KEEPING THE FAITH

US, 2000, 128 minutes, Colour.
Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Jenna Elfman, Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach, Ron Rifkin, Milos Forman, Holland Taylor, Ken Leung.
Directed by Edward Norton.


This is the film where the trailer shows the young newly-ordained priest setting his surplice alight with the thurible coals and then sitting in the holy water stoop to extinguish the flames.


Actually, Keeping the Faith is an entertaining American comedy which reminds us of some sitcoms with their contrived situations and their touches of farcical comedy and clever one-liners. But it raises an important question for people who are committed to their Jewish faith or to their Catholic faith: how do you communicate something of faith and religion to a modern TV and movie audience who may not be churchgoers or who have unhappy memories of their life in the church? Keep faith with them so that they can keep the faith?


The screenplay is not meant to be realistic in the sense of a naturalistic drama of what happens in either the Jewish or the Catholic community. This is not a passionate and questioning Jimmy McGovern? script. Rather, the film mirrors, in its comic and emotional way, some of the struggles of contemporary religious people in their personal lives and in their community. Perhaps it's the 21st century equivalent of Bing Crosby and Going My Way. Bing could sing advice to his parishioners. Here the rabbi and the priest in an era, as they note, where barriers are breaking down, open an interfaith karaoke club for the elderly!


It is not a theological analysis of religious vocation and modern pastoral care but, in its light and often humorously serious way, it does raise the issues. For many priests, Keeping the Faith was something of a breather. It paid respect to their lives. It tried to dramatise the day-by-day reality of priesthood and its relevance to the contemporary world. It did not preclude changes in the celibacy requirements in the future.

1. An unexpected film about religion, rabbis and priests for 2000? 21st-century expectations? The status of the priesthood? Difficulties, celibacy, realities? A pleasing and pleasant approach?

2. The shock of the opening, Brian and his drinking, stumbling in the garbage, going to the bar, confiding in the bartender, a kind of confession, the bartender and his good listening, enabling Brian to speak?

3. New York City, the location photography, the views, homes, schools, restaurants? The temple, the church, the rectory? The karaoke club? Bright tone? The musical score, the traditions of religious music?

4. The three children playing together, their memories, joyful, Anna and her verve, Brian and Jake and their friendship? The shock when Anna had to leave?

5. The voice-over about growing up? Going to the seminary, the studies, being an adventure rather than something different and unexpected? Masters in theology? the continued friendship? Jake and the Temple, Rabbi Lewis and his age, presiding? Jake and his possibility of succeeding him? His mother’s presence? Larry Friedman and his wife? The potential for criticism? Jake in Temple, greeting and urging everybody to respond? Brian, at Mass, the incense, his coughing, the thurible and swinging it, hitting the parishioner? The parish priest presiding? The two settling into their ministries?

6. Jake is a person, the dominance of his mother, his brother in the mixed marriage, Jake becoming a Rabbi and not joining the bank? His congregation and the slow singing, bringing in the gospel choir? The crowds attending, his pleasant way of communicating, down-to-earth? Talking with the mothers, their promoting their daughters? The date with the girl who wanted him to punch? Wanting him to come up to her room, his refusal? The others? The television announcer, the meal, with Brian and Anna? Her being called to Baghdad? His dream for his future, but not able to accept it? Wondering whether people were seeing him as a Rabbi rather than as Jake? Sharing with Brian, the idea of the karaoke club, going to the venue?

7. Brian, poised, contacts in ministry, popular in the street, the church?

8. Anna’s phone call, to Brian, Jake wondering why not to him? Meeting at the airport, the heavy case, talking about her career, business, workaholic? With the men in the office, the deals on the phone calls – and watching the sex antics through the window in the opposite building, and its later use for Jake to communicate with Anna? The dinners, the socials?

9. Jake, in love with Anna, the meetings, going out, with the television announcer, the beginning of the affair? Not telling Brian? Falls reasons for not telling him? Not telling his mother? The effect? Jake and his being cautious? The at home, his mother knowing, talking with Anna, their weeping together? His hopes, the possibility of his being Rabbi or not? The discussions with Anna, breaking with her? His being upset?

10. Issues of celibacy, the sex talk with Anna and Brian giving his reasons, the detail about his vocation, commitment? Later, falling in love, jealousy of Jake, drinking, praying at his bedside? The talk with Father Havel?

11. Father Havel, character, his Czech background paralleling that of Milos Forman himself? Sitting in the rectory? The talk with Brian, the details of the talk, remembering the seminary, Father Havel and his line for the seminarians in their vocation? The parallel with marriage? The nature of commitment, the importance of choice? His falling in love every decade, his response to the women? Persevering in his choice? Brian and his thinking that he would have given up the priesthood, saying that Father Havel was not telling him what to do – that was God to do this?

