gedhurst Reviews

Catch-22 (1970)

We are all Yossarian

[8/10 · 24 August 2023]

Catch-22 is a film based on the celebrated book by Joseph Heller. It traces the bewilderment and disillusionment of Yossarian, a US air force bombardier based on an US airbase in Italy during the last stages of the second world war. Yossarian thinks the war is run by insane people who are trying to kill him by making him fly more missions. He wants to escape by claiming to be crazy, but there is a catch, the celebrated Catch-22. The meaning of 'Catch-22' is deftly explained by the movie, and has rightly entered popular culture.

I watched Catch-22 again after the death of the marvellous Alan Arkin. The whole film revolves around him, with a brilliant supporting cast. The airbase scenes with taxiing bombers roaring into the sky are justly famous. The film is stripped to the essentials of the book, with many amusing scenes and characters absent for reasons of space: a literal treatment would double the length. The book is also written in a post-modernist style with many flashbacks to previous events, just like a normal human memory works. This style is successfully caught and conveyed by the structuring of the movie.

However, the point about the film which struck me most forcefully was how the zeitgeist of present-day America is captured. What the film shouts out to the viewer is that America has been captured by Corporate Fascism which dominates all areas of life. Even the military is subject to it. This was true in the Sixties, with the debacle of Vietnam, and it is also true today; the events of the past 23 years amply demonstrate this. Yossarian is just a pawn in this totalitarian structure, driven to paranoia and small acts of rebellion, trapped in an insane world run by sociopaths for insane objectives. Just because you are not paranoid, it doesn't mean they don't want to kill you.

We are all Yossarian.

The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Already one of the best rock docs of all time

[10/10 · 21 December 2021]

Hugely enjoyable documentary which is a very revealing look into a forgotten time. It's hard to believe that just 7 years before this, the Beatles had their first number 1 single, and here they are completely changed, yet still writing, still a tight unit, still larking about.

2 things stand out for me: the amazing keyboards contribution of Billy Preston, and the sad realisation on Macca's face near the end of the second episode, that yes, this really was going to be the last time.

The Magic Boomerang (1965–1966)

Absorbing kids program for fertile imaginations

[9/10 · 9 April 2020]

Throw a boomerang and be amazed (if you throw it right) how long it spirals through the air... almost as if time stands still while you're watching it. And what if there really was a magic boomerang which paused time while it was flying? If you are a kid in the Sixties, that is unbelievably cool: think of all the problems you could solve! (problems are always a big part of the kid world).

This great kid's program came from Australia, so already it was exotic (but familiar) to children in Britain (like grey industrial Manchester, where I watched it), but this twist of a 'magic' boomerang really set it apart.

The key to a child's world of imagination is often slight and inconsequential or even unintelligible to adults. I can't remember much of the episodes, but this idea of a time-stopping boomerang has always stayed with me.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Dark nightmare fuelled by Cold War paranoia or something stranger?

[8/10 · 3 October 2019]

The film starts with a battle scene from the 'forgotten war' - the Korean - a bitter, savage conflict fought by Western forces against forces of Communism, then in the ascendency. At stake was not just the bleak hills of the Korean peninsula but the whole of Western ideology: this was a fight for freedom against totalitarian International Communism bent on world domination.

The performances are top rate. A low-key Frank Sinatra effectively underplays the haunted Major Marco with terrific support from a very strong cast, particularly Angela Lansbury, absolutely chilling as the tyrannical mother of Raymond. It is however, Laurence Harvey's film: poor, unlovable Laurence Harvey miscast but unforgettable playing poor unlovable Raymond Shaw.

The film has a dreamlike, claustrophobic quality, accentuated by the black and white expressionist photography and John Frankenheimer's taught direction.

The filming took place in 1962. Since then there have been at least 5 political assassinations that have changed the course of history (4 in the US, 1 in the UK), all conducted by soul-less ciphers programmed to kill.

