Bracken Reviews

Wild Target (1993)

A stylish, funny, black comedy.

[8/10 · 22 October 2000]

A fantastic little black comedy, up there with Kind Hearts And Coronets and A Fish Called Wanda. This is a very funny film, in a dry, witty way which gives it real style. The four lead performances are all good, but Jean Rochefort in particular does a brilliant dead-pan in the lead role. There are plenty of good lines, but the funniest jokes are visual- the synchronising of the push-chair gently bumping the car with the noise of the crash behind, or the re-appearance of the parrot behind Madame Maynard. And Patachou's cameo in that role (the mother, not the parrot) makes the movie worth seeing alone. Highly recommended, and worth seeing twice for the subtle jokes you miss the first time. And if you're wondering: yes, Guilliame Depardieu does have his father's nose.

The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992)

Save a precious hour and three quarters. Miss this film.

[3/10 · 5 October 2000]

I can't believe I watched this movie on television, with the capacity to turn it off at any moment, and yet didn't. This is a terrible 'comedy'. It takes a bizarre premise- downtrodden librarian confesses to a murder in order to get respect- meanders off into a half-baked plot about the Mafia, and fails to include any jokes whatsoever. It's also staffed by off-the-peg movie stereotypes: dowdy librarian who turns out to be beautiful, hooker with a heart of gold, sinister Mafia boss- they're all there for the thousandth time. It's a bad film. Not 'so bad it's good'. Just bad. Even the 'cute' dog is ugly.

An Inspector Calls (1954)

Wonderful performance in a compelling, well-written film.

[8/10 · 5 October 2000]

A fairly rare thing; a film version of a play which really works- partly because of the quality of the original play, and partly by using flash-backs as a natural way of introducing more locations. These new scenes are well-written enough to fit seamlessly with Priestley's lines; and Eva Smith is beautifully acted. What makes this movie, though, is the magnificent performance by Alistair Sim in the title role. A great piece of casting- it would have been so easy to have cast some brooding, fierce actor like Basil Rathbone in the part, but Sim's gentle, avuncular, and sad performance is far more compelling, and finally, far more sinister. The only bad thing about the film is the classic fifties close-up and Da Da DAAA! music whenever someone looks at the photograph. I think we got the point already...

Scenes from a Mall (1991)

Quirky little film with great chemistry

[7/10 · 4 October 2000]

I enjoyed this a lot, but more in the way you enjoy a play than a film. I can see how this would annoy some people, but I quite like it when film mimics theatre- for instance, by restricting virtually all the dialogue to two characters, and virtually all the action to one, claustrophobic, location. The plot is slow and unlikely, but the writing is good, and the acting superb. Particularly fine is Midler's murderous side-long glance at the word 'zombies'. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen Allen have better chemistry with his leading lady. So, not a film for laughing out loud at, but engrossing, well done, and fun to watch. Best thing about it: A mime gets punched. Worst thing: Woody Allen in a white jacket and- God help us- a pony-tail.

Reach for the Sky (1956)

Tally ho!

[6/10 · 2 October 2000]

Never have so many upper lips been kept so stiff by so many for so long. Classic Sunday Afternoon movie, which keeps the pace up, and is occasionally genuinely moving despite some astonishingly wooden writing. This is largely due to Kenneth More, who somehow manages to make the arrogant, bloody-minded, and rather stupid character of Bader as written likeable and even inspiring.