12. Brian, his gatecrashing the Bar Mitzvah, the boy and his broken voice, the reaction of the congregation to the Brian’s emotional attack on Jake, desperate, Jake and is listening, arguing?

13. Ruth, her stroke and the hospital, dominating, going home, the meal, her attitude towards her son and his mixed marriage, their not speaking, a change of heart, looking at the photo and her regrets about her behaviour?

14. Jake, his sermon, everybody listening, Brian and his presence, Rabbi Lewis, Larry Friedman and the board? Jake and his staying, waiting, and his sermon about his experience, in love with Anna, his not trusting the congregation and the fact that he should have confided in them?

15. Jake getting the job? His trying to get into the building where Anna worked, the security guard holding him up, going to the opposite building, phoning? Everybody listening? His declaration of love?

16. The karaoke hall, going to buy the speaker, the salesman, his singing, his pitch, seeing the Roman collar? His later coming to the opening – and his singing? Taking a chance on love!

17. Anna, not leaving, come into the hall? With Ruth?

18. The future for all three?

19. An insight, with the light touch, into the commitment of the Rabbi, his congregation, the need to have a wife, his dependence on the Board? On the commitment of the celibate priest, the rules, the possibility of living the celibate life, the ministry?

20. The point of this film in the light of criticisms of the clergy and sexual abuse scandals?

PAPER PLANES

Australia, 2014, 94 minutes, Colour.
Sam Worthington, Ed Oxenbould, Deborah Mailman, David Wenham, Nicholas Bakapoulos- Cooke, Ina Imai, Terry Norris, Julian Dennison.
Directed by Robert Connolly.

This entertaining film has everything going for it. It is designed for a family audience and should be satisfying for everyone, parents and children. It is feelgood, generally pleasantly predictable, telling a good story, having interesting characters, a 12-year-old that many children could identify with, a theme of children’s activities, a competition, a touch of pre-adolescent romance, a snobby child villain… What more could we want?

The title indicates what the principal focus is, the making of paper planes (and some of us finding that it is far more complicated and creative that we might have thought, a variety of forms and shapes for the planes). In fact, during the titles, where shown the process of paper making – because the quality of the paper, its futures, its texture, are important for the shaping of the planes.

At the centre of all this is a 12-year-old, Dylan. He is played by the very talented Ed Oxenbould. He made his mark in television series, Underbelly and Puberty Blues, credibly playing an American child as Alexander in the family comedy, Alexander and his Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Day. It looks as if he has a very strong career ahead of him.

He lives at home with his father, Sam Worthington, who seems to have given up on life after the death, five months earlier, of his wife in accident. Dylan is the stronger in coping, missing his mother but acknowledging the truth of her death. His father mopes at home, lying down, leaving the television on with sport, unable to go to work. Dylan rides his bike to the local country primary school where the students are a mixture of white, ethnic, aboriginal. The teacher is played by Peter Rowsthorn, full of enthusiasm for the students and the classes (after he collects all their phones and devices before class) and encourages them when a visitor comes to talk to them about paper planes and gets them to test out their skills.(if you’re wondering where you saw Peter Rowsthorn before, he played Brett, the exceedingly put-upon husband of Kim in Kath and Kim.)

Dylan becomes enthusiastic about paper planes, qualifies to go to the finals, is helped by his mischievous friend, Kevin, with some explosive experiments, and visits his grandfather in a home for the elderly, a former pilot who takes Dylan to the flight museum and imagines some war action, helping Dylan to get ideas were his planes. His father does help him in showing him the winged keel for the America’s Cup in 1983, Dylan incorporating this into the design of his paper planes, also studying an eagle in-flight - he feeds the bird each day with a rasher of bacon.

The Australian finals are to be held in Sydney. Dylan’s father eventually drives him (something of a credibility gap for the audience since the film was photographed in Western Australia and they drive along a few dirt roads et cetera and then quickly arrive in Sydney!)

At the finals, presided over by a very exuberant former champion, Deborah Mailman, Dylan meets a young Japanese paper plane champion, Kim, and they become friends. Also present is a very caddish would-be champion, Jason (Nicholas Boukapolus- Cooke) and his father, played by David Wenham, a man who realises he has a very obnoxious child, who insists on calling him Patrick instead of dad, and who spouts a philosophy of winning is everything. There is some excitement as all the contestants fly their plane over a swimming pool.

As we anticipate, Jason and Dylan win the competition and travel to Tokyo for the world finals. Dylan works hard because he has no money, his teacher trying to take up a collection, his father having the idea of a garage sale, his grandfather and the ladies at the home providing cakes, lamingtons prominent, and they collect enough money for Dylan to go, but not his father. The key point is that his father does not want to sell his wife’s piano, she was a piano teacher, even though he is offered $3000 for it.