A powerful work of fiction, it is the prophetic quality of The Manchurian Candidate that lingers long in the mind.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The Hero With a Thousand Faces

[9/10 · 1 May 2019]

Endgame was an eagerly anticipated event (it is an *event*) in my household: family members who saw it before others were assiduous in not revealing spoilers, such was the reverence for the film and not wanting to spoil it for others. Having seen it, I can now understand why.

I'm so old I remember reading the original Avengers comics, and one of the most satisfying things about Endgame was the fidelity, once again, to the spirit of the original comics and their characters, scripted by Lee and drawn by Kirby or Ditko. This is always a huge relief to a Marvel fan. Evans and Downey can be justifiably proud of the way they incarnated their characters, fleshing out in a very real and human way, the 2-dimensional comic. In fact it is a great effort by the whole cast: there is not one weak performance.

It's one of the best-crafted films I've ever seen: this statement gives you a clue that it is not the crash-bang, thrill-a-minute extravaganza that we've come to expect from the genre. There are many poignant and tender scenes early on as the dreadful realization of Thanos's actions in Infinity War become apparent. The plot lines are clever, not contrived; with the trademark humour intact, as the action builds to one climax after another. I was looking out for the woke scenes and sure enough, they do come, but are immediately followed and tempered by a thrilling affirmation of the triumph and tragedy of the life of the Hero. What more can you ask for?

A truly momentous film. Great, even.

The Polar Express (2004)

Magical Christmas film which gets better with each viewing

[8/10 · 18 December 2018]

One of the most perfectly realised renditions of a dream ever made, The Polar Express is a wonderful heartwarming story which perfectly captures the magic of Christmas through the eyes of children who are just starting to outgrow it. It has often been commented that the CGI technique used is bizarre and strange but that just makes the film appear even more dream-like. The emotions of the kids and the crazy characters they meet are extremely well written, and even Tom Hanks is bearable. A true one-off of a film, and a firm Christmas favourite in our house.

Into the Wild (2007)

Hal Holbrook steals the show

[8/10 · 15 September 2018]

Watching 'Into the Wild' again a few years after first watching it found me unprepared once more for the shocking realisation that it was based on a true story.

There's so much anger and self-abnegation (and self absorption) in the central character that it seems too far-fetched. Maybe we all go through such phases on the rocky road to adulthood but few with such driving intensity and single-mindedness as Chris McCandless. The assorted cast of fellow travellers and strays seem to share this astonishment and exasperation in their futile attempts to steer Chris from his path.

This is a deeply moving film that leaves you thinking about its message for a long time. It gives us a glimpse of the lives of the marginal characters at society's edge, all to some extent chewed up and spat out by 'Life'. It's a tough world and there are no easy answers.

A fine and brave central performance, and excellent sympathetic performances from the ensemble cast. For me though Hal Holbrook, despite occupying the screen for mere minutes, steals the show with a heartbreaking performance of searing truthfulness.

Something Wild (1986)

Entertaining 80s update of the screwball comedy genre

[8/10 · 26 April 2017]

Rewatching Something Wild recently some 30 years after I first saw it, I was struck by how vividly the craziness of the story stayed in my memory, but also how surprising and unexpected the plot turns were. This is a good sign that that someone took time to craft an excellent plot. In fact, the film makers have lavished tender loving care on every aspect of this film and given it a lot of heart.

Melanie Griffith does everything but set the screen on fire as she takes Jeff Daniel's humdrum office worker life and turns it upside down. We're then taken on a helter-skelter anything-goes trip where the couple leave the city and the staid conventions of middle class life behind as they plunge into a passionate affair and journey deep into the comforting familiarity of small town America with its motels, folksy shops and and kindly people. Ironically this is where the greatest danger lurks in the shape of old flame Ray Liotta, grinning maniacally and flipping the madcap whimsy into insane violence.

