Joe Joe as the Lord? His assistants? The control of the water, letting it out, turning it off? The people in fights for the water? The atmosphere of occult? The promises to the young men of reward in Valhalla?

10. Furiosa, as a warrior, the injury to her from, her appearance? Driving, strong, taciturn? The impact of the journey, her secret plan? The mission of transporting the gas, in a fleet?

11. Veering off from the track, saving the girls, Immortan Joe Joe’s wives, keeping up hope, saying that she wanted redemption?

12. Immortan Joe, his being decked out, breathing, mask? The field glasses? The decision for the pursuit?, Nux, his car, his companion, their fight? Driving? The weapons, the flares, destruction? Nux and his putting Max on the prow of his car? Yet still with the blood transfusion link?

13. The distant view of Gastown, the pursuit, the vehicles, the spikes, the explosions? The menace?

14. Max getting free, Nux and his various stories, his being left behind, reporting to Immortan Joe, gaining prestige, the jealousy of his friend, the vengeance, the pursuit, the friend being crushed?

15. The women, as wives, the look of glamour, their dress, their being victims, survivors? The pregnant wife? The strength of the women, their hopes, collaboration with Furiousa?

16. Suspicions of Max, his gaining control, the gun, filing off his mask?

17. The strategy of going to the canyon, the blocking of the canyon, the pursuers and the heavy tread vehicle getting through?

18. Furiosa, changing, going into action, protecting the women, working with Max? The action sequences, fending off the bullets with the doors, getting into
the quagmire, putting the link to the tree and getting out?

19. Nux, joining the group, the attraction to the girl, his change, help, fixing the engine?

20. The range of heroics?

21. The tower in the desert, the naked woman, the revelation of the elderly women, their stories, helping? The truth about the green place? Furiosa’s story, her past? The disappointment?

22. Max, suggesting a new strategy, returning to the Citadel, the fleet, the bikes, the women and their deaths, the pregnant woman taken, Immortan Joe, his wanting the baby to be born?

23. The pursuit to the canyon, the vehicles trying to outrun each other, Nux and his fixing the engine, the escape?

24. Immortan Joe, his brother, ugly, the way of breathing, the masks? The cars, the pregnancy, the Caesarean operation?

25. Furiosa, her injuries, the collapsed lung, the blood transfer, revival?

26. The return, the death of Immortan Joe, bringing his body back, the mob approaching? The Green Place? Releasing the water and not cutting it off? Nux and his being disillusioned about Valhalla?

27. The settlement, revising, Furiosa staying, the wives? Max and his decision to leave, to wander and to survive?

28. The post-apocalyptic world, the need for water, for humanising people, for giving them hope?

POLTERGEIST

US, 2015, 93 minutes, Colour.
Sam Rockwell, Rosemary De Witt, Jared Harris, Jane Adams, Kyle Catlett, Kennedi Clements, Saxon Sharbino, Nicholas Braun.
Directed by Gill Kenan.

Back in 1982, the original Poltergeist was a very popular film with touches of horror, a house haunted not by ghosts, but by spirited beings who went, often very loudly and violently, bump in the night.

in 2015, it is not all that much different. We have the house. We have a family moving in. We have the mysterious sounds, then the brutal noises, with the bangings and the bangings and the bangings. The little girl, Maddy, is attracted by the television set and sees hands appearing from within. Later, it is suggested that she has a special gift and has detected the spirits trapped behind the television set, telling everyone that they are coming, and then that they are here. And then she’s not. She was driven into the world behind the television screen.

There is speculation that the house was built on an old cemetery – with the bodies transferred. Probably not!