There is plenty of excitement in Tokyo, and the Tokyo tourist agency will not be disappointed at the presentation in the film. Kim is there. Dylan and Kim continue their friendship. Jason is also there and indulges in some bullying which means that Dylan might not be able to participate in the contest. But on the contest goes, Dylan adjusting his plane, remembering his mother who taught him to make the paper planes, the advice of his father and grandfather, the image of the eagle.

This is a very nice film, so happiness all round, including Dylan being very supportive of his father, Jason having some redemptive moments.

The film was co-written and directed by Robert Connolly who has had a strong career in the Australian film industry with producing and directing such films as The Bank, Three Dollars, Balibo and producing and directing a segment of the Tim Winton film, The Turning.

It is hoped that this film is popular not only in Australia but around the world.

1. Audience appeal? Adults child? Children? Family?

2. The Australian flavour, the story, characters, settings, spirit?

3. The Western Australian locations, the Australian countryside, the house, the school, at home the elderly, the air museum? The contrast with Sydney and the sites? Tokyo and the sites? The musical score?

4. The title, the focus, the plains, the children, parents? Ingenuity, sport and development?

5. Dylan, Ed Oxenbould and his screen presence, his age, his mother and memories, teaching him to make paper planes? The impact of her death? His maturity, acknowledging the truth, supporting his fragile father and discrete? Urging him on? His bond with his grandfather? The visit to the home, the ladies? To the Museum, imagining World War II? His grandfather breaking into the shed, breaking the law four times? In the class, his teacher, the kids, Kevin, the class on planes, his success in flying one? Telling his father? His father’s response with the America’s Cup and the winged keel? Dylan feeding the Eagle, studying its flight? The trip to Sydney, with his father? His father staying in the hotel and not watching his son? Meeting Maureen, her exuberance, running the program, her past successes? Meeting KimI, the opening to Japan? Meeting Jason, his arrogance? The competition, Dylan coming second?

6. Jack, sad, no energy, remembering his wife, going to Sydney but not participating, thinking Japan was impossible? The idea of the garage sale, the teacher and his collection, grandfather and the ladies in bringing the cakes, the lamingtons, raising the amount of cash for Dylan to go? The possibility of selling the piano, the offer, $3000, Jack refusing?

7. Dylan in Tokyo, meeting KimI again, their friendship, the sifhts of Tokyo? The interactions with Jason, Jason pushing him down the stairs, spraining his wrist, his fear of needles but going through the acupuncture, practising for the competition?

8. The day, Maureen enthusiastic, Kimi and her success? Jason doing well? Dylan, on the stand, remembering the eagle, changing the plane in the wings, winning? The kids back home watching the television, the excitement?

9. Jason, snob, arrogant, calling his father Patrick, his philosophy of winning at all cost, his father’s reactions, trying to talk sense into his son? His father watching the competition?

10. Jason, watching, beginning to applaud Dylan, the three standing on the dais?

11. Dylan, the experience, phoning his father, offering him support, always? His father selling the piano? Hurrying to Japan? Celebrating son’s victory?

12. An entertaining film for all ages, reality and fantasy, the focus on the young boy, his craft, energies, committing himself to something? Serving as a role
model?

CLOSER

US, 2004, 104 minutes, Colour.
Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen.
Directed by Mike Nichols

Patrick Marber has adapted his award-winning play for the screen. However, it still seems very much a filmed play, relying on (very frank) dialogue, with much of the action happening off-screen and the time lapses between acts left for the audience to work out for themselves. It has been pointed out that director Mike Nichols' first film was Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf almost forty years earlier. Closer has similar themes: sexuality, love, marriage, betrayal, cruelty.

This is a film about very unhappy people. They grope (often literally) for happiness which always seems to elude them. It is very hard to empathise with them even though we know that this is the kind of struggle and depression that many people experience.

The initial focus is on an obituary writer played by Jude Law. He meets a young American stripper (Natalie Portman) after she is knocked over by a car in a London street. In no time, he has written a novel based on her life and they are living together. When he is being photographed for the book's cover, he is attracted by the photographer (Julia Roberts). The fourth partner is a doctor (Clive Owen) who dallies in internet sex chat rooms (a powerful sequence highlighting the impersonal deceit of such communication and its indulgent lechery), is set up to meet the photographer and lives with her.

The emotional immaturity of the characters takes its toll as they betray each other, the only one eliciting some sympathy being the stripper, who is the most honest of the four (and then not entirely).

The acting is to be admired. The dialogue is sparse, sometimes crude, sometimes incisive, sometimes cruel. In fact, it is a grim drama of suffering people whose torment is often of their own making.

1. The title? Relationships, near and far? Close-ups of the characters? Visually? Psychologically?

2. The work of Patrick Marber, for the theatre? The opening out of the play, dialogue, situations, interactions?

3. The London settings, the city, the streets, flats, workplaces, clubs? Photographers, doctors?

4. The stylised situations, the stylised language? Local, universal?

5. The importance of the musical score, the references to Mozart, Cosi Fan Tutti?

6. The close-ups of characters, their relationships, the nature of relationships?

7. Julia Roberts is Anna, age, experience, background, relationships, her self-image, lust and love, the effect, acting on her feelings?

