ESSIE SPENDS TIME WITH THE FAMILY

Well hello. I'm sorry I've been away so long and left no note. I'd totally get it if you left and never came back. I hope you don't though. Because I am back and back for good.

I was very busy. I was very tired. I was not sleeping much. I neglected you little blog. I neglected you beloved readers. I am very, very sorry.

Let this be a new beginning. Christmas and New Year are, after all, times to put away the old and prepare to start anew. I have had a glorious Christmas, spent in good company and am fully ready to embrace the new year.

What has your Christmas been like? Have you spent time with your loved ones? I'm assuming the answer is yes as I prepare this updates - I have a family friendly set of films for you today. A twosome ideal for young ones and big kids alike. I hope you enjoy them. And as I won't be seing you before the New Year (update day is officially Sunday peeps, make a note in your diaries, tell all your friends! (yes, I did just ask you to retweet/repost me lol) ) have a very, very Happy New Year.

happy viewing,
Essie

SOMETIMES, AT CHRISTMAS, YOU WANT TO SHAKE THINGS UP A BIT : "MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO"

Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. It has very little to do with the religious side of it. For as long as I remember my family has celebrated Christmas despite there being at least three different religions (not counting sub-divisions) and a whole slew of atheists in the mix. It’s an excuse to get together, eat, drink and exchange presents. I mean of course, all families are complicated and no doubt there is at least one family member you would have rather avoided until, oh I don’t know, next Christmas. Or the Christmas after that. But you have got to put those differences aside. It is the season of Peace and Love. And you just can’t get into fights over whether animated movies “count” or not over the dinner table – for some reason people seem to find it awkward…  Besides, it’s always good to not sweat the small stuff and let a bit of the season’s magic into your life. It has been a long year. It’s time to unplug and relax for a bit.

This is why I think that this film is, in a bizarre way, an ideal Christmas movie. It’s definitely for the whole family, it involves magic, wonder and all the good feelings you associate with Christmas. I mean ok, it’s an anime movie. Not what you would initially think of as a Christmas movie. But it is an anime classic, courtesy of Hayao Miyazaki, master of anime. Trust me, it’s worth giving a whirl. Let me try and convince you.

Satsuke and Mei  have just moved to the country. It’s a lovely old house with loads of nooks and crannies to explore. It’s a bit of a mixed bag as far as emotions go and the girls’ mother is very ill and has to be in hospital. But their Dad is doing his best to cheer them up and between exploring the surroundings and meeting their neighbours the girls have a lot to occupy their minds.  Speaking of neighbours, some of them are a little bit stranger than others. Satsuke isn’t quite sure what to make of her little sister’s claims of seeing a giant grey furry creature in the woods… But as time goes by she begins to realise that there are more to her little sisters’ claims than she initially thought… The question is what will happen when this magical world collides with the two sisters’ real world problems?

Now first of all, let me just say how happy I was to see this fellow on television as part of the Christmas season films! I love this huge international world we live in where cultural niblets from all over the world find their way into our living rooms. Granted, Miyazaki is about as big and international as it gets for anime; if you know one director it will probably be him and if you know one studio that specialises in anime it will be “his” studios – Ghibli. That said, I am confident that this may well be the first step of a voyage of discovery for some. Anime gets a bit of a bad rep. Well, sometimes this is justified. But come on, there are many “unsuitable” films out there – we don’t brand the entire film industry as “unsuitable” do we? My neighbour Totoro is a beautiful film with heart-warming characters that younger viewers with empathize with and that the “big kids” in the audience will simply adore. Just enough excitement and home again in time for tea. We have all the “trappings” of “big brand” animated entertainment but with some local flavour and a personal twist as opposed to the studio films we have grown to love but also anticipate down to the finest detail. I can personally guarantee this film will be a welcome addition to the film cabinet of anyone who wants to take a step away from the every day. A small step. But just enough J  

AND SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT RE-VISITING OLD FRIENDS: "TANGLED"

But of course Christmas is also about traditions. It’s about coming back to your roots (family meetings being a key personification of this fact) and all things being equal it’s about spending some family time, having way too much good food and having a bit of a rest at the end of the year before you embark on doing the whole thing all over again. It’s good to have familiar things around one at times like this. That’s why “Christmas films” is an entire genre; the themes are familiar but we watch them time and again and we all have our favourites we will never, ever tire of. That’s why we love Disney movies at Christmas time. And that’s why, much to my joy, there was a whole slew of re-runs on television of the year’s films. I had missed quite a few. Tangled was one of them. We all love our fairy tales right? That’s what Disney basically does – tell us fairy stories. What it has been very clever about doing though, is taking the classic fairy stories we all know and love and putting a spin on them. The stories keep up with the times, they fit in with the lives of the younger generations – lives a million miles apart from ours at their age. And yet, somehow, we all crowd round these films and enjoy them. Yes I am a massive fan of Disney. And Pixar.

Tangled is the story of a beautiful princess. When this princess was born, she had one magical quality : her hair. Her hair not only grew whenever she sang, it had the ability to heal and rejuvenate the people around her. The only pre-requisite is that the hair stays on the princess’ head as the moment it is cut, it loses its’ magic. Now of course this is an incredible resource for anyone – but a particularly wicked witch decides that she wants the hair all for herself. So the takes it. Princess and all. Having taken it/her as a baby she also has the time to make up a cover story. As far as Rapunzel is concerned the witch is her mother, the outside world is a very dangerous place – she has never left her isolated tower in her life – and her existence will be entirely lived out in that tower. Except, you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men; so will go the witch’s plans. For all her conditioning and upbringing, Rapunzel still dreams of the outside world. This year she is turning 18 and despite all her mothers’ tactics she dreams of the outside world. And she is getting a little too big to be contained in the tower… However, for all her strength of character Rapunzel has never, ever lived in the outside world so she will need a guide. And she will get a guide in the shape of a passing rogue, Flynn Rider… But is the outside world all Rapunzel dreams of and more? Or is her “mother” actually right? Is she really simply too ill-equipped for the outside world?

I love what the film has done with the classic story of Rapunzel on so many levels. I mean, fairy stories have such a lot to work with though, don’t they? First of all, fairy stories only provide the bare essentials about their characters. No backstories, no actual character development, they are just dropped in fully formed and our imaginations have to do the rest of the work. This story gives Rapunzel a personality. And it is by no means perfect. I mean yes, she is a Disney princess so she has the “makings” of perfection (as it were), but to start with, she is far, far from it. On the outside world Rapunzel really struggles to cope. And like a lot of us who leave the safety of our family home to face the great “outdoors”, she has to grow up very quickly. This point is precisely why Tangled is so easy to empathize with. It is, essentially, about leaving home. A universal theme everyone can empathize with and we have all struggled with. For all the magical elements, the songs and comedy, it’s about taking those first faltering steps out of the nest… And the best part of it? This is a Disney fairy tale… So guaranteed happy ending in the end (oh come on, that’s not a spoiler). The film is, in short, a warm, relatable modern fairy tale. Our heroine is a Disney princess with just a spot of relatability (is that a word? It should be!) and it guarantees a new meeting with old friends – a bit like Christmas itself. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF HIDDEN DEPTHS

Human beings are a funny old lot aren't they? Our main characteristic is supposedly self-awareness but we are not truly aware of our talents, abiilities or potential until we are truly pushed - or we push ourselves. We would like to think - no small thanks to Hollywood cinema - that when pushed what comes out of us will be beautiful and noble and true and all that... The reality however? Well it could potentially be so different...