The film spends a lot of time establishing the family so that we can identify with them. Sam Rockwell is the father, out of work, sympathetic (except at the beginning when his petulant teenage daughter is demanding a new mobile phone), loving his children and wanting to the best for them. Rosemary de Witt is the sympathetic mother, trying to cope with the moving and settling in. Aside from the teenage daughter and her mobile phone, and the little girl within the mysterious world behind the television screen, there is a sensitive boy (Kyle Catlett who was so good in The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivett), apprehensive, fearful of storms, worried when his sister disappears and feeling that he should take the blame for not caring for and protecting her.

What is the family to do? They consult an expert on these matters – with audiences wondering how they are so readily available in the US! And not only that, the expert and her team try to cleanse the house but are subject to the poltergeists attacks. They have to call in an even stronger expert who combines kind of exorcisms of houses with a TV reality show. So, the whole effort has to focus on getting the little girl back, at one stage all the family holding onto each other and trying to pull her out of the set.

While the film has a happy ending, there are some sad moments, and the family, gather together safely, move away – obviously leaving the house to a new family to come in and experience the poltergeists if there is a demand for a sequel.


1. The title, expectations, re-make from the perspective of the 1980s?

2. The town, the house, the interiors, the street? The musical score?

3. Ghosts and poltergeists? The sudden attack on the family? The information about the cemetery and its transfer? Not transferred? Images of ghosts and apparitions?

4. The family moving in, their financial situation? The father, unemployed, attitude towards money, his spending in gifts? His relationship with his wife, each of the children, the issue of the mobile phone? His wife, pleasant, dealing with the family?

5. The children? Kendra, petulance about the phone, moody, her experience of the poltergeists, her fear? Griffin, sensitive, the gift of the plane, his trying to get his parents’ attention, the storm and his fears? Maddie, the attraction to the television, the silhouettes of the hands, seeming to have a special gift, telling the family that the others were coming, that they were here? Her disappearance into the television set?

6. The frantic response, the variety of poltergeists and the effects? Bumps in the night, apparitions?

7. The team, the leader, consulting? The young woman, Boyd and his scepticism, the involvement, the drill and the threat to his arm? The leader and her theories, explanations?

8. Calling Carrigan Burke? the TV personality, his experiences, as a person, the injuries to his body and its explanations? The search? The attempts to retrieve Madison? Visuals of Madison with the poltergeists?

9. Maddison’s experience, the ghosts, the light, the ghost wanting to follow the light, the whole family trying to drag her back to reality? The effect on each of the members of the family, coping?

10. The family moving out, the further difficulties, the team, Burke, his going into the house, the fire?

11. The credibility of the story? Effective as low-key horror entertainment?

WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE

Japan, 2014, 103 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

Japanese animated films from Ghibli Studios have been popular since the 1980s, especially with the films of Hayao Miyazaki (the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, Ponyo by the Sea, The Wind Rises). They are generally available in the original Japanese language as well as in expertly dubbed versions, produced in the United States.

The present director, Hiromasa Yonebashi, previously made the interesting and entertaining Arrietty.

This is also a film about a young girl, Anna, who has been adopted. At school, she is something of a loner, not relating well to the other girls, keeping to herself with her sketching. She is 12. Her adoptive mother decides that it would be best to send Anna into the country during the summer holidays and she travels by train to a country town to be met by a genial, solid couple who give her room in their house which has a beautiful view of a lake.

When Anna goes to the post office to send a postcard, she notices a mansion across the water and detects a figure in the window. She is drawn into the house, investigates and finds a young girl there. When she is stranded by the rising tide, a kindly old man rows her back to her home. As the summer goes on, Anna returns to the mansion, becomes a great friend of the young girl there, Marnie.

Marnie is mysterious, and people comment that the mansion is haunted. Anna also makes a friend of a little girl in the town and they discover a diary with Marnie’s story.

Most of the film is about Anna and the friendship with Marnie, especially at the the large silo at the edge of the town, during a storm, with mysterious consequences.

The last part of the film seems rather hurried with a great deal of plot explanation, going back to tell the story of Marnie and her parents, her marriage and her daughter, the daughter’s rebellion against her mother and giving her own daughter to the orphanage. So, by the end of the film, the mystery is explained to Anna’s satisfaction and to our own.