8. Alice, the American, the stripper, seeing Daniel in the street, hit by the taxi, in hospital, his care for her? His comment about the traffic, the Park where his father went and his mother died? The quick relationship? Time passing? The photo opportunity with Anna? Her overhearing the comments about the affair?

9. Daniel, writing obituaries, his book, the novel with Alice as a basis, the relationship with her, over the year? The photo opportunity for Alice, Daniel flirting with Anna? The kiss? And Alice coming into the room? The photograph? Daniel in the year with Anna?

10. Larry is a doctor, his type, his going on to this cybersex chatroom, pretending to be female, the interchanges with Daniel, going to the aquarium, Daniel’s response to Larry, the references to Cupid? Meeting Alice at the exhibition? The interrogation, the heavy sexual emphasis?

11. Larry, cheating? And Daniel – Anna the relationship with Larry? Alice and her real name?

12. Surfaces, deceits, cheating?

13. The possibility of genuine relationships, callow moral attitudes, self-loathing, feelings of guilt and responsibility?

14. Alice returning to the United States, New York, in the street, the glimpse of Daniel – and the circular movement of the screenplay?

15. A serious film about relationships, squalid aspects, redemptive aspects?

DON'T BE A MENACE TO SOUTH CENTRAL WHILE DRINKING YOUR JUICE IN THE HOOD

US, 1996, 89 minutes, Colour.
Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tracy Cherelle Jones, Chris Spencer, Sull Mc Cullough, Helen Martin, Lahmad J.Tate Keenen Ivory Wayans.
Directed by Paris Barclay.

Don’t be a Menace is a spoof of the popular American Black films of the first part of the 1990s, with reference to Menace 2 Society, Boyz in the Hood – the film by John Singleton whose other films of the time, especially Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson as the poet and Higher Education with Omar Epps reprising his character, Malik, who is taken to college with celebration by his friends, wishing the best future, him - to be shot dead a moment later!

In 1988 k Keenen Ivory Way Evans, directed a spoof of the stereotypes of neighbourhood life in I’m Gonna Get You Sucka! The Wayan brothers appeared on television from 1995 in spoof comedy. This film comes at that period – and was the forerunner of many spoofs, many involving the Wayans, including the initial Scary Movie satires, Dance Flick, Haunted House… Marlon Wayans had a strong career in the spoofs as well as more serious roles in such films as The Heat, with Sandra Bullock and Melissa Mc Carthy.

This film is a parody of life in the Hood, with a voice-over by Shawn Wayans as Ashtray, brought back into the Hood by his well-to-do mother, with the comment that there is no place in these films for well-educated female role models! He goes live with his dad who is only a few months in age difference from him, a joke about the two teen teenagers and their respective roles, the dad certainly not a role model.

from the outset, there is a focus on the violence in the neighbourhood, with several characters being shot instantly in the street.

He goes across the street to see his cousin, Loc Dog, Marlon Wayans, who is afflicted with one of those jaw and lips attitudes, parodying the gangsters. He has a ferocious grandmother who smokes marijuana, packs a gun, does dance competitions in the Pentecostal church with its satire on sermons and money collections.

There is a romance, with Ashtray falling in love with an attractive young woman who has seven children, much parody about single mothers, absent fathers, parenthood.

There is also a young man, crippled in a wheelchair, his aim to be a ballet dancer.

And there are a whole lot of crooks, stand-offs, shootouts.

And there is a lot of discussion about the word, nigger. As well, there are some white characters, especially a criminal who holds up a Korean store, shoplifts and has a gun. And there is a jokey romance between a confused Muslim African- American and a rather plain white girl.

The film was intended for the black audience, enjoying parodies of the film – although more serious- minded audiences might worry and wonder if the satire has been taken too far. And as for white audiences watching this film in the 1990s? With so much African- American satire, it seems quite acceptable in many ways in later years.

RADIO CITY REVELS

US, 1938, 90 minutes, Colour.
Bob Burns, Jack Oakie, Kenny Baker, Ann Miller, Victor Moore, Milton Berle, Helen Broderick, Jane Froman.
Directed by Ben Stoloff.

RKO made a number of small supporting features in the late 1930s, a number of the musicals and comedies. This one is of interest for historical reasons, set in Radio City Music Hall during radio’s heyday, with big audiences in the studios, and lavish productions as well as serious and comic personalities.