This week we see two very different stories about people, couples, communities finding "things" hidden deep in their souls. Some are brave and beautiful. Some are dark and... Well... Let's say it'll leave you wondering what exactly you would end up doing when pushed...

happy viewing y'all!
Essie

DARKNESS YOU NEVER KNEW HE HAD... "ALL GOOD THINGS"

Oooh I love a good crime story. Especially a true story. As you know, the ghoulish side of me relishes in a good true crime story. Now don’t tut or roll your eyes (that means you Mom) –it’s just a side of me that hasn’t quite grown up. You know, when we were kids we loved to sit in the dark, around a campfire if you grew up in that kind of environment or in a fort made of duvets with torches and tell each other scary stories. It grew up a bit that’s all. But its basic tastes didn’t change. Oh come on. You remember how we all swore those “legends” we told each other “really happened” and the thrill that went down our spines when we thought about it. Now, in the 21^st century the world is “disenchanted” as it were, there is no more magic or mystery. Except, perhaps, that of the human mind and human nature. Which is why, I think, those of us who never wanted to stop believing in monsters and magic have sort of transferred our interests to true crime. A world where the monsters really and truly      are real…

Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst star in the tale of David Marks and his wife Katie. They tell the story of a murder (well, at least one murder, shall we say) and a disappearance. To this day, the film informs us, the case remains open, but there are strong suspicions as to what happened… This is the story of those suspicions…

When they first got married, David and Katie Marks really looked like archetypal star-crossed lovers. He was a senator’s son looking for his place in life, she was a small town girl. They met by sheer coincidence, love blossomed young and strong. Her family was  surprised by their new son in law that hailed from almost a different dimension from them – but not unfriendly. David’s father however, was very quick to point out that “Katie would never be one of them”.  This tension is, as you can imagine, the ignition point for a crisis. A crisis that had been, it might be argued, brewing in the soul of David Marks for a long while… The marriage starts off happily enough, but very soon the veneer begins to crack. The fact that David returns to the family business  - a business that is decidedly on the shadier side of the law – is definitely part of the problem. But it has to be admitted that (thankfully) not all of us react to stress at work the way David did… Under stress, David begins to show his “true colours”… The colours are surprisingly dark…

This film does a very spookily successful job of telling the story of what seems to be a true psychopath – or a man with serious psychopathic tendencies at any rate. I was especially struck by the way the progression of the situation is shown. At the  beginning of the film David seems determined to run away from “it all” – although, it needs to be said, we do not quite understand what “it all” is until much later. One can even imagine – although this is as much my speculation as anything else – David trying  to live a simple life open a store away from the city, marry a small town girl and be a simple man. But who knows, even without the obvious trigger of his “work life” with his family , his deadly tendencies may have crept to the surface…

And I can’t help but feel deeply for poor Kate. Imagine starting off on what seems to be a fairy tale life only to find out that your “other half” is a psychopath… Mind you, violence within marriages that get “kept” from the outside world are by no means few or far between of course. But that is possibly a topic deserving of its own post, not something to be tagged onto the end of a film review.

All good things is a “build the tension slowly and creepily” type of work of film. Not too  gory so ideal for the weak of stomach. Definitely not for the weak of heart though…  

OF FINDING STRENGTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD : "OF GODS AND MEN"

Several film festivals have thrown this one up for me. I bypassed it several times. Now I know I’ve used that formula before, but the sheer amount of times life has gone “Umm, you should probably watched this” is amazing. Amazing in that I ignored every one until today. I am a strong believer that things are put in your path for a reason. Now, I’m not entirely sure if you’ll be put off by the fact that this is a film that confronts terrorists and monks or not. I personally was intrigued. But don’t worry, it’s not one of those post-modern absurd comedy thingies. It’s a true story.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a monastery in Algeria. In this monastery lived  Trappist Monks, originally all from France, these men lived as part of the community; the doctor healed the sick that came from miles around and the monks worked the land and sold honey produced in the monastery to make a living. They lived a quiet and frugal existence of prayer and meditation, far removed from the complications of the “real world” (some might argue that as monks it is the real Real World the monks were working towards but that is a slightly different story – not to mention a matter of belief). But anyway. The point is, as you know, the real world tends to not react very kindly to being ignored. And when the Algerian Civil War finally finds its way to the gates of the monastery the monks have to make a very important decision. Will they stay and help defend the community that leans so heavily on the monastery? Or will they take the ehm “advice” of the Algerian government and leave?

As this is a French film, technically speaking, I was intrigued. It’s still a touchy subject, the Algerian Civil War. One has to be careful with the portrayal of the monks as well. I mean, not only are they monks – and religion is a touchy subject at the best of times in these turbulent times of ours – they are French monks in Algeria. I loved the way the first half of the film portrays the monks, often watching them silently going about their day to day tasks. There is an innate difficulty to portraying day to day tasks like this elegantly and in a way that isn’t going to bore the audience to tears in minutes. Director Xavier Beauvois succeeds greatly in imbuing you with a sense of the calm that surrounds the monastery and monastic life, and the real shock that hits the community when one day, completely unannounced and unexpected the terrorists arrive. You find that the characters and community, though you have but the most minimal knowledge of them, has grown on you.

Another thing that stuck with me is the character of Brother Christian, the “head” monk, portrayed by Lambert Wilson. There is a certain turning point in the film, until which you are pretty sure that Christian is rather unsuitable as far as a leaders go. You doubt he has the strength of character to face up to something as severe as life threatening danger, even though he may well be beyond adequate for the day to day running of monastery life. Suffice it to say, if you walked into that trap… Well, it’s a trap. What one has to remember of course is that there is more than one style of management in life, be it in monasteries or in the office. And especially when it comes to matters such as faith, fear and vocation, it takes more than an iron fist banging on the table to pull things together. For while the rookie error many managers / leaders commit is to go straight for the “banging”, in important matters such as this strength of character demonstrated with unswerving determination will often bring your flock closer to you and mould your community as a whole. If nothing else, the film is a fascinating look into the mechanisms of leadership. And faith – in God, but more importantly, in yourself and your community.

ESSIE APPOLOGISES

I just wanted to let you know that I have not abandoned my blog as yet :)

My "real world" job is in events, the Christmas period is a notoriously busy one and I am quite sick at the moment too as luck would have it, so what with one thing and another there simply has not been time for blog updates this week.

Fear not however, I have every confidence that I will be back next week - with more than two pieces to make up for it.

love you all and thanks for understanding,
Essie

ESSIE AND SUPERHEROS...

Every kid needs a hero, right? And by that I mean literally every kid, even our inner eight-year olds.

My inner eight-year old has not been a massive fan of the "superhero" phenomenon though. At least not for a while. I loved Superman when I was a kid, and by Superman I mean the old Christopher Reeve films... I never quite got on board with the Marvel franchise untill recently... Very recently. Think weeks rather than months. I was bored, friend lent me a DVD of the first Thor movie... I pretty much haven't looked back.

I enjoyed both Thor and The Avengers so much that I simply had to write and tell you all about it... I mean yes, true to style I may have "overthunk" certain bits of it but well... That's why you love me, right? :)

Now without further ado, scroll on down. We have evil to fight boys and girls!

happy viewing,
Essie

IN WHICH OTHER WORLDS ESCAPE TO US... "THOR"

I know, I know, this is mainly one for the fans. A film I mean. Not  blog post. I may have mentioned that on a normal day to day basis, Hollywood action – adventure films do not feature high on my “to watch” list. But there comes a time when even my interest is piqued. I’m guessing if you’re a fan of Marvel comics and all that that franchise entails, you have already seen this one. If, like me, you’re not THAT into comic books and the like, you may or may not be  contemplating watching it for a bit of a change one evening when you want to watch something fun but not out too much effort into philosophical analysis or complicated story lines. This is the first film of the series, the special effects are spectacular, the actors and actresses beautiful, it is everything modern Hollywood is today. What did I think of it? Well, I’m seriously considering watching The Avengers            later on this week so yeah; this should probably give you a clue…

In this first “episode” of the series, we are introduced to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki, Norse “gods” who live in the peaceful kingdom of Aasgard ruled by their wise and benevolent father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Thor is the elder and natural successor to the throne – and frankly he can’t wait. He’s an outstanding warrior, handsome, popular and a born leader. He is, on the other hand reckless, hot-headed and has a dangerous tendency to rush into situations without considering the consequences.  And when he opens his whole world up to the possibility of war with their eternal enemies the ice giants, Odin can find no further alternative but to banish Thor to Earth, minus his powers, to teach him a lesson in humility if nothing else. But if this is not painful enough, with Thor gone, forces within the palace that are not as friendly as they claim to be set to work… The danger of war is merely the tip of the iceberg as far these forces go. Thor may be adapting well to his new world and even making friends, especially in the person of the beautiful scientist Jane Foster (Nathalie Portman) but will he find what it takes within his soul to help him return to his duties back home and save his world?