The animation style is that of the Ghibli Studios, sketch and watercolour wash, all with a kind of naturalism – which suits the story which could have been told, almost with the same screenplay, in realistic life-action.

The Ghibli films have quite some attractive simplicity and humanity.

1. An entertaining film? Animation and its style? The target audiences? Children? Adults? Japanese? Worldwide?

2. The original British novel, the adaptation to Japan, the interpretation?

3. The style, the realism, the backgrounds, characters and expressions? A realistic treatment of the story?

4. The title, Anna, the meeting with Marnie? Her experiences, and Marnie’s background story?

5. Anna, alone at school, sketching, age, not relating well with the other girls, having to spend the summer, going to the family in the countryside, the adoptive mother and her calling her ‘auntie’?

6. The train ride, the Japanese countryside, the couple at the railway station, strong and steady characters, with Anna, in the house, her room, the beautiful view, the postcards, the prospect of the summer?

7. Going to the post, the shortcut, seeing the mansion, attracted, going through the water, the search, seeing the figure at the window? The water rising, stranded? The old man and his kindness in rowing her back?

8. The house, Marnie and her appearance, her age, the contrast with Anna, the talking, the bonding, sharing? The discussion about ghosts in the house? Marnie as a friendly ghost?

9. The little girl in the town, Anna and her bonding with her, the cleaning brigade and her brusque response, the later apology?

10. The mystery of the silo, Marnie and her friendship, the effect, going to the silo, the storm, fears, Marnie’s disappearance?

11. The little girl finding the diary, reading the diary, the story?

12. The visuals of the flashback, Marnie as a child, her parents being away, growing up lonely, the accident? Marnie and her, the marriage, the daughter, the
orphanage?

13. Marnie looking after her daughter, illness and death?

14. Anna, discovering she was, the daughter of Marnie’s daughter, life in the orphanage, her delight in finding out who she was?

15. Anna coming out of herself, calling her adoptive mother ‘mother’, the happy couple, the little girl and the friendship, her identity and Marnie, for a happy future?

KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER

US/Japan, 2014, 105 minutes, Colour.
Rinko Kikuchi, David Zelllner, Nathan Zellner, Shirley Renard.
Directed by David Zellner.

This is an offbeat film, a mixture of the odd and the exotic. It is a kind of homage to the Brothers Coen, with special reference to the film, Fargo.

The first part of the film takes place in Japan, as might be gathered title, and the name of the heroine, Kumiko. She is a 29-year-old, living alone (and when we hear her conversations with her nagging mother who is desperate for her to get married, we are not surprised that she has moved out). She has a humdrum job in an office, not really communicating with the rest of the staff, having to bring coffee into the boss who is not always grateful. There are establishing scenes in the city, dialogue in Japanese, and we can experience something of life in Tokyo.

Kumiko finds a VHS copy of the movie, Fargo, more than a bit scratchy, which she tries to fix, but the fix, the fixation, is on the money sequences of the plot, especially at the end of the film when the suitcase of money is buried in the snow. Somehow or other, she takes all of this as real and realises that she now has a quest in life, to travel to Minnesota, find the case, claim the money and live happily ever after.

The second half of the film takes place in the United States, in snowbound Minnesota, on the road to Fargo. She has only a small travelling bag and we wonder whether she has any money (later explained by her taking cash and credit card from the office). At the airport, she is greeted by two odd men who want to help her with her tourist problems, one an older man, the other a kind of born-again Christian only too ready to help. He is played by the co-writer and producer of the film, Nathan Zellner.

Kumiko has a lot of adventures on the road, getting out and walking in the ice when the bus breaks down, picked up by a kindly elderly lady who takes her home, feeds her, and tells her life story. But Kumiko runs away, taking a blanket and wrapping it round her, an odd sight on the highway. This time she is rescued by a policeman, a kind man, who also gets her a meal and buys some clothes. He is played by the co-writer and director, David Zellner.