Every minor character on this trip fills you with good vibes, in sharp contrast to the sinister kind of twist that current-day Hollywood mainstream gives to bit players. The soundtrack, for fans of 80s music, is fantastic - you're bound to hear stuff you haven't heard for ages.

This film works on many levels: the actors are charming and charismatic, and their parts are well and sympathetically written. It's a loving memoir of a materialistic decade that many thought was money-obsessed but was filled with many hapless characters like this reviewer who lived similar episodes in their own lives: except not so wild!

The Prisoner (1967–1968)

Polymesmeric series with perennially relevant questions

[10/10 · 25 February 2017]

When The Prisoner first aired in the UK in 1968, it perfectly reflected the breathless, constantly changing, revolutionary times. The idealism and freshness of the early-to-mid sixties was gradually being replaced by cynicism and a creeping decadence. The world was convulsed by new breakthroughs in popular music, fashion and the arts, all played out against a grim background of the Cold War and spy paranoia.

The Prisoner was enormously popular with the British public. McGoohan was already a huge star after Danger Man, and the public was primed and ready for what was, on the face of it, a superior spy drama with no expense spared on the production. Everyone was enthralled by the first 16 episodes, and eagerly awaited the last, when Number 6 would (hopefully) finally escape and all would be revealed. What actually happened was that people were completely confounded by it, so much so that there was a real hue and cry in the national press from ordinary viewers who thought that they'd been duped and cheated into wasting their time with a load of pop-psychology rubbish. I remember vividly my own father saying just that.

Of course the story doesn't stop there and the series was repeated several times in the UK and US, beguiling new audiences with the multi-layered references in the stories and raising the same questions which seemed perennially relevant and disturbing. I still find myself going back to it and chewing over the themes. The episodes bear repeated viewing, revealing new details each time like lost pieces of an elaborate puzzle.

Many on-line sources give superbly detailed critiques of The Prisoner and the philosophical themes it explores, so I'm not going to go into that. What I will say though, is that for me, the performance of McGoohan is central to the appeal. He demonstrates a perfect example of British bloody-mindedness, a refusal to be pushed around and manipulated, a determination to go his own way regardless of all entreaties by bien-pensants and the ruling clique. And oddly, in 2016, these attitudes all resurfaced again in the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump. Truly a series for all ages.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

The Force awoke briefly and went back to sleep

[5/10 · 30 December 2015]

Watching 'The Force Awakens' was like getting all excited looking forward to Christmas and then tearing the wrapping paper off your presents on Christmas morning to find the same old stuff from last year, instead of the giant lego set of the Millennium Falcon you really wanted. Let's go through all that stuff: Desert landscapes, snowy landscapes, forest landscapes: check. Strange aliens: check. Death Stars: check. Fanatical evil generals wearing weird peaked caps: check.

I could go on but you get the idea: there was very little new or original in this much-hyped, latest instalment of the space saga. In fact nothing I could think of, particularly for those familiar, like me, with the original trilogy.

The saddest part is the dumbing down of the transcendental, quasi- religious plot-element, The Force, which lifted the previous films out of the domain of sterile space battles. The Force was supposedly something that few believed in, let alone were able to experience. It took Skywalker long months and years to even begin to master. Yet here we have the young heroine seemingly being able to call on The Force at will, just like that, with no apparent experience, knowledge or training.

What more could I expect for something coming out of the Evil Republic of Hollywood, whose sole aim is to churn out product which ticks all the progressive boxes and maximise profits for the huge shadowy mega-corporations behind it all?

A Night to Remember (1958)

Women and children first

[8/10 · 23 June 2015]

A Night to Remember is, on the face of it, a straightforward account of the sinking of the Titanic. The film wields great emotional power, however, in its portrayal of the lives and backgrounds of a varied cross section of the passengers, showing us how the tragedy touches each of them.

