Any Human Heart (2010 Michael Samuels)

Artfully adapted from his own wonderful novel by William Boyd, who we had never heard of before. A whole life, made up by good luck and bad luck, weaving real characters (Fleming, Duke of Windsor, Harry Oates) into fiction. Humane, funny, tragic, life-affirming, one of the really great television productions, winning BAFTA for best drama serial, though amazingly, Boyd didn't even get a nod.

"Everything's changed now. Everything's real. Our summer is over."
"Get your passport and go. And try not to fuck anyone on the way."
"He's a C.A.U.C."

 

Jim Broadbent, Matthew Macfadyen (his best work), Hayley Atwell, Sam Claflin (who was then annoying in White Heat), Ed Stoppard (who was then annoying in Upstairs Downstairs), Samuel West, Holliday Grainger ("I like to drink gin after I fuck, and then I feel like fucking again"), Tom Hollander, Gillian Anderson, Kim Cattrall, Julian Rhind-Tutt.

The way that Broadbent becomes Macfadyen is superb, a testament as much as anything to the former's art.

One of those films (originally broadcast in four episodes) in which everything works perfectly: acting, music (Dan Jones Appropriate Adult, Criminal Justice, won BAFTA), photography (Wojciech Szepel Tess of the Durbevilles, White Girl, with lots of interesting compositions and shallow focus - Freya's lips through the wine glass), editing (Tim Murrell Gun Rush, My Boy Jack, Clapham Junction, Marples, lately crap-looking horror, though he did contribute to the excellent Parade's End) set and costume design etc. (Also sound, for example, when it disappears.) In fact what is extremely odd about this is that these contributing technicians didn't immediately get propelled into the spotlight. Murrell's editing alone is superb. It's as good as it was the first two times (15 December 2010 and 25 March 2012), which is always pleasing. And it is endlessly inventive, viz. calling dog Bowser after dog food!

And stakeout vandals are not just his best friend but his doctor also! This, where other films are running out of steam.

I also love the fact that the psychiatrist is doodling. "Sex or money?"

Makes me sincerely wish that The New Confessions would be adapted by the same team.

I Confess (1953 Alfred Hitchcock)

Intriguing plot focuses on priest (Montgomery Clift) being unable to reveal identity of killer (O.E. Hasse aka Otto Keller), and involvement with married woman (Anne Baxter). Karl Malden is the detective and Dolly Haas the killer's wife in typically well-cast film, written by George Tabori and William Archibald from Paul Anthelme's 1902 play.

Set in Quebec, shot by Burks, scored by Tiomkin.

Nice little touches, e.g. chefs' tall white hats over a murder victim, juror's comb-over, vicar's bicycle which keeps falling over.

Usual interesting set-ups, low angles, tilts (especially churches) and long shots (finale).

Legacy (2013 Pete Travis)

Interesting premise - 1974: Charlie Cox is briefed (by an unfriendly Simon Russell Beale) to make Russian friend Andrew Scott defect, but finds out his father was working for the KGB. He also falls for married Romola Garai. Paula Milne has adapted Alan Judd's novel, not without inconsistencies. With Geraldine James, Olivia Grant, Christian McKay.

Well acted but extremely irritatingly shot and directed e.g. zoom in then zoom out of character in long shot for no reason.

Philomena (2013 Stephen Frears)

Based on Martin Sixsmith's book, adapted by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope (Dirty Filthy Love), won BAFTA.

Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Anna Maxwell Martin, Sophie Kennedy Clark (young Philomena), Mare Winningham (not Jessica Hynes as we thought), and as the nasty old nun Barbara Jefford, who was the voice of Tatiana in from Russia with Love and who we've most recently seen in The Deep Blue Sea.

I'm not a huge fan of Frears, whose films seem to me streaked with cruelty, but this is his best - written and shot (Robbie Ryan) like a thriller, which it sort of is - a good choice. And Coogan is right to inject humour, which in no way dissipates the material.

Alexandre Desplat wrote the music and Valerio Bonelli (Cemetery Junction) edited it

Saving Mr Banks (2013 John Lee Hancock)

Something of a breakthrough for British TV writers  Kelly Marcel (a virtual beginner) and Sue Smith, with some influence from the actual taped sessions of Mary Poppins author PL Travers. Emma Thompson is enjoying being rude, Tom Hanks an intelligent casting choice from the head of Walt Disney, Paul Giamatti especially enjoyable, but Jason Schwartzman also good against his usual lugubrious type; with Colin Farrell (again playing an alky), Ruth Wilson (so memorable in Luther), Bradley Whitford (recognisable to us from Studio 60), BJ Novak, Rachel Griffiths (aunt) and Annie Rose Buckley (the kid).