The star of the film is Bob Burns, who died in 1956, popular in his day as a musician, inventor of the bazooka, performing on radio – and with a World War II service record. He was from Van Buren, Arkansas, and in this film that is where his character comes from as well, a singer on the showboat, putting words to popular tunes like My Bonnie, coming to New York for music lessons from Jack Oakie who is having a dry period as a composer, working along with his assistant, Milton Berle (aged 30 and some time before he became famous on television as Uncle milky). The key is that the man from Arkansas composes popular songs while asleep, exploited by the composer and his assistant, passing the songs off as his own, trying to break into Radio City Music Hall and provide a career for young dancer, played by Ann Miller.

The long moments in the film, that’s too long, with a composer and his assistant desperately tried to get the man from Arkansas to go to sleep so that they can get some hit songs. Jack Oakie was about to appear as Mussolini in the great dictator, with Chaplin as Hitler.
Ann Miller breaks into dance early in the film but, unfortunately, does not dance again until the end. Watching her in this film and in the previous year’s, New Faces of 1937, the question is why she did not become a star until taken up by MGM in Easter Parade in 1948, after which she shone in 10 MGM musicals. This same year she appeared in the Oscar-winning You Can’t Take it With You.

The popular singer, Jane Froman, sings and this film. She did not have a big career in film, and suffered an accident which crippled her – all of which is seen with Susan Hayward as Jane Froman in With a Song in My Heart (1952).

Kenny Baker was also a popular singer of the time, not with a great film career. Stalwarts, the bumbling Victor Moore, and the Eve Arden-like Harvard-boiled style of Helen Broderick, make welcome appearances.

STAND UP GUYS


US, 2012, 95 minutes, Colour.
Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Margulies, Mark Margolis, Lucy Punch, Addison Timlin.
Directed by Fisher Stevens.

Stand Up Guys is a wry comedy, focusing on some hitmen, getting old, looking at their past.

Al Pacino gives a very rounded performance as Val, who has just spent 28 years in jail for shooting, accidentally, the son of the gangster, Claphands (Mark Margolis).He is met at the jail by his old friend, Doc, Christopher Walken in a quietly intense performance.

Val is no saint and wants immediately to go to a brothel, fairly crass and crude in his attitudes and expressions. Doc takes him to an old brothel which is now being run by Wendy, Lucy Punch, taking over from her mother. He meets an Eastern European prostitute but has to return with pharmaceutical help. Later they come back to the brothel with Hirsch, Alan Arkin, their old getaway driver.

The point is that Doc has been commissioned by Claphands to eliminate Val for revenge’s sake, the death of his son, by 10.00 am the next day. This preoccupies Doc all night, although Val soon indicates that he knows that this is the case.

They occupy the time with a visit to hospital, picking up Hirsch, going on a spree, some shootings, Hirsch’s death, the return to hospital to see his nurse daughter, Jiulianna Margulies, and then burying their friend.

There is a human touch with Doc going to the diner each morning to see his granddaughter, Addison Timson, who does not know who he is.

As might be anticipated, the men take the revenge into their own hands and go into a blaze of glory shootout against Claphands and his thugs.

The film is directed by actor, producer, Fisher Stevens.

1. A comedy about hitmen, comedy about age, comedy about fate, breaking through fate?

2. The strong cast?

3. The title, expectations, hitmen, their friendships, codes, manipulation by gangsters?

4. Val, coming out of jail, meeting Doc, so long in jail? Friendship with Doc, his car, going to the apartment, Val thinking it too small? Going to the brothel, the encounter with Wendy, the prostitute, the need for Viagra, going to the pharmacy, taking the medication? The return to the brothel, sexual prowess? Going for the meal? Meeting Alex, the later revelation that she was Doc’s granddaughter? The big meal, taking the gangsters’ car, picking up Hirsch in the old people’s home, out on the town, the threats to the mobsters, Hirsch and the driveaway car, his collapse and death? Val previously at the hospital, the treating of his erection? The return, Hirsch’s daughter? The decision to go to the cemetery, digging a grave, the speech about him, her response?

5. Val knowing that Doc had the contract, Val accepting this, noting the time, occupying the time, concern about Val’s daughter and granddaughter? Fate and acceptance?

6. Doc, hitman, visiting Val in jail, retiring, his art in paintings? Sunsets? The quiet life, routine, going to the diner to see Alex? Meeting Val, keeping him company, the diner, the brothel, the memory of Wendy’s mother, the pharmacy, meals, taking Val to hospital, picking up Hirsch, the memories, the hit on the gangsters, therir car? Hirsch’s death, the funeral, the time to kill Val? The phone call to Claphands, his thugs turning up at the diner, later, shooting them?

7. The episode with Sylvia, at the diner, taking up her cause, the rape, identifying the warehouse, the gangster brothers, the attack, Sylvia and her vengeance?

8. Hirsch, the getaway car, old people’s home, picki p, going out, the visit to the brothel, in the car, his death, funeral?