I will not bang on and on about the entertainment value of this one. Like a lot of Marvel films, we are transported to a world of super-heroes and beautiful maidens and it is perfect, seamless, unadulterated escape from your daily woes for all of two hours. We know what we are getting and we get a good quality load. Romantic comedy, action, drama and a very well choreographed “alien getting used to our world” type comedy all rolled into one, and finished off with all the high sentiment and pumping adrenaline of classical storytelling and fairy tales. Now now, don’t get upset I called it a fairy tale. That is what it is, after all…

But there was one point I found particularly fascinating about this particular film. I loved the fact that Jane Foster is a scientist ( I do realise this is probably less to do with the film and more to do with the original storyline). But more importantly I love the fact that we are not told to just suspend disbelief and go “oh so Thor and the Norse gods are real after all – now, moving swiftly on”. The character of Jane Foster means that there is a voice constantly questioning the veracity of what is going on on screen and asking the question “well how can this be?” And sure enough, the film (or, like I said, the story itself. I haven’t read the comics so I’m not entirely sure which) provides an explanation based on physics. Now I know less about wormholes and the theory of parallel universes than I do about Marvel comics. Thus I have no idea how much the physics “stands up”. But I think it is a fascinating point that in the 20^th Century science has become so pervasive in every day life that even what would once be classed as “fairy stories”, now feel the need to provide at least a semblance of a scientific explanation for fear of alienating the audience. The mystification of the world is truly dead people, there is no mystery and no wonder… Or I mean, there is, but we are not very tolerant to it anymore. We MUST know the REASON. For some reason we simply can’t just kick back and enjoy the story…

And I mean, don’t get me wrong, perversely, I LOVED the fact that there is a scientific, “real life” explanation for it all in the film. But I just can’t shake this nagging feeling that this has become more of a “necessity” than anything else. And that we may have irretrievably lost an important part of our collective imagination… Then again, maybe the answer is to kick back and enjoy the ride. Because, if nothing else, Thor does provide a most entertaining ride. Highly recommended. 

IN WHICH WE SEE ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES CAN BECOME CONSTRUCTIVE : "THE AVENGERS"

The whole thing really began with my being pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Thor (2011). Having the second film close to hand, it seemed really silly not to just go ahead and watch it. I have been taking a few days off recently. A weekend away with my friends, a few “mental health” days here and there…  It’s tough work working in events in the Christmas season. Sleep is not as much a part of my schedule as I would like, nor is “down time”. In situations like these, as the film so eloquently puts it “people need a bit of old fashioned”. Oh and well… Christmas is coming. It’s the season for a little old fashioned. I mean, ok, I do realise that The Avengers is not necessarily the first thing that occurs to one when you say “Christmas Movie” but I think there’s an argument to be made there. The film is, after all, all about everyone coming together for a common good, putting differences aside, learning from each other and concentrating on doing good in the world. Not sure you know what I mean? You may have a point, I am getting ahead of myself slightly. Let’s take this step by step…

At the end of Thor, we see Loki cast into an abyss, vanquished… This, it seems, was merely a hiccup in Loki’s attempts to climb to the top. Not only has he been rescued, he has been given an army. The destination? Earth. Loki is determined to conquer the planet and claim it as his own – he will have the kingdom Asgard denied him. And the attack is so ferocious and the power he has gathered so great that it will take every single super hero the Earth can muster, ranging from the incredible Hulk to Captain America to conquer him… But even with Thor, Loki’s own brother, joining the fight, what are the odds of a handful of heroes against an entire army that is truly “out of this world”?

The answer to that question lies, of course, in the word “heroes”. The Avengers is everything a superhero movie should be – and then some. The only thing that was missing from the conventional mix was a “love interest” story which I found rather refreshing to be honest. Forcibly inserting a rather “out of the blue” love affair usually seems a little unnecessary to me.  I mean ok, there is the “attraction” between Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye but there is a lot of military style “loyalty” mixed into that. I mean, yes, there is the hint that there may be something more to their relationship, but her will to save him is based largely on her wish to redeem her past sins. Oh and there is of course Pepper Potts and Iron Man (I think he is my favourite Avenger by the way. I find him the most “human” of the lot. I know they all have their token faults but Iron Man has actually personality issues and borders on the dysfunctional. Plus Robert Downey Jr.’s rendition of him is HILARIOUS.  ). One might argue that all of this makes to film rely a little too much on explosions, special effects and “boys toys” as it were. But honestly… Who watches The Avengers for the philosophical messages and character development?   

Another thing I noticed is that the place of humour in the movie has been notched up quite a bit. It is mainly Loki’s domain – but this is of course Character creation 101: a believable villain has to have at least one quality that we deem positive. Between him and Iron Man, the film provides quite a few genuine giggles  - always a plus in my book.

One last thing I noticed in the film is the several references to God and religion. One is when Captain America says in reference to Thor and Loki “There is only one God and I am sure he doesn’t dress like that”. The second more open reference comes towards the end when we see the clips of the aftermath of the war when a man says “it feels nice to have someone watching over us”.  The Avengers are clearly not a Parthenon of gods, but guardian angels? Possibly… It all links in to the “bit of old fashioned” the film points out we all need some times. I don’t necessarily mean the film is promoting religion in any way shape or form. I think the message is that of return to what we perceive as “old fashioned values” in the face of chaos and negativity. Things represented largely in the film by Captain America : loyalty, obedience in a soldier, self-sacrifice… He is, in fact, a stark contrast to Iron Man who is the flippant and egocentric millionaire at the beginning of the film. At the end he has learnt the value of teamwork and is even prepared to take quite a significant “one for the tem”… Heck, even the Hulk learns to use his.. “considerable anger management issues” to the greater good.

It is interesting that this model of film was so popular in the time of the Second World war – Captain America’s epoc : A disparate, unlikely crew rub each other the wrong way at first, but learn to pull together to fight a common evil… I am not really surprised that the theme has re-emerged in these days of economic uncertainty…

Of course I may be overthinking the whole thing – and I do strongly encourage you to not think about it too much and get stuck in the movie and have a good time… But I guess I’m saying there is interesting stuff to think about in there if you are inclined to a bit of post-watching analysis… 

ESSIE'S LITTLE BLOG OF HORRORS

There. I told you I'd get it done. Ok, granted, it's technically the small hours of Monday morning not Sunday evening. But still, there is something fitting about writing these updates in the small hours of  the morning. It is dark outside, all the little creatures are asleep, an eerie wind blows...

Fine, I'm in a suburb of  a large metropolis not in the wild wastes of noweher, but with the right film running before you it can sure feel like it....

Now, this one will be particularly interesting for those of you who may think "all horror films are alike". For those who prefer their horror on a rather more subtle scale, we have gothic. For those who want to"crank it up a bit" we have grindhouse. Not sure what I'm on about? Scroll right down if you are not faint of heart... All will become clear...

Happy viewing,
Essie

"DON’T LOOK NOW" BUT THERE'S SOMETHING CREEPING UP ON YOU...

I have never read anything by Daphne Du Maurier. She is, however, one of those writers I have had the nagging feeling I would really get to enjoy if I could find ten minutes in my life to actually sit down and read. Oh I know what you’re going to say, there’s always time, read on the commute etc… But see, a lot of her work contains Gothic elements, the subtleties of which are lost sometimes on the hustle and bustle of a busy commuter train.  I cannot possibly feel the full, subtle range of emotion the genre brings out in one while also trying to deal with the B.O. of a fellow passenger and the underlying worry I might get too sucked in and miss my stop. The same goes with Gothic style films. I feel my most comfortable watching them at night, after everyone has gone to sleep (I share the house with three other adults and two bouncy cats so especially on weekends, night-time is the only quiet spell around) This is why, watching this understated little number based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier on a Sunday afternoon may have been a mistake. The fact that it made me curl my toes and huddle under the blanket clutching my laptop towards the end is a testament to the strength of the film.

John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura Baxter’s (Julie Christie) lives are shattered when their young daughter Christine drowns while playing in a pool behind their house. The death shakes the young family to the core, as it would any family, but with time they find a way to move on. Their son is put in boarding school and the parents move to Venice for a short while as John has found work renovating an old church there. But just as their lives seem to be entering some form of normalcy a chance encounter with two rather eccentric old ladies changes everything. One of these two old ladies, two sisters to be precise, is blind. And she claims to be psychic. A psychic who has a rather eerie plethora of knowledge of Christine… She claims Christine has a message from beyond the grave for her parents. Laura is interesting but John, ever the sceptic, refuses to heed messages or read any kind of meaning other than the mundane to a series of bizarre events taking place all around him. His, is of course, the way of logic… But is logic the only explanation for things going on around us?