As Kumiko wanders through the snow, looking for the fence and fence posts that she saw in the film and has drawn on a kind of map. We wonder where this quest could and will end.

And that is the point – the audience will have to see the film to find out!

Kumiko is well played as a naive innocent by Rinko Kikuchi, who has appeared in a number of American films including Babel and Nobody Wants the Night.

1. An offbeat drama with comic touches? For Japanese audiences? American audiences? World audiences?

2. Tokyo, the atmosphere, the city, apartments, the workplace? The contrast with the United States, Minnesota, the airport, the diner, homes, shops, on the road, the frozen fields, the fences? The snow? The musical score?

3. The title, expectations, about Kumiko, about her quest?

4. A tribute to the Coen brothers, to Fargo? The story, Kumiko watching the scenes, the money, burying the case? His seeing it as real, wanting to get the money and her fortune? Noting the fence, the posts, measuring the distance, the diagram, the decision to leave?

5. Kumiko, 29, her relationship with her mother, the mother’s phone calls, needling about marriage?

6. Kumiko at work, a loner, the boss and his coffee? The decision to leave, taking the credit card and the money?

7. In the US, the airport, no luggage, no idea where to go? The friendly tourist guide and his friend at the airport, in their office, the moral issues, the map? On the bus, the breakdown? Walking, the kind lady, inviting her home, the meal, the lady telling her story of her life? Kumiko, the blanket, getting out of the window? Going to the diner, the kindly policeman, the explanations, buying her a meal, clothes, taking the taxi, the deaf driver, the not paying, her wandering? In the fields, the attack of the dog? The cold?

8. Wandering, the fence, digging up the case, wandering into the future?

9. The range of characters in America, at the airport, the kind lady, the policeman, the taxi driver?

10. A fable?

ROB ROY, THE HIGHLAND ROGUE

UK,1953, 81 minutes, Colour.
Richard Todd, Glynnis Johns, James Robertson Justice, Michael Gough, Finlay Currie, Jean Taylor Smith, Geoffrey Keen, Marjorie Fielding, Eric Pohlmann, Michael Goodliffe.
Directed by Harold French.

In the first half of the 1950s, the Disney studios made several historical films in England. There was a story of Henry VIII, The Sword and the Rose, Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, and Rob Roy. They all starred the popular actor of the time, Richard Todd. Glynnis Johns appeared with him in both The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy. James Robertson Justice also starred in them.

This is the slightest of them, 81 minutes, but taking audiences back into Scotland at the beginning of the 18th century, the domination of the English, the rebellious attitudes of the Scots, with leaders of the clans like Rob Roy Mac Gregor.

The various battles, sword fights, derring-to, as well as romance with Rob himself and his love for Helen Mary his wife engage the audience. James Robertson Justice is the Duke of Argyll.

This is a kind of matinee adventure. There is a much more serious look at Rob Roy, in the film of the same name, 1995, with Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange, with John Hurt and Oscar-nominated Tim Roth and is the more satisfying.
.
1. The history and legends of Rob Roy? The novel of Sir Walter Scott? Disney interpretation? Serious, adventurous?

2. A brief film, colourful, Scotland, locations, the Highlands, homes, castles? The sequences in London? The musical score?

3. Soldiers, the clans, the battles, swordfights?

4. History, accuracy, the Mac Gregor’s, the Duke of Montrose, the Duke of Argyll, the Duke of Montrose’s Factor, King George, Prime Minister Walpole, Rob Roy and his family?

5. Richard Todd as Rob, a hero, his age, warrior, the support of his mother, the support of the Mac Pherson’s, his love for Helen Mary, with his men, appearing and disappearing? With the Duke of Argyll, the fighting, his being taken, escape? His hopes and connections? Loyalties? Sheltered by his mother, the effect of the death of his mother? With the English, the Scots, in the hope of the return of the Stuarts?