9. Claphands, the death of his son, vengeance, the 28 years, the commission for Doc, the phone calls and the reminders, his thugs? Doc and the appeal for mercy, the refusal?

10. The character of Wendy, at the brothel, manager, the girls, another, friendly, the drink with Doc? Hirsch’s visit?

11. Hirsch’s daughter, at the hospital, knowing the men, memories of the birthday party and Doc, helping with Val, the death of her father, the cemetery, being moved?

12. Alex, at the diner, pleasant, taking orders, conversation, the discovery of her grandfather, the pictures, his giving her the apartment?

13. Val and Doc, the time, the final decision, guns blazing, the thugs, Claphands? Going out in what they knew best?

20 MULE TEAM

US, 1940, 84 minutes, black-and-white.
Wallace Beery, Leo Carillo, Marjorie Rambeau, Anne Baxter, Douglas Fowley, Noah Beery Jr .
Directed by Richard Thorpe.

A mixed drama, set in Death Valley in 1892, a focus on the Borax industry, the collection of Borax from the desert floor and the possibility of developing crystal resources for industry around the world. In some ways it plays like a western, especially the town of Furnace Flat, the inhabitants and the hotel.

The film is of interest mainly for historical reasons, another Wallace Beery star turn, the first film of a very young Anne Baxter (who would have an Oscar in six year’s time for her role in The Razor’s Edge), character portrayal by Marjorie Rambeau, an eccentric performance by Leo Carillo as a Native American and the appearance of Noah Beery Jr, the nephew of the star.

Beery does his usual turn, gruff, amiable, with the touch of the sinister, collecting the Borax and carrying it through Death Valley with his 20 mule team, assisted by Piute Pete, Carillo as the Indian, with a lot of comment, jokes about Native Americans and their abilities or not, Beery mouthing off so much of the time, yet, at his death, feeling very emotional.

There are difficult times for the company, wanting to close down in Death Valley, unable to pay their workers. An old prospector goes out and finds better crystals, leaving a claim which Beery finds but is left to the young man, Mitch, Beery Jr. Mitch was in love with Joan, who wanted to move to the big city, hampered by her mother, Marjorie Rambeau, who had similar experiences in her past but could not confide these to her daughter.

There are complications with Beery’s past, wanted for a killing, and finding at the end that there had been an amnesty for eight years, and a partner from the past, Douglas Fowley, who has a hold over Beery and manipulates him about the claim. He also manipulates the young girl who wants to run away with him – a quite a melodramatic ending, especially with the shooting of her mother.

As might be expected, Mitch returns, Joan really loves him, the mother survives, and Beery lives yet another day after a shootout in the mountains with the criminals.

Directed by Richard Thorpe was to go direct many genre films at MGM.

SHERLOCK: A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA

UK, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Lara Pulver, Mark Gattis, Rupert Graves, Andrew Scott, Una Stubbs.
Directed by Paul Mc Guigan.

A Scandal in Belgravia is the first film of the second television series, Sherlock.

Benedict Cumberbatch is certainly at ease in the role of Sherlock. As is Martin freeman as Dr. Watson. Rupert Graves appears as Inspector Lestrade.
Mike Gattis, originator and co-writer in the series, is an effective Mycroft.

Andrew Scott was introduced in The Great Game as Moriarty and was to appear in successive films.

However, the popularity of this film is in its introducing Irene Adler, played effectively by Lara Pulver, a 21st century femme fatale. The other principal aspect of the film is that it shows Sherlock Holmes as a little bit more real, rather than an idiot savant. At the opening, we see his craving for a drug fix, needing a case to solve. But, with the encounter with Irene Adler and the exchange of ploys and use of wits, she falls in love with him and he becomes infatuated with her. The latter part of the film, while showing the solving of the mystery, especially in the dealings with terrorists and codes, is principally interesting because of Sherlock’s response to Irene.

Paul Mc Guigan once again directs.

1. The popularity of the series? Benedict Cumberbatch? Martin Freeman? The perennial popularity of Sherlock Holmes? The ingenuity of Conan Doyle’s stories?

2. Conan Doyle and the creation of Irene Adler? The femme fatale? The Sherlock Holmes and love? The connection with Moriarty?

3. The adaptation of the original to the 21st century? UK espionage, terrorists, secrets and blackmail?

4. Contemporary London, 221b Baker Street? The interiors, Sherlock and his mess? Streets, offices, Battersea power station, cafes, the sense of realism? Making the action credible?

5. The title? The upper class? Politics? The involvement of Holmes? Irene Adler and her clients, including members of parliament and the secret service?

6. Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock? Age, appearance, gaunt, his clothes? Impatient, wanting quick answers? His addiction to his cases? The rapidity of his mind? The friendship with Watson, discussions with him, withholding information, relying on him? Taking him for granted?

7. The device of identifying his traits, investigations, making them visible, information, diagrams, the flight seat pattern etc?

