The Handmaid's Tale

 The Handmaid’s Tale 1990

• Director: Volker Schlöndorff
• Seen by the director: The Tin Drum
• Based on the book by Margaret Atwood
• Cast: Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, Aiden Quinn, Elizabeth McGovern, Victoria Tennant, Blanche Baker
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Natasha Richardson – Maid in Manhattan, Nell
• Faye Dunaway – Arizona Dream, China Town, Little Big Man, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bonnie and Clyde
• Robert Duvall – The Road, Sling Blade, The Stars Fell on Henrietta, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather etc, M*A*S*H, Bullit, To Kill a Mockingbird
• Aiden Quinn – Elle s’appelle Sarah, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Music of the Heart, Practical Magic, Michael Collins, Looking for Richard, The Stars Fell on Henrietta, Frankenstein, Benny & Joon, Desperately Seeking Susan
• Elizabeth McGovern – Downton Abbey, Woman in Gold, Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, Angels Crest, If Not for You, Racing with the Moon
• Why? The book.
• Seen: 26 June 2022      

       Considering the recent and horrendous decision of the US Supreme Court, this story no longer seems like a distant dystopia. If you don’t know the story, read the book or see the TV series (which I haven’t yet, but I will when the series is complete).

       Kate is well-played by Natasha Richardson and Faye Dunaway is excellent as Serena. The acting is good throughout.

       The book was chilling when I read it in the 70s. The film is even more appalling to watch with its ultra-Christian, ultra-right militaristic Fascist rhetoric that we hear daily in reality today. If you think people are over-reacting today, see this film.      

4 * of 5   

The Call

 The Call 2013

• Director: Brad Anderson
• Seen by the director: Fringe, The Wire, Homicide Life on the Streets
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Michael Imperioli
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Halle Berry – X-Men etc, Cloud Atlas, Frankie & Alice, Things We Lost in the Fire, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Jungle Fever
• Abigail Breslin – Zombieland 1&2, Ender’s Game, August Osage County, Little Miss Sunshine
• Michael Imperioli – The Sopranos, Dead Presidents, Clockers, Jungle Fever
• Why? Halle Berry
• Seen: 25 June 2022           

       Jordan (Berry) works in an emergency call centre. She makes a mistake, and a girl is kidnapped during the call and later found murdered.

       Six months later she’s still on anti-depressants and another teen, Casey, (Breslin) is kidnapped from a car park, thrown in the boot of a car, and driven off. She has a disposable mobile phone, so she calls 911. Jordan gets the call, panics then deals with it.

       It’s exciting and Berry is as good as always, but it’s not very credible.      

2 ½ * of 5   

 

 

The Grass Harp

 The Grass Harp 1995

• Director: Charles Matthau
• Based on the book by Truman Capote
• Cast: Piper Laurie, Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, Edward Furlong, Nell Carter, Jack Lemmon, Mary Steenburgen, Sean Patrick Flannery, Roddy McDowell
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Piper Laurie – The Dead Girl, Dead Like Me, Twin Peaks, Carrie
• Sissy Spacek – The Help, North Country, Nine Lives, JFK, Carrie
• Walter Matthau – the usual older films
• Edward Furlong – Terminator etc
• Nell Carter – Hair
• Jack Lemmon – the usual older films
• Mary Steenburgen – Song One, The Help, Honeydripper, The Dead Girl, I Am Sam, Philadelphia, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, Back to the Future III
• Sean Patrick Flannery -
• Roddy McDowell – Planet of the Apes etc, Inside Daisy Clover, Cleopatra, TV series
• Why? I don’t really know why.  
• Seen: 24 June 2022      

       Truman Capote has certainly written a variety of stories. In this somewhat autobiographical story, Colin (Furlong) is orphaned and raised by cousins of his dad’s, flighty Dolly (Laurie) and rich cold Verena (Spacek).

       This is pure sugar-coated nostalgia. Is it even watchable?

       Well, I’m still watching but a stiff drink is helping. It’s almost admirable how bad this is. I’m also in awe of those many IMDb viewers who have given it 9 or 10*. I must be a real curmudgeon.      

1* of 5   

 

 