6. The Duke of Argyll, his role, in relationship to England, the independence of Scotland, the return of the Stuarts? His role with England, the Prime Minister? Interactions with Rob, respect for his mother, with the Duke of Montrose? The visit to Walpole, to the King? Hoping for an amnesty?

7. Montrose, the English background, his role, arrogance, despising the Scots? Interactions with Rob Roy? The King, the Prime Minister, confronting Rob
Roy?

8. Helen Mary, as a character, strong, her love for her husband, support? The threats? Rob Roy’s mother, strong, hiding her son, the Duke of Argyll, the confrontations, her death?

9. The Factor, with the Scots, with the English, double-dealing?

10. London, the King, speaking German, the translators? His decisions? Walpole, the politics? The generals and their wanting large forces of soldiers in Scotland? The portrayal of the battles, the putting down of the Scots?

11. In the light of Scottish history in succeeding centuries?

BAD WORDS

US, 2014, 89 minutes, Colour.
Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Philip Baker Hall, Alison Janney, Ben Falcone, Beth Grant.
Directed by Jason Bateman.

Bad Words is an oddball comedy, directed by Jason Bateman who stars as an adult who enters a spelling bee competition with young children. He is an odd character, with an online journalist, played by Kathryn Hahn tagging along and trying to write an article about him. He is not particularly forthcoming. And, he enjoys antagonising the children as well as taunting parents and, especially, the individuals in the governing body of the competition.

He defies the authorities, quoting exceptions to the regulations and, grudgingly, they allow him to continue.

A small boy from an Indian family, Rohan Chand, seems to befriend him. They initially clash, but when the hotel has put Bateman in the store room, there comes the opportunity to go to the minibar in the boy’s room. Grudgingly, they become friends.

However, there is a twist on the friendship and it becomes a rivalry. And it is also revealed why he has entered the competition – an opportunity for revenge against the father he has never known.

There is a lot of ironic and tongue-in cheek dialogue which means that there is some literal bad language as well as language and spelling for the competition.

1. The title, the ironies? The spelling bee? Swearing and crass language?

2. The work of Jason Bateman, directing, acting?

3. The status of spelling bees in the United States? The authorities and management, the children participating, their study, their knowledge, questions about meaning and derivations of words? The parents and care for their children, pushing the children? On television?

4. The American cities, the American tone, the venues for the competition, hotels, diners, the streets? The musical score?

5. Jason Bateman as Guy, confident, his voice-over, assessment, the touch of moralising?

6. The contrast with his actions, his age, 40, involved in the spelling bee, the adult among children, his direct remarks to people, his taking his turn, spelling and getting words correct? His self-assurance? Yet his treatment of the children, goading them, making them afraid?

7. The anomaly of his being in the spelling bee? His defence, the discussions with the authorities, rules and regulations, loopholes? The reaction of the authorities? The hostile parents and their abuse, language? Dr Bowman, presiding, his stern attitude, wanting the reputation of the spelling bees to continue? Dr Deagan, 20 years on the job, her reaction, fabricating the list of difficult words for Guy? The arguments, the rules, the parents and their reaction?

8. Jenny, journalist, sponsoring Guy, getting only short answers for her article? The personal relationship, the sexual encounters, the aftermath? Her research, the source, information about his father?

9. The children, his putting them off, the panties with the boy holding them and the accusations about his mother, the girl and her period?

10. Chaitania, his age, his skills, his father’s regulations, leaving the boy on his own in the hotel? His friendship with Guy? Arguments against each other? His forthrightness? The temptation of the minibar? Their going out, the Tory, the drinks, ice cream, the effect for the competition? His taking Chaitania out, the drink, the woman and her big breasts?