The historical setting is Edwardian England, a time often looked back on in Britain as a golden age of prosperity and peace, despite the pronounced class divisions in British society at the time. Very soon the Edwardian age would be shattered forever by the First World War, and maybe the film portrays the 'impossible' sinking of the Titanic, and the effects on its passengers and crew, as a dark foreshadowing of that terrible war.

We follow the preparation of 2nd Officer Charles Lightoller, played by Kenneth More, for the voyage and journey to the port. An aristocratic couple in their elegant horse and carriage are waved off by children of the local workhouse; in rural Ireland, a group of men of more modest means set off in their horse and cart to board at Belfast, destined for ship's quarters far removed from the opulence of first class.

There is a huge cast of mostly British character actors. Many of them had recently come through the events of the Second World War, many serving in the armed forces, and were no stranger to hardship; the strain is etched on the faces. This lends the acting great conviction. Kenneth More, who served in the Royal Navy, is superb as the epitome of the unflappable British officer, but there are good performances throughout the cast.

The realism is reinforced by the scenes of the ship's interior, and the sinking itself is well portrayed for the special effects standards of the time. Tension is stretched to breaking point as we see the crews of the other ships in the area either mistake the distress signals for celebratory fireworks or realise they are too far away to effect a rescue.

Every human emotion, good and bad, is on display, particularly in the desperate scramble for the limited lifeboat space. It really was 'women and children first' in those days and we are treated to some of the most poignant scenes ever committed to celluloid as fathers are separated from their families, a lost child is comforted by an old, kindly, steward, and the band plays 'Nearer, My God, to Thee' on the steeply inclined deck.

The film leaves you with a deep sympathy for the hundreds who lost their lives, and the sense that hubris and humility are flip sides of the same coin.

The Shout (1978)

Superior slice of Seventies supernatural

[7/10 · 10 June 2015]

This film which went under my radar almost since it's release, though I do remember reading the reviews at the time.

Anything with John Hurt is always worth watching and he was reprising his normal screen persona of the unsure bloke with the puzzled expression who's inching inexorably towards his doom. You know too that Susanna York can be depended on to yield to uncontrollable passion and lose all restraint and most of her clothes at least once in the films and several times if you're only a bit lucky. Alan Bates is the bloke you wish you hadn't met at the party. Some great cameos too: Jim Broadbent going bonkers on a cricket field and Carol Drinkwater with a sly come-hither stare that could melt a stone.

The shout, when it actually happens, is incredibly effective, and spookily well done. Definitely up there with other British classics of repressed passion like the Owl Service and The Wicker Man.

I must get hold of a copy of the Magus.

Black Rain (1989)

Terrifically entertaining crime film

[8/10 · 21 May 2015]

I first saw Black Rain on its initial release, sitting on the front row of the enormous screen of the Odeon Leicester Square London. It was very exciting then and after seeing it once again for the first time in over 25 years, it is still immensely enjoyable.

Like many other reviewers, I am mystified by how underrated it is. In its day it was a blockbuster with a big reputation.

The basic storyline is gripping with many interesting plot twists. The contrasts between American and Japanese culture are deftly handled and worked into the plot well. Of course it's shot in a moody, stylistic way, but it is of course a moody cop film noir thriller. I think the cinematography is superb, with one aerial shot in particular, of an impressionist sunrise over the industrial hinterland of Tokyo, absolutely breathtaking.

Cast-wise, it's a strong showing as Kate Capshaw smoulders (even if we see her all too briefly), Andy Garcia is boyishly charming, and Ken Takakura is great as the perplexed Japanese detective, but Michael Douglas is immense and steals the show. Rarely has barely-controlled rage been portrayed so effectively and his performance stands up against all the cop portrayals in cinema history (and I am aware that is a big statement).

In short, watch it - you won't be disappointed!

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Real people in a genuine feel-good film

[9/10 · 30 April 2015]

Dear Reader, seek out, as I did, the tracks of Sixto Rodriguez, listen to them and let them soak into your soul. Then watch this lovingly assembled documentary and wonder at a real-life story that almost stranger than fiction.