Shot by Seabiscuit's John Schwartzman, edited by Mark Livolsi (Almost Famous, Elizabethtown), music by Thomas Newman (his 12th Oscar nomination).

Perfect Strangers (2001 Stephen Poliakoff & scr)

Michael Gambon, Matthew Macfadyen, Claire Skinner, Lindsay Duncan, Toby Stephens, Jill Baker, Timothy Spall, Anton Lesser, Michael Culkin, Kelly Hunter, Kathleen Byron (! pictured below) Sheila Burrell and Muriel Pavlow, Tony Maudsley, JJ Feild (Ruby in the Smoke).

Edited by Paul Tothill.
Ph Cinders Forshaw.
Music by his regular collaborator Adrian Johnston.

It's the stories you are told that make the lasting impression: so the Jewish girl relearning her family tree, the two sisters who live in the wild (soldiers collecting cobwebs), father dancing. And the photos...

Staged at Claridge's, and at several unknown country and town houses.

L'Anée Dernière à Marienbad (1961 Alain Resnais)

25 March 2013

Just two shots from this shocking editing sequence, that extends for maybe 30 seconds, is probably my favourite in any film and worthy of study. One of the cuts really is this fast (or even faster).

Brief Encounter (1945 David Lean)

Screenplay by Noel Coward (play 'Still Life'), Anthony Havelock-Allen, David Lean and Ronald Neame.

Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard ("what exciting lives we lead!"), Stanley Holloway (who's in four of my Top 100), Joyce Carey (In Which we Serve, Blithe Spirit, The Way to the Stars), Cyril Raymond ("No dear, I like it"), Valentine Dyall (the disappointed friend).

"I should have felt utterly ashamed and wretched, but I wasn't."

Photographed by Robert Krasker.

The fade to remembrances may have come from Citizen Kane? (Expert darkening of background.)

That station bell is such an important element in the film.

Wonderfully clever and ahead of its time (ending at beginning from different point of view).

26/2/12: A perfect film, which of course gave Wilder The Apartment.

Screenplay, actress, director all nominated.

16/10/11.

24/10/10. Ronnie Neame himself cries at the ending, though suggests that the husband doesn't know?

And the featurette.

It was Coward who insisted on Rachmaninov.

That's Denham village.

14/2/09. Q's Valentine's Day suggestion.

When Johnson contemplates suicide, there's a wonderful camera tilt that makes its way into the next two shots.

Loved Beryl and her date running past in background.

But twist is husband seems to have known all along.

13/01/08.
18/3/95.

The Red Shoes

Q finally got it.

Jottings this way.

Most amazing new thing I noticed was in the Red Shoes ballet, when Marius Goring appears to walk out of the orchestra onto stage...

Seven Psychopaths (2012 Martin McDonagh & scr)

Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Harry Dean Stanton.

Grandly entertaining story of script being written as the film. Though sequence of Vietnam monk burning himself seems oddly out of place.

Also, the film's self-criticism - that the women are secondary characters quickly despatched - doesn't address itself.

Still, generally, good, bloody entertainment.

Despicable Me (2010 Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud)

Kid's film.

The Butler (2013 Lee Daniels)

Great cast supports Forrest Whittaker - Oprah, David Oyelowo, Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, plus guest stars.

It looks like an Andrew Dunn film, and it is.

Felt the pivotal diner / dinner scene should have been a stand-out, but wasn't. There's a great edit later when two people who aren't in the same room seem to look at each other - more of that would have helped. (Brian Kates and Joe Klotz).

Too Hollywoody. A bit of a disappointment from Daniels, who seems to be going downhill from Precious.

As evidence, goes on too long.

Inspector Morse

Watching early episodes - films in effect - from the first two seasons, 1987-8.

Colin Dexter's novels supply the material, Alastair Reid is amongst those directing and Anthony Minghella (ep. 1), Julian Mitchell (Arabesque) and Charles Wood (The Knack) all wrote episodes. Barrington Pheloung wrote the music for the entire series.

John Thaw and Kevin Whately star, Peter Woodthorpe good fun as pathologist.

Familiar guests include Simon Callow, Kenneth Cranham, Robert Stephens, Patrick Troughton, Barbara Flynn, Michael Gough, Roger Lloyd Pack, Michael Hordern etc.

The Wolvercote Tongue features the Ashmolean and the Randolph Hotel opposite ("one of the best hotels in England" - really?), and it's amusing that although a precious treasure is stolen, no one for a moment investigates the red herring that is a group of builders on scaffolding who have easy reach of the jewel from outside.

Unrelated (2007 Joanna Hogg)

Bare, improvised film (somewhat akin to watching a holiday video - not one of my holiday videos, I hasten to add) has no music and 'natural' sound, and remote shot lengths, and shows emotionally-repressed woman Kathryn Worth staying with her old school chum Mary Roscoe, her family and friends in Tuscany (near Siena), including young Tom Hiddlestone, for whom she falls.