8. His interviews, the people with the dead relatives, not investing interest? The fat client and his story of the walker, the death? The investigation? Watson going to the site with the laptop? Sherlock watching? The visuals, the explanation, the passport?

9. Sherlock wrapped in the sheets? The visitors, commanding him to come, Watson joining him, reactions, at Buckingham palace, the protocols? Mycroft and the information, the information about Irene Adler, Irene and her photographing Sherlock? The set-up for the visit, Watson punching him, the injury, the assistant giving him entry? Irene getting ready, naked, the comments about disguises and personalities? Holmes’ interest in her? The interplay, the information, the phone, the coded information, the safe? The CIA attack, guns, the safe and the gun inside? Irene disabling Sherlock? His waking up at home, the effects?

10. The texting, her death, the visit to the morgue, identifying her? The help of Sally?

11. Sally, Lestrade, Jeanette and Watson, the party and the gifts, Sally’s gift to Sherlock?

12. Watson summoned, Battersea, his talking, expecting Mycroft? Finding Irene? Not dead? Sherlock following him? Meeting with Mycroft, Irene, her reliance on my craft? Getting more information?

13. Irene asking the solution of the death of the walker, visualizing Sherlock and seeing outside, at the site of the death? Explanations?

14. Going to the plane, the hostility of the CIA agent? The plan, the reference to Coventry and allowing deaths to prevent the enemy knowing they had the code? The dead people in the plane? The initial people visiting Holmes and his lack of interest? Mycroft and explanations? Sherlock’s failure?

15. The final confrontation, the farm, his trying to break the code, her victory, his victory, taking her pulse, her eyes, code, SHER?

16. Sherlock, remembering ‘the woman’, her texts, the final text and seeing what happened? Mycroft and Watson and the discussion, the file, showing it to Sherlock? The visuals of Irene being beheaded? The irony of Sherlock being present? His final comment on ‘that woman’?

CONVICT

Australia, 2014, 110 minutes, Colour.
George Basha, Richard Green, David Field, Millie Rose Heywood, Johnny Nasser, Taha Saleh.
Directed by George Basha and David Field.

Convict is a very tough Australian film. It is the work of writer-director, George Basha, who takes a central role of a Sydney man who has served in Iraq, comes home, meet his fiancee and plans to marry, but is involved in a brawl with a rich lout, causing his death, and his going to prison to serve his time.

David Field is the corrupt warden of the prison, paid by the wealthy father of the young man to make the prison sentence as difficult as possible. And we see the visuals of this.

There are some redeeming moments where one of the guards wants out of the contract to persecute the prisoner. But, more effective is the interaction with the life-convict who works as the prison librarian to whom the prisoner is assigned. They get to know each other, the old man defending the younger but ultimately falling foul of the authorities.

The money he has stolen has never been found and he gives the instruction so that when the prisoner is released, he can find the money, and he and his fiancee can give it to the old man’s daughter.

There are also some interesting racial subplots, with bigotry in prisons against Middle Eastern prisoners, and aboriginal prisoners taking sides.as well as being victims.

George Basha and David Field combined for the film The Combination, Basha writing and starring (as someone getting out of prison and finding difficulties with his family and his younger brother) and David Field directing.

1. The title? Australian tradition? The Australian heritage? Prisons?

2. The contribution of George Basha, writing, co-directing, starring? David Field and his work?

3. The film as topical, plausible, prison life? Credible?

4. The city, the airport, the beach, atmosphere and locations? The musical score?

5. The prison, the walls, the interiors, the cells, dining, showering, the yard?

6. Ray, his service in Iraq, his medals, his later story of the 16-year-old who was hungry and his shooting him? His arrival at the airport, Kelly meeting him, the proposal, on the beach? The attack by the young man, Ray defending Kelly, anger, the knife, the death?

7. Discussions with the lawyer, Kelly and the decision, his acknowledging that he took a life, manslaughter and 18 months?

8. The young man, his friend, affluent, behaving like a lout, sexual harassment? the fight, his death? The scene of his family, grief, the father, his agent getting the information, his payment?

9. The discussions with the warden, the warden and his crassness, greed, the money, his promise to aggravate Ray’s treatment? His supervision, decisions, paying the three guards, the reports, his personal intervention, the bashing, being challenged by his subordinate officer? His saying he would play God?

10. Ray, in himself, his appearance, the taunts of being an Arab? Helping the 18-year-old? Entry, stripping, the clothes, the cell, the guards, the treatment? Mazen and his leadership, the bigot, the gang? The Arab group at the prejudice? The aborigines in the fight? The role of the aborigines, clashes with Ray, ultimately backing him? Mazen and Ray’s back? falling out? Mazen, the drugs, the boss, the threats, the members of his gang, the challenge to fight Ray, his losing, losing face and authority?