Rodriguez is the epitome of self-effacing humility. His talent, however, is massive. His songs are subtle, melodic and complex but at the start of the seventies, no-one in the US is ready to listen to them. Unknown and unrecognised in his own country, by a bizarre twist of fate his records sell in a most unexpected place, and inspire the youth of a repressed nation.

After watching it, I can only say that: the songs are top-drawer; the story is wonderful and uplifting; the testimonies of the people involved are deeply moving.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

I'm not in love

[8/10 · 17 August 2014]

Another Marvel blockbuster, and yet another story of a plucky little band of inadequates chasing a object of unfathomable power which somehow falls into the hands of an ineffably evil bad guy who threatens to wield unspeakable destruction with it. I hope that isn't a spoiler!

OK, so I don't inhabit the target demographic, but after 5 minutes of really quite moving opening scenes, I felt like I was strapped into an out-of-control roller coaster for 2 hours. Just once in a while, it would be nice if the explosions stopped and those characters could have a conversation with each other about, I don't know, life, the universe, and everything, but no, these are action characters and they develop though intense, crazy, death-defying action.

That little quibble aside, the film was a lot of fun, with plenty of amusing snappy dialogue, interesting and quirky characters with trademark Marvel personality flaws. It also has a wonderful soundtrack for which I am the target audience; if you were around at any time in the seventies and had the radio on, you'll love it. It's nice to know that new generations are being introduced to that fabulous music for perhaps the first time. Somebody literally put some soul into the script.

By the way, the most sympathetic character is a walking tree.

Groundhog Day (1993)

I got you babe!

[8/10 · 15 August 2014]

Groundhog Day is, first and foremost, a very funny film. Bill Murray plays TV weatherman Phil Connors, an egotistical cynic full of frustrated ambition who, much to his annoyance, finds himself having to broadcast from small-town Punxsutawney PA on the annual "Groundhog Day" festival. This is the last thing a big star weatherman like Connors wants to be doing, but in spite of his best efforts to get it over before the incoming storm front, things don't really work out as planned: the big-city sophisticate is forced to live out the same day again and again in a place he really doesn't want to be, Small Town USA, full of hicks from the sticks.

The central mystery of the repeating day is never explained. We don't have time to ponder this as the well-paced script moves briskly along, giving Murray the perfect stage to display his deadpan comic talents. The supporting cast is excellent, particularly Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliot as Larry the cameraman. Often, the humour gives way to pathos and some deeply touching (if not to say disturbing) reflections on life, as the perceptive and subtle love story at the heart of the film reveals itself.

No matter how many times you see Groundhog Day (it frequently pops up in TV schedules and believe me, you will watch it a lot), you still laugh at the old jokes, notice new jokes that you previously missed, find Andie MacDowell increasingly attractive, Bill Murray funnier and funnier. As time goes by, with each repeated viewing, it is acquiring the mythic charm of something like "It's a Wonderful Life", a movie with which it shares some curious thematic parallels. I get the feeling that it really wasn't planned that way, that the project started out as quite an 'ordinary', low budget vehicle for Bill Murray, but somehow had depth and greatness thrust upon it. Again, very much like the story of "It's a Wonderful Life".

And afterwards that repeating day starts to bother you again. What does it mean? Something about reincarnation? A blueprint for raised consciousness? A biting satire on modern life? Perhaps, as Phil Connors, in his deep, serious mode might say, you realise we are all trapped in our own little versions of Groundhog Day, and if things don't seem to get much better, nor do we get much happier, maybe with a bit of luck, we get a little wiser.

The Scarlet and the Black (1983 TV Movie)

Gripping wartime tale set in Nazi-occupied Rome

[8/10 · 8 June 2014]

I was recently handed this DVD by my family and was amazed, given its strong cast and terrific story, that I hadn't heard of it before.

