PREFACE
This is the sporadically updated blog of reviews by Harriet, author of In the Aquarium: a londoner's life.
I have kept the reviews separate to enable them to be indexed and therefore more easily accessible (see listing below).
FAVE FILMS DEAD MAN What an idea, the man is dying for almost the entire length of the film, the music is fantastic, its black and white, ideology, mythology, funny, sad, Johnny Depp sex god...
THE DRAFTMAN'S CONTRACT The first Peter Greenaway film I saw and possibly the most accessible. Beautiful set, costumes, direction. Fantastic soundtrack.
MULHOLLAND DRIVE I knew exactly what was going on right up until the last 15 minutes and damn it but then I lost it.
NIGHT ON EARTH Jim Jarmusch made the only film with Winona Ryder worth watching and it had Beatrice Dalle (say no more)
O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? Roar out loud with laughter and tunes that make you love country music. My sister had to sneak out of the cinema ahead of our dad and me cos she was so embarrassed at our laughing.
ORLANDO Quiet, passionate, time travel.
PITCH BLACK Bails and I watched this with its bleached scenery and its whoar factor star. We LOVED him, Mr Diesel take a bow.
RESERVOIR DOGS Tight Tarantino gang heist gone wrong. Great soundtrack. And there's something about Michael Madson, dancing just before cutting off the cop's ear...
ROMUALD ET JULIETTE Truely lovely romance comedy.
THREE COLOURS TRILOGY Blue, White and Red. I liked them all. Quiet stories, beautifully shot.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS Its a story told. And the first time I saw it I didn't get the twist until just before it happened.
Its a film shot in the colours of a slightly old 70s film - sort of browned and golden in a washed out way. I wish this meant it was good because it was clever. But it wasn't. It was supposed to be erotic or sexy. But it wasn't. It was way too obvious for that - all stretched clothes over nubile bodies.
And Denzel, I like Denzel Washington, or at least I try to. He's popular and in plenty of films. He sometimes gets great parts but is also in some crap. This is crap. It was so bad that I started looking at that weird thing that I can't quite put my finger on about his bottom lip that really annoys me, rather than watching the film.
The story is totally unplausible - no cop however backwater would surely make so many mistakes or poor judgements and get into quite such a mess. And do so much covering up and tampering with evidence in order to wriggle out of a tight spot. And be let off by the ex-wife who knows all about it.
Not sure quite where the film was batting - thriller, comedy-ish, erotic-ish...
Saturday night in the Dundee UCG was all about being in the back, drinking too much coke and going for toilet breaks in the middle of the film. We sat at the front. Alone.
Obviously popular with a particular audience - largely my father's generation, I wanted to come because I have been seeking out the music that I think has influenced the music of some of my favourite artists. Klezmer is a style of Jewish music drawing together influences of gypsy and folk music of Romania and Russia over many centuries, inlcudes a clarinet rather than a fiddle (clarinet being an important sound in this music). Wally Fields, the band leader told a story of the history of the music from way back when Jews were the original Jazz musicians - playing music that leant heavily on improvisation and key changes - to wedding songs and on into the influence of Klezmer on modern rhythms - 20s music, Irving Berlin, Fats Waller etc etc. He wove a fascinating picture whether it was factually accurate or not was hard to tell.
I understand now why Woody Allen plays the clarinet and is so keen on Jazz music - his films are full of this kind of thing. I can also see the influence on Tom Waits - this kind of dark and seedy music is well supported by this kind of angular and energetic rhythm. I like New Orleans style jazz for the same reason. Dancing music.
Thursday 4 December 2003 S.W.A.T Woodgreen Cineworld
Its a boys film. There's no sex. Only action. Guns. Running around. Story is obvious. Colin Farrell's eyes are about to pop out of his head. Samuel L Jackson is just playing coooool. Pretty mediocre.
Tuesday 2 December 2003 Love Actually Warner Village Islington
Well you know what kind of a film its going to be. Optimistic, lovely, sugar coated, not very deep. And it was. It was funny but not hilarious. Nice but not great. It did star London for most of it as well which I always like to see.