I think old horror films are honestly things we, the children of the 21^st century should re-visit more often. Horror films today rely far too much on jump-scares and CGI monsters I find. I mean sure, I’m in the mood for a good scare from time to time. But these days we seem to have very little time for the “creepy”. We no longer seem to have time to be “creeped out” slowly –we want it all, at once, full sensory load, NOW. I blame the sheer amount of jump-scares in horror. I also believe the pervasion of CGI and visual effects absolutely EVERYWHERE. Now I’m not saying they shouldn’t be used by the bucket-load when necessary. I personally am looking forward to watching The Desolation of Smaug in 3D. But I’m very sad that “non-CGI” is being pushed further and further into the back of the closet. One of the solutions if, like me, you are nostalgic for this era is to watch older films like this little 1970’s number. Like I said in the intro, you may want to wait for an evening when you are not too hyper to watch it. Let it wash over you and slowly draw you in; this, people, is basically a good old chills down your spine type tale. You gotta give the chills time to settle in. iYou may be a bit disoriented by all the intercutting images at first. It is quite atmospheric when you get “in” to the film, but I haven’t seen the technique used so frequently in one film for a while so I kept getting “snapped” out of the film, as it were – at least in the beginning. But don’t be sceptical. Give it a shot. ‘Cos being a doubter did John no good, I can tell you that much… 

AN ASSAULT ON THE SENSES AND IMAGINATION : " SUSPIRIA"

Now, from one kind of old-fashioned to a totally different kind. Because, you know what the other thing you think when you watch old horror films is. I mean, at least, I know what I think: wow. Look at what used to pass for special effects back in the day!  How better to explore this phenomenon than a good old bit of grindhouse… Now, this is not a genre that generally appeals to all. OTT special effects, loud female screams, monsters living or dead… You get the picture. But when you have a master director like Dario Argento at the helm, you know there’s going to be something to it. The end result? This rather intriguing little number that will definitely etch itself onto your memory for the right reasons or the wrong ones…

Suspiria is the story of Suzy Banion (Jessica Harper), an American ballet student who has come to a European ballet academy to continue her studies. On the surface  of it, it seems like what it says on the tin : an old, well established ballet academy set in a picturesque European town in the middle of the woods. However, a few grisly murders and a few hints of the supernatural later, Suzy begins to slowly become convinced that there is something a lot more sinister than the art of ballet being practiced in this school… But can Suzy get to heart of the sinister secrets housed in the school? And if she does, will the school let her survive to tell the tale?

Now, you have to have a love of all things nostalgic to enjoy grindhouse. And, most importantly, you have to be able to suspend disbelief completely and play “let’s pretend”. Did you do that as a child? Of course you did. The question is, did you ever stop? If, like me, you never did quite, you’ll probably enjoy grindhouse.

Because I mean, let’s face it. All the clichés of horror films rolled into one. We have a frail and beautiful American heroine in a “strange” European country. She arrives at a ballet academy which, for God knows what reason, is in the middle of a dark forest. Oh, and the night she arrives, there is a terrible storm and it’s pouring with rain – obviously. But then again,  I don’t think I’ll knock the opening sequence too  much, now I come to think about it… There is a sequence in there that has a very well deserved place in cinematic history. I won’t give too much away – you need to not see it coming to have the full effect.

So, if Don’t look now was understated and creepy, Suspiria is the mirror opposite. It is a complete sensory load on the senses be it in terms of colour, music (the theme tune is still  a little bit stuck in my head) and effects…  And it’s not just the technical side of it, everything, EVERYTHING about this film is completely OTT. But then again, I’m lucky you see. Like a lot of creative people I have a bit of a fondness for all things truly dramatic. Yes of course there will be times you cannot help giggling at the special effects of the day (1977 to be precise) but hey… I’m willing to bet good money you will have to make a conscious effort not to get sucked into the film in the end. It just goes to show that good direction sometimes transcends details like special effects. And Suspiria is deliciously spine tingly, with some very, very tense moments – even by 21^st century standards – with awesome atmos… I enjoyed the film on so many levels, be it visually (I just want to re-iterate how stunning the colours in this film are), cinematically or simply as a chilling yarn told around the camp fire. You’ll love it. Oh and if you watch it in the dead of night like me, do leave a light on in the hall. I had to creep along a dark hallway to the stairs to go up to brush my teeth. And what with the bannisters creaking and the cats running about… Let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant experience directly post-Suspiria… ;) 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF OUTER SPACE...

So... Ok here's what happened.

I had a totally different update planned for this week. Now don't worry, the update is "still there", waiting to be updated. In fact, like I said in a post a little further down it WILL be updated this weekend (Sunday evening GMT) - the theme is horror by the way, not something you see here often. Dario Argento is involved too. There. That's enough teasers. Back to the matter in hand - ahem.

Anyway, yes, so I had something totally different planned for this week. Then I watched Gravity. I had A LOT to say on the matter like most of the blogosphere. So much so that I produced the monster of a blog entry you can see below. It's about the length of two posts. If I were cheeky enough, I WOULD call it two posts in one. Well it is word-count wise. But I see why you'd argue it's a grey area...

So there you go peeps. Check out what your resident blogger thinks of Gravity and check back on Sunday to see what other horrors I have in store for you. Hopefully this should mark the beginning of our return to regular weekend updates.

happy viewing!
Essie

IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU FALL... "GRAVITY"

Truth be told, when there is this much hype about a film, I worry. I mean, it’s hard to explain but you get caught up in the “aura” of the film and then… Well then you expect it to be life changing. Utterly “the ground moved” amazing. I mean I do. But then… Then it falls short and you get disproportionally upset with the whole affair. That’s why I was curious but cautious as I went to see Gravity the other night – in 3D I might add. I hadn’t actually revved myself up not to like it but I was trying to get my expectations down… And you know… My expectations can go all over the shop sometimes and that isn’t much good for anyone. I am very pleased to report however, that in a lot of ways Gravity exceeded my expectations… I needn’t have worried. Not in  this case. However… There were bits that disappointed me a bit. I will try and explain what I mean further down but first the story. You know, just in case you’ve been living under a stone or something…

Gravity is the story of Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) who unexpectedly find themselves drifting in outer space, tethered to each other but virtually nothing else. Dr Stone is just a mission specialist; a medical doctor who is specifically working on this mission and this one only – in other words “a civilian”. Kowalski however, is a veteran of “infinity and beyond”. His buoyant spirits and knowhow do indeed carry them both for a while but ultimately, is it enough? I don’t want to tap into my ‘80s soul and say “in space no one can hear you scream” – but they can’t you know… No air…

Ahem. Moving swiftly on, I want to give you one word: the photography. Oh. My. God. I have never seen anything like it, Cuaron proves himself a true technical master in this one.  And rest assured, I mean it in more ways than one. First of all, the shots of space are stunning. There is a very sharp reminder in the opening sequence alone that we are a very, very small, insignificant part of the universe despite our rather warped view that we are the centre of it. And philosophical messages aside, Cuaron uses his camera to suck you right into the film. I was reading on Twitter that one person felt as if they had “just got back from a space mission themselves” after seeing that film. I can relate. Cuaron uses the psychology of video games as much as anything else to make us feel we are personally “part of the action”. He does this by using a lot of POV shots, straight from the eyes of our main protagonist Ryan Stone. I was particularly fascinated by the fact that there are a LOT of these POV shots, but they do not jar at all- possibly because, even if we don’t all play “first person shooter” type games, we are a lot more used to the concept. I remember that  back in the ‘50s or ‘60s – if memory serves – one director tried making an entire film from the POV of the protagonist – it was a dismal failure. But these days, what with genres like “found footage” type horror films, more artistic endeavours like Sokhourov’s Russian Ark our tolerance for it seems to have grown considerably. The ever present video games- genres like first person shooters etc – also help to up our tolerance. All in all, the POV shots actually “make” the film as opposed to breaking it, I found. You slip directly into the characters skin and it gives the adrenaline that already pervades the film that little bit of a push…

Of course herein lies the need for a good balance. Because you can’t really rely on POV shots alone to get the audience to “bond” with a character – they need backstories. They need to be real. Kowalski is a typical “good old boy” with lots of stories to tell and an almost insatiable appetite for telling and re-telling these stories – we get to know about him quite quickly. Ryan Stone is a bit trickier. (This is not technically a spoiler but you may want to look away at this point if you’re really allergic to them skip to the next paragraph)But  she quickly wins us over when we find out she is still trying to cope with the loss of her four year-old daughter who died, of all things, from falling and banging her head in the playground. I loved that touch – not something complicated like “childhood leukemia” just “one of those things”, tragic in its simplicity and minimalism... Now, I have nothing against them having backstories – they’re pretty much essential. But there comes a point in the film when Ryan gives up and decided that she might as well prepare to die saying she “hopes to see her daughter soon”.  Then, of course, she decides to fight for her life (that one last push that will naturally prove to save her life ultimately) and in the course of that decision she pretty much seems to get over the death of her daughter and land on earth healed and ready to start anew – complete with a “conquering heroine” shot of her from round about her ankles making her look like a leviathan at the end.