Set in 1943 with Italy slowly being prised from the Nazi's grasp, hundreds of POWs and political refugees wash up behind German lines in occupied Rome. A support network is rapidly set up to hide these refugees and somehow smuggle them to safety. The local chief of the SS (ironically modelled by Himler on the Jesuits), played by a suave and sinister Christopher Plummer, is determined to destroy the network with all the means at his disposal, but is continually thwarted by a spry and resourceful Irish monsignor attached to the Vatican, a role incarnated with gusto by Gregory Peck. The resulting cat and mouse scenes are played out against the fabulous backdrop of the Eternal City.

The action is tense and gripping throughout this tale of plucky good against remorseless evil, based on a true story and with a startling twist of redemption at the end.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Puts the 'Mad' into 'Mutually Assured Destruction'

[10/10 · 8 June 2014]

The film opens with the most beautiful credits in cinema history - refuelling B52s as mating dragon flies. The satire starts with the descending chord sequence of the (hauntingly melancholic) orchestration of "Try a little Tenderness".

Biting cynicism informed by the rueful post-war scepticism and distrust of authority in British society gave rise in Britain to the zany humour of The Goons. Peter Sellers was a founder member of this group and is at the centre of this film in the 3 characters he plays. Sterling Hayden is unforgettable, as is George C. Scott and Slim Pickens. All of them deliver superb lines in one of the best and most humorous scripts of all time.

Dr. Strangelove himself makes one brief appearance just before the end, but it's the most devastatingly funny sequence of all in another matchless performance by Sellers, with maybe the funniest line in cinema history.

As a kid, I was haunted by the closing sequence. Apparently from a suggestion by Seller's fellow goon Spike Milligan, this takes a popular wartime song and gives it an altogether more poignant and sinister feel.

It's difficult to convey to anyone whose formative years came after the fall of the Berlin Wall just how paranoid the Cold War was. Everyone got on with their daily lives knowing that one false move and the world could be engulfed by nuclear Armageddon. "Dr Strangelove" attempts to reveal the insanity at the heart of the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction with mordant, biting satire. I like to feel that this film was part of a process which steered the world away from the apparent inevitability of Nuclear Conflict in the Cold War years, not least by pointing out just how banal and stupid it could be. Who knows? We made it this far, didn't we?

Untamed Frontier (1967–1975)

Strange nature program with memorable theme

[7/10 · 25 January 2014]

During school holidays in the UK of the early seventies, BBC and ITV broadcast lots of kids programs on weekday mornings (if you happened to be living in the rain-soaked North of England this was very welcome, believe me). One of those programs was Untamed World. It stood out from the rest with its slightly strange resolution, its vivid colours (though I'm pretty sure we only had a black and white TV) and unusual animated graphics. It had a very catchy theme tune which was impossible to forget.

Even at the time, Untamed World seemed primitive and certainly there were better nature documentaries, like 'Survival' for example. It was, however, aimed specifically at children and we were kids hungry for TV. It was one of those programs which exercised a strange kind of magic that subsequently fuelled many intriguing reminiscences. The baritone narration was very authoritative and conveyed a sense of awe and mystery; it gave the impression that the images we were watching were of animals, places and peoples that were in the process of being lost forever.

The Third Man (1949)

Sinister thriller set in atmospheric Vienna

[8/10 · 12 January 2014]

The Third Man starts and ends with a funeral, and unfolds through the rubble and gloom of hivernal post-war Vienna, where the military police of the occupying powers have a full time job keeping tabs on shifty characters and black marketeers.

Scripted by Grahame Greene, the film starts notably wordy. Concentration is required as the plot twists and turns, cleverly casting the viewer as the slightly desperate but determined Holly Martins as he tries to make sense of what has happened to his friend, Harry Lime. We are craftily led to a number of moral dilemmas as we weigh the value of friendship against the unseen impact of the racketeers.