11. The young man, aged 18, embarrassed and being naked, his fear, in the shower, defending himself, in the hole, the prisoner and the sexual advance, his being raped, the knife and Mazen urging him to kill Ray? His being killed by Mazen?

12. The guards, their personalities, their behaviour, cruel, the money, callous? The third guard and his wanting them to stop? His being injured?

13. Kelly, the visits, her being made to strip, the guards, their taunts? Ray’s anger, with her, the reconciliation, the end and their being together?

14. Dave, working in the library, the story of his crime, the deaths and his responsibility? The prison being his home, boss of the library? The warden dominating him, especially about Ray? The work together, the continued conversations, the friendship? His being stabbed to save Ray? The hospital? The information about the stolen cash, wanting Ray to give it to his daughter and wanting her to visit?

15. The cumulative effect, the beatings, the hosing down, the motor room, isolation? The credibility of this kind of life in contemporary prisons?

16. Ray being set up, no parole, the subordinate officer, dealing fairly with Ray, taping the warden? His being arrested?

17. Ray getting out, meeting up with Kelly, going to visit the daughter, delivering the cash, urging her to visit her father?

18. The final irony, the father of the lout, in prison, getting the same treatment?

OUT OF THE FOG

US, 1941, 85 minutes, Black and white.
John Garfield, Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell, Eddie Albert, George Tobias, John Qualen, Aline Mac Mahon,Jerome Cowan. Leo Gorcey, Paul Harvey.
Directed by Anatole Litvak.

Out of the Fog is based on the play, The Gentle People, written by Irwin Shaw. It has a strong director in Anatole LItvak, and a very strong cast of character actors, especially at Warner Brothers during the 1930s and 1940s.

It is set on the New York waterfront, with ordinary people, like Thomas Mitchell and John Qualen, going fishing, but stand over would-be gangster, John Garfield, getting protection money out of the people or else burning their boats. Ida Lupino plays Thomas Mitchell’s daughter, in a humdrum job, wanting something more exciting in life and attracted by the gangster. Eddie Albert is a very ordinary and organised boyfriend. There are touches of comedy from George Tobias. Mitchell’s bitter wife is played by Aline Mac Mahon, and Leo Gorcey serves at a diner where Qualen is the cook and put upon by the boss who wants to marry him.

Brief, interesting and effective.

1. 1940s Warner Bros production, black-and-white photography, sets, musical score?

2. The title, Brooklyn, the harbour, the water, the fog, men fishing, the man overboard?

3. The film based on a play, The Gentle People, by novelist and playwright, Irwin Shaw? The screenplay and its scenes, as in the play, the strong amount of dialogue?

4. The setting, the period, Brooklyn, a poor neighbourhood, Magruder and the police patrol, the diner, customers, the kitchen, the boats, fishing, homes, characters?

5. The focus on Harold Goff, John Garfield character, the, racketeer, only rocks - no heart? Burning the boat? The threats to Jonah and Olaf? His smug behaviour, in the diner, his card tricks? Attraction to Stella? Her going out with him? The attraction? His return, demanding the money, the reaction of the old men? Learning about the $190 from Stella? Threatening Jonah, Jonah’s reaction with the police, court, his having them sign the loan document, going free? The dance hall with Stella, his momentary jealousy, spurning of George fighting with him? The trip to Cuba? Taking the $190? Jonah persuading him to go by boat, his not being able to swim, the boat stopping, the gun, his falling overboard, in the morgue?

6. Jonah, his experience, friendship with Olaf, going fishing, planning to buy the boat, the deposit? At home, his nagging wife? His love for Stella, wanting something better yet persuading her to be ordinary, to go out with George? Her lying to him about Goff? Her not being able to give him up? Paying the five dollars, giving the $190, the plan, the preparation, the court case and his protests, losing? Feeling desperate, motivation to kill Goff? On the boat, the plan, Olaf unable to hit Goff? His falling overboard, their thanking God, the return, the police and the inspectors, the wallet, hiding it, keeping the money, throwing the wallet away – and Magruder’s support? The plan to buy the boat and to go fishing with Stella coming with them?

7. Stella, tough, her hard mother, love for her father, the routine with George, her dissatisfaction, working for the phone company, the humdrum life, the attraction to Goff, going out, the daring, the dance, her father promising the trip to Cuba, her gratitude, not able to take it, Goff’s offer and her acceptance, packing, her father trying to persuade her, her stubbornness?

8. George, the devoted man, the routine jobs, with Stella, the promise of the suburban life, perseverance, confronting Gough?

9. Olaf, in the kitchen, Florence and her proposal of marriage, tough, his cooking, going fishing, friendship with Jonah, the plan, his fears, the final relief?

10. Magruder, on the beat, testifying for Jonah, seeing the money at the end?

11. The ordinariness of life, the nightclub and the dancing as seeming exotic, the title of the play and the emphasis on ordinary people?