11. The effect on Guy, the hotel relegating him to the storeroom, going out, enjoying himself?

12. Guy overhearing Chaitania and his father, discovering the truth, the effect on him, on the boy, his wanting to retain the friendship, his being upset?

13. The revelation of Guy’s plan, with Jenny, his mother’s story, school, the discovery of who his father was, the plan for revenge?

14. The final stages of the competition? The two remaining contestants? Guy and spelling the words wrongly, Chaitania and his doing the same? issues of cheating, the rules, their both being allowed to stay, Guy and his decision that Chaitania should win? The boy and his tribute to Guy?

15. The letter to his father, giving it to him, his father tearing it up, later putting it together, reading it, on the plane?

16. Guy, the achievement of his plan, the revelation to his father, the touch of vengeance, yet his friendship with Jenny, and the bonding with the boy?

ROAD TO UTOPIA

US, 1940, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Hilary Brooke, Douglass Dumbrille, Jack La Rue, Robert Barrat, Robert Benchley.
Directed by Hal Walker.

This film was made in 1943-1944, part of the series of Road films with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. However, it was shown to the troops in action before it had general release which was in 1946, two years after it was filmed.

The film is introduced by a comic writer and actor, Robert Benchley, who explains the credits and reappears in the top left-hand corner throughout the film, giving explanations, for example of flashbacks, and making comments on the action.

And the film opens with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour as older characters, married, with Bob Hope getting the girl instead of Bing Crosby. After 30 years Crosby turns and gives an explanation happened to him in Alaska so long before.

Road to Utopia as the usual ingredients of the Road films, the verbal sparring between Crosby and Hope, the deadpan remarks of Hope and slapstick comedy. There are usual song and dance routines, the film vaudeville performances and audiences, the songs include putting their, Put it there, Pal, and Personality, sung by Dorothy Lamour.

As usual, Crosby puts it over Hope, getting all his money, when Hope wants to return to New York and Crosby wants to go to Alaska. They find a map, pose as two thug-prospecters, and get entangled with a criminal in Alaska who wants the goldmine for himself. Dorothy Lamour appears as a singer looking for the map which belonged to her father. This means that there are chases all over Alaska, and all kinds of mix-ups.
Fans of the Road movies will enjoy this one.

SCORPION IN LOVE/ ALACRAN ENAMORADO

Spain, 2013, 100 minutes, Colour.
Alex Gonzalez, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Carlos Bardem, Judith Diakhate, Javier Bardem.
Directed by Santiago Zannou.

Scorpion in Love is based on a novel by Carlos Bardem, who appears as the boxing trainer in this film. It is a film about neo-Nazis and their racist and violent attacks on ethnic groups whom they consider alien, despise their different languages, and are envious because of employment and unemployment situations.

They are under the guidance of an armchair fascist who directs his followers with rabble-rousing speeches. Interestingly, he is played by the brother of the novelist, international star, Javier Bardem.

However, a great deal of the action focuses on boxing, with the central character, one of the diverse disaffected young men attracted by what he sees in the gym, especially with a black boxer, and asks if he can train. He has a talent, and is ultimately successful. But he has to come to terms with his behaviour, the pressure from his brother, the influence of the leader whom he ultimately confronts and denounces.

He is also attracted to the woman who works at the gym in all kinds of jobs and they begin a relationship. Matters come to a head when she is bashed by the young man’s brother.

The film is an opportunity to think about neo-Nazi and vicious-style groups in Europe and the 21st century.

1. A Spanish film, the author and his novel, his performance in the film? His brother appearing in the film?

2. Contemporary Spain, society, Neo-Nazis? The boxing world? Prejudices, sense of humanity?

3. The introduction, Javier Bardem and Solis, his speech, philosophy, his followers, age, young, Fascist? Solis and his hold over the young men and?