Perrier's Bounty

 Perrier’s Bounty

• Director: Ian Fitzgibbon
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Cillian Murphy, Jodie Whittaker, Michael McElhatton, Don Wycherley, Brendan Coyle, Conleth Hill, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Liam Cunningham, Brendan Gleeson
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Cillian Murphy – Dunkirk, Transcendence, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, The Dark Knight, Sunshine, Batman Begins, Cold Mountain, Girl with Pearl Earring, Intermission, 28 Days Later, Breakfast on Pluto
• Jodie Whittaker – Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Adult Life Skills, Black Sea, Good Vibrations, Attack the Block, Marshland, Cranford, Kick Ass St Trinian’s
• Michael McElhatton – The Fall, Parked, Intermission
• Don Wycherley – Sing Street
• Brendan Coyle – Downton Abbey, The Raven
• Domhnall Gleeson – Star Wars, The Revenant, Brooklyn, Ex Machina, About Time, Harry Potter, Never Let Me Go
• Jim Broadbent – London Spy, The Lady in the Van, Brooklyn, Filth, Cloud Atlas, Harry Potter, Another Year, Young Victoria, Hot Fuzz, Vera Drake, Bright Young Things, Moulin Rouge, Topsy-Turvy, Little Voice, Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Richard III, Life Is Sweet, Black Adder
• Liam Cunningham - Doctor Who, Merlin, Good Vibrations, Camelot, Hunger, Breakfast on Pluto, Jude
• Brendan Gleeson – Alone in Berlin, Suffragette, Edge of Tomorrow, Harry Potter, In Bruges, Kingdom of Heaven, Cold Mountain, 28 Days Later, AI, My Life So Far, The Butcher Boy, Michael Collins, Breakfast on Pluto
• Why? The cast
• Seen: 23 June 2022      

       Gangster films are not usually my first choice but with this cast it’s promising.

       Michael (Murphy) owes a lot of money to Perrier (B Gleeson). Time is running out before bones start getting broken. While he desperately tries to hustle up the money his father (Broadbent) arrives after a long estrangement to tell him that he’s dying. Michael also catches the boyfriend of his friend and neighbour Brenda (Whittaker) with another woman. And he’s offered a job doing a heist with a loan shark (Cunningham).

       It’s not quite as good as In Bruges but it has the same quirky and melancholy humour. The cast lives up to expectations. 

4* of 5   

 

 

ABBA the movie

 ABBA the movie 1977

• Director: Lasse Hallström
• Seen by this director: The Hundred-Foot Journey, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Shipping News, Chocolat, Cider House Rules, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, Mitt liv som hund
• Based on book: no
• Cast: ABBA, Robert Hughes
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• ABBA videos
• Why? Well ABBA, of course.
• Seen: 22 June 2022      

       The Beatles did it first with A Hard Day’s Night, a silly story based on crazed fans and a chase to get to the studio on time. First and still best.

       Here reporter Ashley Wallace (Hughes) is told to get an in-depth interview with ABBA while they’re in Australia. I don’t expect a cinematic masterpiece, but the music will be good.

       The problem is that the film doesn’t know if it’s a comedy, a documentary, a story, all of the above or none of the above.

       Documentary: 5* for the great concert clips.

       Story: 0*. Come on, this is so lame.      

       Comedy: I haven’t laughed yet.

       As many have noted, it’s the only way we’ll see ABBA in concert, but I saw Benny in a Stockholm park once.

       So, you are good in maths – what’s the average of 5* and 0*?      

 

5*/0* of 5   

 

 

Still Life

 Still Life 2013

• Director: Ulberto Pasolini
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Eddie Marsan, Joanne Froggatt, Andrew Buchan, Hebe Beardsall
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Eddie Marsan The Gentlemen, Atomic Blonde, Their Finest, River, God’s Pocket, Filth, The World’s End, Jack the Giant Slayer, Sherlock Holmes, Game of Shadows, Tyrannosaur, Sherlock Holmes, Happy-Go-Lucky, V for Vendetta, Vera Drake, 21 Grams
• Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey, A Street Cat Called Bob, Filth
• Andrew Buchan – Broadchurch, The Fades, Cranford, Nowhere Boy
• Hebe Beardsall – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2
• Why? Eddie Marsan
• Seen: 21 June 2022      

       John May (Marsan) is a council case worker whose job it is to find relatives of people who have died alone. If there is no one, he arranges and attends the funeral, having given the attending priest a eulogy he has written based on personal belongings he has found in the homes of the deceased. He lives alone and keeps a scrapbook with photos of his late clients. He’s meticulous in his work and deeply respectful of each departed individual.

       Marsan is perfect as the melancholy, kind, and profoundly humane Mr May. He’s a lovely man and it’s a lovely film, a small film with enormous feelings.

       Do not miss this one. 

5* of 5   

 

 

Four White Shirts

 Four White Shirts 1987 (originally in the 60s)

• Director: Rolands Kalnins
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Uldis Pukitis, Dina Kuple, Liga Liepina
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• None of them
• Why? Gift from my friend Antra
• Seen: 20 June 2022      

       The victim of censorship, this film has been described as New Wave, which usually leaves me cold. This one is interesting from the historical perspective. It’s about a Latvian band in the 60’s, popular in underground clubs, but disapproved of by the Culture Committee, whose discussion is actually the most interesting part of the film. Reasonable, serious people who are on the wrong track. Censorship is against basic democratic principles whether it’s practiced by Soviet committees, TV networks and record companies, or right-wing Christians.

       The film is chaotic, but the music is pleasant. 

2 ½ * of 5