Humm… I guess what I’m saying is (welcome back if you skipped that paragraph) that backstories and character development aren’t Gravity’s strong points. But that’s kinda ok you see, because you don’t really go to Gravity for character development. Or I mean, you shouldn’t.  You should see the film either in 3D or in IMAX and really get immersed in the action – and amazed at the beauty of the photography. It’s fascinating really, because I really wonder if this film would be as successful without technology such as IMAX, 3D, HD and all the other “visual enhancements”. It would certainly be possible. It might even be good. It would, however, simply be an action movie. Even the POV shots wouldn’t have been enough to make the film so breath-takingly exciting.  So this, in my view, is a true 21^st Century film- if only in the sense that it wouldn’t essentially be what it is today without 21^st century technology. I will also have to argue that it is a distant cousin of AVATAR in the sense that while it is perfectly possible to enjoy it in 2D it’s just… Not the same.

My gut reaction when I finished watching AVATAR was “this is not a film”. It’s something between a film and a fair-ground ride (don’t get me wrong, this is not meant as an insult. My argument is that it is a completely different, far more “participatory” genre than a film and this is neither good nor bad. Just different). Now,  I have to admit GRAVITY is not so simplistic. Calling it “something like a fair-ground ride would be very unfair to Cuaron whose photography is a true work of art…  They are, however, quite closely related. The fact that you are (at least I was, and so were others from what I gather) breathless, dazed and a bit confused when you exit the cinema is a testament to this fact.

So we can conclude that Gravity is a technical triumph. Just possibly not a “philosophical” triumph. That said, does every film need to be? No. Is it well worth your money to go and see it -, and heck, shell out a bit of extra for the 3D? Yes. Enough said. Now go book your ticket ;)  

ESSIE SPEAKS OF STARS AND BRIGHT LIGHTS

Well hello there.

I know. My timekeeping has become atrocious. Like, even more than usual. I hope you still keep one eye on the blog and check back, secure in the knowledge that your rather disorganised blogger will definitely update her blog. She's just not always sure when. But hey, let's not dwell on the negative, shall we? Updates are here, and my oh my they are a bright, star-spangled bunch...

Today's films have one thing in common. A plethora of a-list celebrities. Now you make think this is a good thing and you may not - I discuss my opinion on the matter a little further down. But the two films certainly use the phenomenon to very different effects. See what you make of them...

And oh, hey : you will remember to scroll down to the bottom of the page and watch the trailers right? Ok, I mean, they're there if you want them. Just saying. And by the way, if you want to follow me on Twitter (and why not, right?) I'm at @Essie_Tweets :)

happy viewing,
Essie

THE CLOSER YOU LOOK, THE LESS YOU SEE : "NOW YOU SEE ME"

For my first trick tonight, I will make two hours of your life disappear J Wow, ok, that came out a tad bit darker than I intended it to. But you know what I mean. You sit down to watch a film, what with the dazzling special effects (yes, I know, I do moan about special effects a lot but you can’t beat them when they’re well used), glamorous actors and a whirlwind of a storyline, you’ll be walking out of the cinema scratching your head before you became fully conscious of ever sitting down.

It all starts, you see, with four illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelsson and David Franco). They have banded together to form a troupe entitled “The Four Horsemen” – and for their tour around Las Vegas they use “magic” to “rob banks”. An amusing gimmick and nothing more, right? Well, possibly not. As the banks the four horsemen say they are robbing on stage in front of a live audience indeed start turning up empty the next morning, the police force (headed by Mark Ruffalo) is faced with the very same perplexing question we are all faced with at the end of magic shows (I know I’m supposed to call them mentalists or illusionists or whatever. For me, they will always ever be magicians. Sorry J ) : “How the heck did they do that?”  But with even one of the most famous “illusionist de-maskers” (Morgan Freeman) baffled by the turn of events and the possibility of an agenda that stretches way beyond just the cash… Is this simply a rather glamorous set of heists? Or is there actually something a lot bigger at stake?

Ok, quick question: Did you like the Ocean’s franchise? You did? Then jump right on the bandwagon my friends! This is most definitely one for you! And I mean, don’t get me wrong, I loved the Ocean’s films. But this is a tad bit better methinks. First of all, I like the fact that it doesn’t rely so much on star power. I mean don’t get me wrong there are one heck of a lot of stars in this one too. There are even a few I couldn’t get into the blurb like Michael Cane for example. But there are not 15 of them.  Which, in my view is a good thing. I mean 15 a-list celebrities are all very well and good – in fact in some cases but it always makes me a tad nervous about the rest of the film. You know, the directing, the storyline, the effects… I know it’s a tad unfair, but I always get the nagging question “what are they trying to hide?” – you know. If they’re throwing that much talent at it, my head reasons, there must be something going not quite right with it. Now this little number has a significant amount of star talent in the mix, you can ask what it’s trying to hide until you are blue in the face; I am pretty darn confident you won’t get it.

This is not simply because there is nothing that is obviously wrong with it; I have to say that this was one of the best heist  /stroylines I have seen in a very long time. I know that technology and development allows us to design visual effects gimmicks that are more intricate than ever before, but this was truly spectacular. And all the visuals – be it the effects all the stars – definitely do not retract from a complicated plotline you will literally “not see coming” until the very end. But don’t worry. There is a an actual “explanation”  bit very neatly inserted into the film so I can guarantee you won’t get completely lost.  This is actually my favourite kind of plot. I don’t like it when I can see films “coming” a mile away. And my “eyesight” is pretty darn good what with one thing and another  (mainly the sheer volume of films I have watched in my life).

If I were to say one negative thing about the film, it might be that it suffers from a slight lack of character development. I’m not going to go as far as saying they are “stock characters” they definitely are not, but… I mean we could, in an ideal world, get to know them a tad bit better. But then again, that is not what the movie is about. The movie is about the show – that’s why this is what the movie concentrates on. Which is fair enough, I think.

So next time you have a few hours to spare, feel free to spare it on this little number. You will not regret it – this much I promise you.

THE ART AND THE MAGIC OF "MIDNIGHT IN PARIS"

Well, this is definitely a little number that has me scratching my head. Oh don’t get me wrong, not in a bad way. The film is amazing. It’s just that as I actually am such a fan of Woody Allen, I’m not entirely sure why I put off watching this for so darn long. I better not take this long getting round to watch Blue Jasmine…  But I digress… Let’s get this show back on track girls and boys, because this film has a lot to say for itself (well, what did you expect, it is Woody Allen) and we’d better get started talking about it…

Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez ( Rachel McAdams) are an engaged couple who have tagged along to Paris with Inez’s father and mother who are on a business trip. For Inez, this is a perfect moment to select furniture for their future Malibu home. For Gil, a screenwriter who desperately wants to “try his hand at real literature” Paris is almost a pilgrimage. While Inez is determined to “stay a tourist”, Gil wants to wander the streets of Paris, sit at the cafes where Hemmingway and Picasso conversed and soak up the atmosphere. And I mean of course Paris is beautiful, but it is not Paris at its best. This, according to Gil, is Paris in the ‘20s.  But then again, Gil has so many things he is discontented with in his current existence that it is not surprising he dreams of an idealised past.  Things however, take a turn for the surreal when one night, when Gil is taking a slightly tipsy walk through Paris by himself, he actually finds a way back into the ‘20s. As he gets over his disbelief and starts exploring this strange occurrence, Gil begins to think that he may have found the perfect solution to all his problems. He no longer needs to just DREAM of living alongside his idols, he can actually stay in the past and do it! So can Gil, who can barely decide where to live in Los Angeles actually make the decision to uproot and live in a completely different era? And more importantly, is this actually the solution to his problems?

Actually this is a really good follow-up to “Now You See Me”  in one sense. Because when you read through the credits, you are once again absolutely battered with celebrities. But it’s ok you see – firstly the celebrities are in fact mostly little more than cameos (with the notable exception of Marion Cotillard who didn’t make it into the blurb but… I mean watch the film, there’s a reason for that). Throughout the film we closely follow Gil and his story. There is, in fact, something incredibly fitting about the concept of “celebrities playing celebrities”.  It makes it easier for us to get into the mind set of Gil who is literally star-struck, surrounded by every literary influence he has ever had, living and breathing in the flesh. We get a good feeling of the “awe” he feels in their presence  and incidentally I loved the contrast between his “day life” and his “night life” as, especially in the second half of the movie, any exchanges he has with his fiancée and her family are almost exclusively limited to the hotel room. All in all, Midnight in Paris is a sweet, romantic, magical fable that I am very glad I watched indeed.