4. Issues of race, employment, language, culture? Spain at the beginning of the 21st century?

5. Julian, in himself, his family background, the disciple of Solis, participating in the attacks, his brother, the brutality? His prejudices, going to the gym,
watching the boxing, Frankie and skills? Carlomonte and his being the coach, discussions with him, Julian wanting to train, the reactions? Parliament, his career, his coaching work, his associates? The gym, discussions with the owner, giving Julian a chance, despite his reservations? Frankie being black? Frankie and his being bashed, Julian going to see him at home, with his children?

6. Julian and the training, developing skills, with the Frankie, ready for fights?

7. Luis, the German, the attacks, the brutality, the ideology, the bashings? Luis and his taunting Julian?

8. Alyssa, working at the gym, receptionist, cleaning? Wanting the photos for the document? Julian, his change of heart, courting, going to her home, the sexual encounters, his bigoted attack on the landlord?

9. Alyssa and the physical attack on her, Luis, Carlomonte telling her to say that he was drunk? Julian not believing? Angry? Wanting revenge? The confrontations?

10. Carlomonte disappearing, leaving the gym to Julian?

11. Julian, confronting Solis, taunting him, criticising his leadership, ideas, the money, his comfortable life, denouncing him as a cult leader?

12. Carlomonte watching television, Julian and his success, in the fight, different person?

CRIMINAL COURT

US, 1946, 60 minutes, Black and white.
Tom Conway, Martha O' Driscoll, June Clayworth, Robert Armstrong, Addison Richards, Pat Gleason, Steve Brodie, Robert Warwick.
Directed by Robert Wise.

Criminal Court is the equivalent of contemporary episode in a television series. It could easily be remade.

Tom Conway, always suave of manner and voice, George Sanders’ brother, is a successful lawyer who performs dramatically in court in rather unorthodox ways. He has campaigned to become DA. He is also in love with a lounge singer who gets a job in a club managed by one of the criminals of the city who is in the pay of the current DA, and who fixes cases with witnesses, albeit dumb, and who relies on his brother as paymaster to corrupt officials.

The plot is sufficiently complex, with attempted bribes, blackmail by forged letters and even an accidental death.

The leading lady is Martha O’ Driscoll who has the opportunity to sing some torch songs.

Of particular interest is the fact that the director is Robert Wise at the beginning of his career, a versatile director who won Oscars for West Side Story and The Sound of Music.

1. A short crime thriller? An episode of a modern television series? Drama, issues, resolution?

2. Supporting feature, black and white photography, tough? The cast?

3. The title, Steve Barnes, appearances, the defence and his skills, smart, rapport with the judges, juries, with the prosecutors, with reporters?

4. Tom Conway and Steve Barnes, in himself, his skills, wanting to be DA, the relationship with Georgia, advice about his singing and warnings about Vic? Bill as his campaign manager? In court, the dumb witness, all the denials, Steve and his tantrum, with the gun, proving the witness’s behaviour? Vic, his admiring him, but his collusion with the DA, the films of the pictures of payments, corrupt police and officials? Vic and his phone call, the threat of the forged letter denouncing Steve? Going to the club, the confrontation, the pulling the gun, the struggle, his death? Steve returning to the screening? Georgia, going into the room, the police arresting her, in prison, the hearings? West and the witnesses, Joan and her fear, the thugs at the back of the court room? Steve confronting Joan, the arrest of the thugs? His continuing on his campaign?

5. Georgia, love interest, the two songs, employed by Vic, going to his office, warning off his brother, Frankie quoting her in the court? The arrest, trusting Steve, wanting to do the right thing, the possibility of prison? Sense of freedom?

6. Vic, the DA is employed, calling the tune, corrupt, Vic’s brother, the thugs, priming the witness, the dumb behaviour in the court? The issue of the films, Vic, the blackmail attempt, the fight, his death? West and the other thugs, the contacts, presence in court?

7. Joan, as secretary, her betraying Steve, information to Vic, her witnessing the accident, giving herself away, admitting the truth?

8. A popular and easy entertainment?