On the way we meet a whole string of shady, cynical and world-weary characters, each struggling to maintain a precarious existence amongst penury and shortage. The slow pace picks up noticeably with the justly celebrated appearance of Orson Welles as Lime, all heavy overcoat and louche charm.

As one might expect from a Grahame Greene story, the subject matter is deadly serious yet laced with mordant humour and penetrating observation. The photography and lighting is pure, unalloyed pleasure, the Viennese Gothic architecture a crenellated marvel of contrasting greys and deep blacks, and shadows receding with to the sound of running footsteps on the wet cobblestones. And the zither music; yes, you will like that.

The film mostly belongs to Welles and Cotton in the lead roles, though Trevor Howard presents a marvellous study of restrained distaste as Calloway, and Bernard Lee (the future 'M' in the James Bond series) gives an excellent comic turn as his straightforward sergeant. The beautiful but remote Alida Valli is good too as the haunted girlfriend of Lime.

Expect to be rewarded in direct proportion to length of your attention span, and to remember the ending shot for a very long time.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Hideous goblins fight nice, handsome elves

[7/10 · 3 January 2014]

Throughout what seemed like an endless sequence of attacks by giant spiders, chases by hideous goblins riding monstrous wolves, Jason-Bourne-type choreographed fights between nice, handsome elves and hideous goblins, and hideous goblins being dispatched in a variety of imaginative ways by nice, handsome elves, I was wondering, how will Jackson handle the Thrush at the secret entrance to the Lonely Mountain? In the end we saw about 5 seconds of the Thrush (maybe real animals are more difficult to render than imaginary monsters) and the chance to offer the audience something enchanted, understated and mysterious was missed.

Maybe I'm being too demanding - if you want magic, read the book, just don't expect it from modern films.

In truth, the film isn't bad and heaven knows we're lucky to have in Mr Jackson a writer/director/producer who is thoroughly acquainted with the source material. The magical kingdoms are breathtakingly imagined; Smaug is magnificently malevolent; Lake-town is grittily realistic. The Necromancer is suitably thrilling and adds welcome detail to events only vaguely alluded to in the book.

Despite some liberties with the plot to introduce unnecessary romantic interludes and to ensure consistency with the earlier filmed versions of Lord of the Rings, the actors are largely sympathetic and the film more exciting and better-paced than the first instalment.

Tolkien wrote The Hobbit as a children's fairy tale, so I think he would be surprised to see his gentle story transformed into a sequence of CGI battles. Somehow though, I don't think that he'll be spinning in his grave. He probably will, however, be wearing a rueful smile...

Kes (1969)

Casper! You were sleeping, weren't you, Casper!

[9/10 · 19 October 2013]

This is a small, perfectly formed jewel of a film. Growing up in a similar small town, at the same time, in the north of England, I can vouch for its authenticity. The scenes and dialogue are very true to life: the paper round, morning assembly, the ordeal in the headmaster's office. The scrap in the playground, the fags behind the gym. Certainly I knew plenty of young lads like Billy Casper, though probably the circumstances weren't quite as grim as depicted - nobody I knew had to share a bed with an ogre of an older brother. The film is beautifully shot, with wonderful use of natural lighting, and very effective marrying of images to music. There are some great performances too: Brian Glover and Colin Welland have rightly passed into legend for their depiction of two very different teachers. Of course David Bradley is unforgettable, and dominates the story. The film has seeped into the consciousness of the group of friends I grew up with, and resonates still. Don't be put off by the subject matter; there are plenty of funny moments and overall the effect is to uplift the spirit.

Blade Runner (1982)

"Did you ever take the test yourself?"

[9/10 · 13 July 2013]

I first saw this on its release in the early eighties with a cynical, world-weary, Harrison Ford voice-over giving it a Raymond Chandler feel. Clearly the "suits" thought audiences would have trouble making sense of the barrage of fantastic images and concepts that would assail them for 2 hours, and thought some explanation would be in order. They may have been right.