I mean yes, this is Woody Allen, so the film relies heavily on dialogue. And yes, this is a fable, so there is an “inherent lesson” to be learnt from it. There is even a scene where Owen Wilson “tells us” this lesson at the end. This may seem a tad to didactic to you. Then again, if you’re a fan of Woody Allen, surely you can’t have that many problems with being “talked at” and “lectured”. And credit where it is due, the scene is neither long nor obnoxious.

I remember when this film first came out, a lot of people sort of wrinkled their noses and said “it isn’t like his usual stuff” (Him being Woody Allen). I agree. It is a lot more positive, a lot less “grounded I the harsh and bitter realities of real life” than his usual works. If you are looking for an outlet for that kind of emotion, I would suggest you pass up on this one. This film would go much better with a glass of wine, some chocolates and a few friends – albeit those who can endure films with a LOT of dialogue. 

ESSIE'S SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW :)

Hi there folks.

Well, at least I'm not that late this time :)

I'm continuing with my "something old - something new" theme this week.

I have a black and white "creme de la creme" classic for your delectation today, along with a little modern number I have suddenly found I have rather a lot to say about. Hence the rather huge post :)

anyway, I need to dash now - I'm late for a rendez-vous as we speak - but I really hope you have a good week!

happy viewing,
Essie

"THE LETTER" FROM A LONG LOST AGE...

Aah Film noir. One of the oldest genres around. To be sure it has changed a lot since it’s heyday in the ‘40s and ‘50s so much so that it has spurned a new genre called “neo-noir” that differentiates the modern versions from those good old Hollywood classics. It’s like a roast dinner, fish and chips, your favourite drink (please note that I am writing this post just before dinner LOL), in short something you know like the back of your hand and come back to knowing what to expect. If it is an American Classic like The Letter, you will get a beautiful woman, seductive but dangerous (Bette Davis), a man of the law (often a private eye or a police officer but in this particular case the family lawyer, played by James Stephenson), a crime, a cover-up and the impending sense of doom despite the best efforts of the characters, be they sympathetic or not… Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s best-seller, The Letter is cited as an example for “classic American noir” – and there’s a good reason for it…

Leslie (Bette Davis) and Robert ( Herbert Marshall) lead a charmed life, living on plantation in Singapore. Servants to tend to their every need and enough money to make %100 sure these needs are tended to mean that Leslie has little to do apart from relaxing and enjoying life while her adoring husband makes sure the plantation is ticking over. She is adored by one and all in the area and part of the very cream of high society, so everyone is shocked when she admits to killing one of her neighbours, a man both her and her husband had known for some time, in her own home in the middle of the night. However, as she is a trusted and well-loved member of society people are also more than ready to believe her word on what happened. The man was drunk, had showed up unannounced, was making unwanted advances and she was alone in the house. She defended herself. She is of course put on trial – but it really seems to be little more than a formality – everyone fully expects life to return to normal very, very shortly. Except… There is talk of this letter… A letter written in Lesley’s own hand and that could turn this idyllic world upside down… Her lawyer seems to be the only one who can help her… Stuck between his loyalty to his client and his loyalty to his vocation, Howard is in a very tight spot indeed… But he must choose carefully, for no matter which way he turns, his actions will have grave consequences…

It’s an interesting combo, the film noir. Becoming popular, and holding a lot of its roots in the Depression era the genre takes a step away from “classic” Hollywood. You can definitely sense the general disillusionment with the establishment and the “system” (whatever that may be) as criminals who get away with murder (among other crimes), officers of the law who fully believe that “everyone has their price” but who have lost all faith in justice they are meant to uphold are prominent along with the dark and striking photography that owes a not a little to German Expressionism but doubtless also contributes to the atmosphere of the film and the constant sense of “something bad being about to happen”.

The Letter is a textbook example of all of the above, but don’t think for a minute it is a hard tale of doom and gloom that you will find difficult to “get into”. In fact this film, as do a lot of its genre, relies a lot on emotions and feelings. In fact I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Bette Davis; as an actress she is as brilliant as always, however there are times when you note a gesture or a pose that is so exaggerated you can very clearly see the lingering effects of the pre-sound era of cinema. It is literally the kind of stuff I do today when I’m clowning around and want to give a sense of an “overly exaggerated” whatever it is… Oh you’ll recognise it. You really, really will. But you have to remember that cinema is an art form like any other, and it grows, changes and develops. Find it funny or not, The Letter is one of the great-grandparents of the crime dramas we watch today. And visiting your grandparents (or indeed your great grandparents) can be both fascinating and great fun… If you can find time in your “modern existence” to actually do it that is… ;) 

THE DRAGON, THE WITCH AND THE SUBMARINE : "ATLANTIS"

And now a bit of Tv. Because, let’s be frank, we watch one heck of a lot of it. You know how I say you sometimes need to come back to a comfortable classic. Like comfort food. You don’t expect, nor indeed want it to be complicated, you want to be carried away by the story for an hour or so and rest your head from all the “adult world” related nonsense that is going around in it. You also need something like this, I discovered, when you’re in bed with the flu. Unable to get out of bed , go to sleep or do anything constructive for several days I found that I was in severe need of having my mind taken off things – which is where Atlantis came in.

Atlantis is one of the newer productions of the BBC and follows the fate of Jason (Jack Donnelly), a young man from the modern world whose father had got lost in an underwater expedition. Heading fearlessly down to unplumbed depths in a one-man submarine, Jason finds himself in another world. And by that, I do not mean the next one. I mean a mythical land where magic is real and ancient civilisation continues unabated without a touch of modernity and “all it brings”. Jason’s arrival in this magical land is not, however, mere coincidence. Not only does Jason have ties to this land that he never even knew existed, the fate and happiness of many people rest on his shoulders. The question is, can he be the hero Atlantis needs him to be?

Now, first of all let me just say how much I love this series. For those of my generation, guys, it’s basically Narnia for adults. Only it’s for adults and kids – or at least younger audiences. It’s definitely family friendly – which is welcome news for any Game of Thrones fans with young ones. This is definitely one you can sit down and watch all together. Jason is every bit the shining hero and his faithful sidekicks (I’ll let you discover them in your own time haha) are both hilarious and endearing.  If you want to go on an adventure from the safety of your sofa without the added trauma of worrying about your favourite character getting killed off – this one is for you folks. This is goodies vs baddies pure and simple. And I don’t mean this as a bad thing.

Another point I would like to make is, credit where it is due, when you watch the six episodes aired thus far, you can clearly see the writing improve in leaps and bounds. Now come on, enough with that frown, just because I like something, it doesn’t mean I’m not going to point out its faults if I see any. And besides, at this particular point I’m saying it overcame a fault. I couldn’t help noticing the sheer mass of “exposition” going on in the first couple of episodes. You know those scenes where two characters have a lengthy conversation about something and have the sole purpose of providing information for the viewer before you take the next step in the story proper. Now, these are useful but more often than not, an able director can easily weave information into the story itself without taking a step away from it for what we might call a short “instructive video”. Atlantis suffers from a bit of a “public information video” syndrome in its first episodes but credit where it’s due the writing is getting a lot tighter in the latter ones and the story is advancing at a really good pace.

Then again, bizarrely, for a series that had too much exposition at one point, Atlantis does leave quite a few serious plot points unanswered. I mean, come on. I know we’re not actually meant to take our focus off Jason the shining hero but we don’t even know WHAT his father was doing in a sub in the first place? Geology? Zoology? Biology? Testing the sub? Oh and incidentally, Jason is in his early 20s so what exactly are his qualifications to be allowed to take a submarine down on a mission that probably cost the life of an experienced crew member BY HIMSELF? Fine, fair enough, these are all “modern world” problems, we can overlook them. (*SPOILER ALERT – skip to the next paragraph now to avoid it). My other major “thing” is Jason’s superpowers. Oh by the way yeah, in this world, he has superpowers – kind of. Very little is made of them and what they really are – ok fair enough it adds surprise value, kind of puts us on a par with Jason who had no idea he had superpowers either or what exactly they are. But come episode 6, not only has Jason not learnt anything new about their origin or extent (unless he knows something we don’t) – he has completely adapted to them and uses them unquestioningly. I don’t know about you but I’d be freaking out. Big time.