Reminded me a great deal of Rohmer's Le Rayon Vert in both its subject matter and execution. What they don't share though is this one's sense of underlying unsettlement, which surfaces in (off-screen but potent) shouting match between father and son. Doesn't always feel credible, e.g. the scene when they've skinny dipped into the pool.

We didn't really like the woman, but I thought her friend was even worse.

Captain Phillips (2013 Paul Greengrass)

It's over before it's begun. Greengrass hits you over the head with his film, which then won't end. It's like being assaulted. It is all edits, verité camerawork, sound effects and music, and not much in the way of suspense or surprise (or story). (Several scenes would have been more effective without music.) The ending is actually the only good bit.

Several opportunities for Britney Spears jokes though. And why on earth aren't giant cargo ships like these armed??

Tom Hanks was noticeably not nominated by either Academy; Barkhad Abdi was the surpise BAFTA supporting actor winner.

Shot by Barry Aykroyd in the same docu style as Hurt Locker.

The Selfish Giant (2013 Clio Barnard & scr)

Immediate, real, poignant, Clio Barnard immediately earns the right to sit beside Lynn Ramsay and Andrea Arnold as one of our top directors. And Conner Chapman is so natural it's like he isn't acting. Weird that he and Shaun Thomas were originally to play each other's parts. Lots of good support from Sean Gilder and Siobhan Finneran (salvagers), Lorraine Ashbourne and Steve Evets (friend's parents), Elliott Tittensor (brother, also from Shameless),  and Rebecca Manley as mum.

Lyrical too (final shot is of the horse's eye).

Shot by Mike Eley (Parade's End).

Films which Barnard researched - The Boy on the Bicycle, Kes, Les Quatres Cent Coups, Bicycle Thieves - certainly spring to mind.

The Big Sleep (again)

Needs remastering and issuing on Blu-Ray.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012 Wes Anderson)

Delightful romantic fable written by Anderson and Roman Coppola, featuring young stars Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, supported by Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bob Balaban, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton. Packed with so many amusing details (her suitcase, megaphone) and touches that there's no beginning nor end to them - and warmth, wonderful colours courtesy Robert Yeoman.

"Was he a good dog?"
"Who's to say?"

Scored by Alexandre Desplat.

Q thinks it's Wes's most enjoyable film, and of course she's right.

Tirez Sur le Pianiste / Shoot the Pianist (1960 François Truffaut)

Amusingly written by Truffaut and Marcel Moussy, based on the novel 'Down There' by David Goodis.

With a sad Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger (his wife), Michèle Mercier (prostitute), Serge Davri & Claude Mansard (amusing gangsters), le jeune Richard Kanayan, Albert Rémy.

Stunningly shot in the very lowest of lights by Raoul Coutard (in DyaliScope) and edited like lightning by Claudine Bouché (who "stood in for Cecile Décugis at the last minute" who is also credited: Truffaut, de Baecque & Toubiana); music by Georges Delerue.

Certain amazing sequences e.g. when he tries to take her hand, kidnapping, the edits of the couple in bed.

Described by Truffaut as a 'musical', and with the intention of being completely unlike Les Quatre Cents Coups, we end up with this most amusing film noir romance comedy thriller, with a pace and style unlike almost all other films, and raising the question, why do other people not make films like this any more? It certainly succeeds in being immediate and real (all on location). It's extremely fresh, lively, romantic, sexy, funny and sad. Perhaps it is pulling all that off in one short film which is the tricky bit.

Loved it when I first saw it, on TV, 16 February 1979. The kid had class.

Paris locations in Levallois-Perret and a brasserie at the Porte Champerret.

Blue Jasmine (2013 Woody Allen & scr)

He's bloody unstoppable - the 78 year old genius is definitely in a late creative flowering, getting closer to his hero Bergman (who he only discovered because he had heard there was a topless girl in his film) every year.

Irony abounds in usual style.

If ever there was a director who defines Truffaut's auteur theory, making the same film over and over again, it is Mr Woody Allen.

Precise musical choices as always, rich photography (Javier Aguirreasrobe) in Panavision, for a change (try finding a screen shot in the correct ratio, I challenge you), making San Francisco look as unfamiliar as Woody did London in Match Point.

Less continuous takes than earlier films - he's actually working harder. Though did notice a quick Gordon Willis moment where no one's in shot.

And he allows another performer to win Best Actor, his sixth or seventh (refer to earlier posts for definitive answer). Cate Blanchett is absolutely brilliant, but so is Sally Hawkins. As for the 'loser' boyfriend who so bugged us, he's from Nurse Jackie or Will & Grace, Bobby Cannavale. The elusive Andrew Dice Clay, and Alec Baldwin, also appear.