Shorn of the commentary, the 'Final Cut' and unfolds as a series of fantastic and often disturbing images which leave the viewer struggling to make sense of it all. Just when you're ready to dismiss it however as a style-over-substance sequence of remarkable set-pieces made by a ad-man at the top of his game, the film hits you with scene of almost fathomless depth. We are nearly there, you realise.

Indeed the issues explored still seem hugely relevant and only the Vangelis soundtrack is curiously dated and rooted in the (retrospectively) weird 80s. The cast is tremendous, with Ford exuding his familiar country-boy charm, Sean Young touching and fragile, and Rutger Hauer stealing the laurels with his once-seen-never-forgotten portrayal of the replicant who obtains a soul, Roy.

The script is one of the most quotable of all time though takes substantial liberties with the Philip K. Dick novel on which it is based. The book makes a more metaphysical exploration of the meaning of humanity and "empathy", and is strongly recommended to those who enjoyed the film.

Sweet Charity (1969)

Zany tart-with-a-heart story with fabulous musical numbers

[7/10 · 12 September 2012]

This zany "tart-with-a-heart" story is something of an undiscovered gem. I'd never seen it on TV, before catching it recently on TCM.

Made in 1969, the action takes place at tail-end of the 60's flower power era, though the anachronistic situation and predicament of the Charity, the "dancer-for-hire" and her associates comes direct from the 1950's. In fact, the constrained lives and world-weariness of the dancers and their poignant attempts to escape their hum-drum lives contrasts sharply with the fast-developing and affluent culture all around them.

The musical numbers by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, including "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "I'm a Brass Band" and "Hey, Big Spender", are simply stupendous and would grace any top-quality musical score. The "pièce de resistance" is, however, Sammy Davis Jr's astonishing cameo in "Rhythm of life", which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and has had a new lease of life lately after being used in commercials.

As for the dancing, I'm not usually a big fan outside of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, but I found the dance routines entertaining, inventive and startlingly original, if not to say witty. It's certainly given me a whole new appreciation of Bob Fosse.

It's a long film and there are times when it seems to drag a little, but MacLaine exudes a certain bruised charm which keeps us interested in the story and it's characters. In fact, at it's heart, the plot concerns a dilemma that all of us should be familiar with: when things aren't going well, is it possible take stock of our life and change it for the better?

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Dreamlike voyage into the heart of darkness

[9/10 · 6 September 2012]

There are many candidates for the top cult film - we all have our favourites. "Aguirre" must however, figure high up on most people's lists. The story of a doomed expedition of conquistadors on the rivers and through the hostile jungles of South America, driven by the lure of mythical Eldorado, the film unfolds at a dreamlike pace as a series of arresting images: treks down precipitous Andean mountain paths, a log raft trapped in a whirlpool, refined ladies dressed in velvet carried through the jungle swamps in sedan chairs.

In surely his most famous role (for an international audience at least), Kinski holds the whole film together. It's not that he does much really - mostly stomping about kicking his soldiers or glowering balefully at the towering vegetation. He does, though, convey a demonic will and energy most effectively.

However, having said that about Kinski, maybe the jungle is the real star of the film. The grandeur and power of nature in the end dwarfs the schemes of man and reduces his plans to utter inconsequence.

A film for long attention spans, it's not for everyone - my teenage kids didn't like it, nor did my wife. But if you have an hour and half to spare, and are prepared to let yourself relax into its hypnotic grip, this film will take on a long bewildering trip into the darkness and chaos of untameable nature, and stay with you a long time afterwards.

Just a note on the film quality: I've seen it many times over the past 25 years, always as a scratchy, grainy print with washed out colours. Somehow you felt remote from the action as a result. Last night I was lucky enough to see a screening of the film on Arté, the French arts channel, in what looked like a completely restored and remastered print. The result was a whole new rich and involving experience.