And speaking of adapting (and if you "skipped here, take my word for it, I was), ok, he has ties to this land, he’s not just anyone he is special, he has a destiny but I mean, is it realistic that he has completely adapted to a world with no electricity, running water, phones, cars or heck, even jeans when he was manning a submarine (so I assume some form of engineer at the very least) a matter of hours ago? There is SO MUCH potential for comic relief right there – and it only gets used briefly in the first half of episode one. Not that the series lacks in comic relief. Pythagoras and Hercules (Robert Emms and Mark Addy respectively) are positively hilarious - but you know… Adding a slightly unsure Jason to the mix would be the cherry on the top.

I totally get what they are trying to do with Jason though; he is the “shining hero” that can do no wrong. Precisely the kind of hero you want when you’re in bed with the flu or after a long, hard slog at the office. But, for those who have watched it, admit it, wasn’t it refreshing to watch him fumble over his words and knock things over as he tried to impress Ariadne? Would it not have been awesome to have him develop slowly into a full-fledged and magnificent hero by the end of the season as opposed to having him “express grown” by the end of episode one? A bit of character development, methinks, would not have gone amiss.

I mean, let’s give the series its due. It’s not over yet. There may be reasonable explanations to all of this. In fact, I may to a re-cap when the series has ended. Trust me I’ll be in a good position to make the judgement. Because I don’t intend to miss a single, solitary episode. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF THE INGENUITY OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

Well sorry about that. I do try and keep things on track over here, no matter what goes on in my "offline life" but I cannot control everyting. Getting the flu is one of these things. Anyhow, we're back on track now and just to re-iterate, the blog will be re-updated on sunday, as usual, so you have plenty to read through this week at least!

This week's characters are testaments to the human spirit. Confronted by any adversity, be it in local contexts such as political pressure and censorship or more universal ones such as family life and careers, once the initial fear has been put aside, the human spirit is resiliant enough to make extraordinary things happen with a situation. The works I show this week shows us what we are capable of doign with a situation... The results are sometimes good and sometimes bad... But in any case, they are definitely extraordinary.

And don't forget to check out my new videos at the bottom of the page! The trailer for "Baby Jane" proved a tad elusive (and a tad beyond my technical abilities when finally found), so I have put in a rather famous sequence from the movie to whet your apetites.

happy viewing,
Essie

IN WHICH JAFAR PANAHI CREATES A NEW ART FORM... "THIS IS NOT A FILM"

Ok, so you guys know about Jafar Panahi, right? He is one of the most successful and talented directors Iran has produced in our century. He’s in a tad bit of trouble right now…  See, Penahi is one of the large group of educated Iranians who are against what the current regime is doing. And he is vocal about it. For this reason, he has been prosecuted and his sentence was 6 years in prison and a 20 year ban on making films, writing scripts or giving interviews. Having been “shut down” a third of the way through the production of his latest film, at the time of the production of this… Let’s call it a documentary for now, he is in his home in Tehran awaiting the decision for his appeal. Panahi, not content with just throwing up his hands and giving up, made the documentary. It was then smuggled out of Iran on an I-phone hidden in a cake, just in time for the Cannes Film Festival.  I mean,  that smuggling story alone deserves a movie made about it I reckon, but I guess that’s for another time and place. Now, it’s a tad bit hard to describe, but let’s try and focus on the actual thing that was smuggled for now.

Panahi is, in essence, stuck in his home in Tehran. He cannot work… Or can he? He first starts off by trying to film himself. That doesn’t work. So he reaches out to a personal friend and documentary film maker, Mojtaba Mitrahmahsb… From this effort emerges… Well, something. The DVD sleeve calls it a “new art form”. I have a feeling they may be right. Penahi, seemingly while he is doing little more than freestyling to the camera, asks a key question : “If you can tell a film, why should you film it?” Penahi starts off by telling us, scene by scene, the film he was interrupted doing.  It is strange, haunting and fascinating to watch as Penahi uses masking tape to mark off rooms on his living room floor and acts out key moments… After all, he cannot film or write scripts. There’s nothing in the court decision about not reading a script that is already written. But anyway, from there, he branches off into a philosophical debate, flashbacks of other films and, perversely, a very strange encounter with the janitor that Penahi films on the spur of the moment… I don’t know… You really have to see it to understand it properly.

Government censorship is a terrible thing at the best of times. I mean, I understand the need for control but in countries such as Iran, this “control” has spilled over into violations of the right to speak freely long, long ago. Throughout history though in most countries where artists have had to content with serious government pressure while they work a lot of ingenuity comes into play. Artists often take the censure and use it as an extra challenge to produce something extraordinary that still portrays the message they want to give. Penahi has achieved this with this particular project and it is this spirit I admire more than anything else. Having been forbidden to film, to write and to even talk about it in an official capacity, his immediate response is to start a project that fits all this criteria – so it is not a film – and yet… It may not be a film but it definitely is something darn similar… I mean, ask the Cannes Film Festival if you don’t believe me. Having been smuggled there the film made it into the official selection. No matter what you call it, film, documentary, installation, interview… It is a wonderful piece of work that demonstrates that even in the face of the most horrific oppression the human spirit will always find a way to fight back. Not necessarily with sticks and stones; but with thoughts, messages and art… I mean, at the end of the day, who needs sticks and stones? A well placed discussion is infinitely more dangerous to censorship… But that, as they say, is another story…  

ON HOW TIME AND LIFE CHANGES US... "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?"

Ok, so I know that it’s literally Halloween tomorrow. You’ll be thinking I have missed a trick or two. I mean, why in the world am I not reviewing horror films, right? Well, I know my schedule is a little skew-wiff this week but I would argue that this film is not exactly out of context. I mean, there are many real-life scary things in this world of ours. One is the human mind and it’s capabilities for creating suffering – for ourselves and the people around us. The second, is using this capability within the context of your own family – and as a lot of us probably know this happens more often than we like to admit in public. But anyway, whatever happened to baby jane is specifically this kind of thriller. And I don’t care how used you are to big special effects and CGI, if you have even half a heart, I can guarantee that this little black and white number from the ‘60s will get the hairs on the back of your neck standing right on end…

We start off in 1917, and child star Baby Jane Hudson is taking America by storm. An all-singing, all-dancing American sweetheart  that toured the music halls, Baby Jane has shot to celebrity very young, and it shows. Adored by all, she is spoiled and treats her sister Blanche and her family little better than staff. Fast forward some years however and the tables have taken a very drastic turn. Blanche has shot to fame as a star of the big screen while Jane (Bette Davis) has been forgotten – partly due to her drinking problem. But if the bitterness of being forgotten while her sister is celebrated is not enough, Jane has another slight problem. A car accident has left Blanche (Joan Crawford) paralysed from the waist down, so it falls to Jane to wait on her hand and foot and take care of her every need. But Jane is bitter about this situation. She is very bitter indeed. And she doesn’t miss a single opportunity to remind her sister of it. Question is, when will the torture Jane inflicts on her sister end, if ever? How much more can Blanche take, and has she any way of stopping her, despite being completely dependent on her?

Ok. I don’t even know where to begin with this. But the cast alone should tell you something. Come on, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I mean, the acting is just… Just superb… I can’t think of many actresses that could successfully pull off the “bad guy” so well and give such a sense of the pathetic at the same time. But even though you feel at times desperately sorry for Jane, you cannot help but watch in horror at what she puts poor Blanche through. It’s funny , really… Family ties are complicated at the best of times without the added complications of lost fame, resentment and crippling accidents, besides let’s face it, who knows our weak spots better than them? The dynamic between the two sisters is simply timeless, and I defy anyone to watch this without their skin crawling on some level or another, despite it being made 50 odd years ago… Just goes to show, some fears never change or grow old…

Speaking of 50 years ago though, technophobe that I am, I couldn’t help smiling at the fact that this film could not be made in the 21^st century. A lot of the plot revolves around the fact that Blanche cannot contact the outside world or call help because she is trapped on the second floor of the mansion – completely dependent on her sister to get to the first floor – and unable to reach the telephone and call help. Blanche would probably have a mobile and a laptop or tablet if she were alive today; and even assuming her sister removed all these things, she would sooner or later be able to get hold of something, e-mail, call , text, skype, whatsapp or viber the authorities and that would be the end of that… I’m not even getting started on how “possible” the skeleton in the family closet would be in this day and age (mainly because the skeleton constitutes a very fine sting in the story’s tail that I want you to discover for yourselves) but suffice it to say that in a lot of ways the film is a museum piece. But the way it takes such a universal theme as sibling rivalry and turns into a thriller we can relate to today despite the antiquated settings makes the film a real masterpiece and a true classic.

ESSIE'S LATE! BUT SHE'S ON HER WAY!

Hey fellas.

Just a quick appology to let you know that I haven't been very well this weekend so the updates are late. I'm very sorry. Check back wednesday morning for the latest. But don't worry, Come next weekend, we'll be back on track... 

have a great week in the meanwhile!

Essie

ESSIE STILL AT THE LONDON FILM FESTIVAL!

Oh come on, you know me better than that. You knew this whole festival theme was going to go on for a while.

And before I forget, an important adition : Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for the non-lopsided (I'm so proud) trailers of the films this week. From now on, I have decided, the Amazon links for the films (if they exist) will be placed at the side as they always were and the trailers at the bottom. See? Lots of juicy stuff for you to root through. Don't ever say I don't make an effort to keep you amused :) Anyway, Our Sunhi's trailer can be found below as you can see and Sixteen has not a trailer but a whole behind the scenes video! (Oh don't be scared, it's only 2,5 minutes. You can spare that much) Scroll down! Check'em out!

I did enjoy the festival though. I only wish my budget would allow to go to as many films as I did back home in Istanbul. But ticket prices are a good deal different over there. Oh well... But at least it was a bit more of an interesting challange. With fewer "shots", you had to be extra careful in chosing. I ended up with as ecclectic a bunch as ever - and that's after a whole load of reading and re-reading the festival programme. I'm sure this says something about my character, but I'm not entirely sure what...


happy viewing!
Essie

ABOUT THE DEVIL BEING IN THE DETAILS... "OUR SUNHI"

This is another thing I love about film festivals. If you bypass the big galas that will clearly open in a few weeks in cinemas anyway an dig around in the independents, documentaries and foreign films, you can come up with some truly extraordinary things (a fact I have been trying to demonstrate since next week). Our Sunhi, from the “Laugh” section, is definitely one of these. Now, we have all heard of the Buddhist principal whereby life (and subsequently your future incarnations) present you essentially with the same lessons, people and advice until we truly learn from them and move on (I’m sure this concept has an actual name and everything, however… You know…). This is used a lot in productions that are a lot more tragic and didactic by nature. Our Sunhi takes the concept and not only points out that it can be viewed as very funny… It reminds us that we actually probably witness it on a daily basis…

Sunhi is a quiet young woman who wants to become a director. At almost 30, she feels that it may just be too late for her, but is still willing to give it her best shot. Her aim is to get a scholarship to study abroad; she feels this will better her and give her a better shot at her dreams. However, this means stepping out of her shell and acting. And getting over her own fears and uncertainties is one thing, she must also interact with a whole host of people who are… Let’s just say rather unconventional. On the list are her course professor (to whom she must be nice as she needs his reference letter for this programme), her ex (with whom she most definitely has unfinished business) and miscellaneous classmates (who are each “special” in their own way). Another point worth noting is that Sunhi is just about the only woman in this motley crew…  So we watch her trying to figure out which way to go next and we realise that there is, in fact, a lot of circularity in what is going on in her life, albeit hidden under the … Question is, does Sunhi?

Now, as I wrote the review thus far I realised that there are many traps you might fall into in trying to imagine what the film is like / about. First of all, don’t let the idea of repetition scare you – it’s not boring and definitely not absurd comedy. I know, it’s a Korean film and the Korean are rather “out there” when it comes to absurd comedy and it is not everyone’s cup of tea. This is a very delicately constructed romantic comedy – of sorts. The thing is, much like Sunhi, it is a bit of an original so a tad hard to classify.

Secondly, don’t be scared by the concept of “Buddhist concepts” , the film is NOT about how we should examine our lives and not repeat our mistakes. Well, it is, but this is not the main point, and the film merely shows us how these repetitions don’t necessarily need to come in the form of dramatic events but can actually be hidden in day to day events. And it goes on to suggest that, to move forward, it might be a good idea to actually pay attention to what is going on around us and you know… Act on it maybe? But like I said, this is just a suggestion. The repetitions mentioned are subtle yet not so subtle they cannot be used for great comic effect. And more importantly, they are very sensitive and taken directly from real life. I mean, for example, imagine when you first move to an area, change jobs or schools… You know how for a while, you end up just having the same conversation with different people until things settle into a routine? It happens at parties as well if there are a lot of people you don’t know. Yeah, kind of like that, only concerning things such as love, relationships, major life decisions etc.

You might think, at first glance, that Our Sunhi is making a bit too much of a fool of some of the characters. But then again, objectively, are they that different from us, bungling through life, not seeing the patterns and repeating mistakes? It’s definitely not that different from me. Especially before my first mug of coffee… 

AS IF just BEING A TEENAGER WASN'T HARD ENOUGH... "SIXTEEN"

I love the “first feature” section of the London Film Festival. Getting “into” film remains as tough as ever but at least this gives a very important outlet for those on that all important first rung of the ladder as it were. Of course since it is everyone’s first feature though, it makes picking a bit of an exciting prospect. You literally cannot guess what you’re going to actually end up with. These were my thoughts when I picked Sixteen. I’m not quite sure what exactly made me pick it. That it was set in modern day London was, bizarrely, definitely one thing (modern day London is a bit of an obsession with me at the moment. Strange that it has only hit now seeing as I have been living here for two years now). But the fact that it was about something that we don’t hear much about, namely Congolese child soldiers, was definitely another. Sixteen examines what we might call the “happily ever after”…

You see Jumah has achieved what a lot of people in his situation only hope and pray for. Once a Congolese child soldier, he has been adopted and now lives in the UK with his adopted mother. They are not exactly living in the lap of luxury but Jumah does not complain – he has known worse. And he has all the classic problems of a sixteen year old. Stress, exams, girls, grades… But on top of that he also has severe anger management issues and what is almost certainly PTSD. And the two later topics make it a tad bit harder for him to relate to people, raging hormones aside.  He doesn’t have massive dreams of becoming very rich; what he wants to do is to become a barber and live a quiet life. However, a chance encounter means that completely out of the blue, Jumah is pitched head-first towards something that eerily resembles his earlier, violence-filled life. Can he manage to not spoil his second chance? Or is there really no escaping his dark past?

First of all, genrewise, credit where it is due. Director Rob Brown provides a wonderful update to that very typical British genre the kitchen-sink drama. Well, it’s not quite “kitchen sink”. But then again, it is as close as you can get in this century – if you see what I mean. The film is set on a council estate, the protagonists are a single parent family, and violence pervades the present, the past and very probably the future. The future looks bleak, the options are not numerous (not least due to the fact that Jumah has been kicked out of several schools until he wound up in this one) and to top it all, Jumah has the rather working class dream of becoming a barber. Not that I’m belittling barbers or people who want to become them. But I’m just making the point that it fits a certain genre particularly well.

So, Brown takes this classic British genre and just… Sets it in Britain today. Which makes perfect sense really. Because London is one of those great metropolises (or metropoli ? I mean, is that the plural?) where you can literally meet people from all over the world. Every kind of person you can possibly imagine comes here to try their luck and you do hear the most incredible stories when you least expect them. Thus, this particular “angry young man” (another staple from the gritty kitchen sink genre) is a Congolese ex-child soldier.   This could very well have been the story of a young man coming out of prison and trying to go “on the straight and narrow” (but of course his ex-gang don’t let him go that easily etc, etc). Instead, it is a rather sad story of violence being violence all over the world and how hard one has to work to truly leave one’s past behind and move on.

I especially loved how truly close to life the situations depicted in the film and the reactions of the characters often were. Jumah is desperately trying to negotiate his way out of a very tricky situation. He is desperately trying to make friends but deep down, he knows that everything he has been through has made him a lot more mature than them. He really wants a “normal” relationship with his girlfriend but teenage angst aside, he finds it harder than most to show his true feelings. Therefore, he doesn’t always make sense, he is frustrating, not only to his mother but to us the viewers as well, but more importantly perhaps, I don’t think you could have made him any more realistic if you tried.

This one is by no means “easy viewing” but it is definitely worth it. If nothing else, it is a very realistic portrait of a slice of life in 21^st century London. And that in itself is definitely worth something. 

ESSIE AT THE BFI!

Not in any official capacity you understand. (If anyone from the BFI is reading this and you happen to be hiring however...). I'm "raiding" the London Film Festival. And I can't wait to tell you about it. 

Anyone who knows the first thing about me, knows what my schedule is like. In a word, more often than not these days it’s like nothing on earth. It’s so hectic and so changable I often don’t know what my schedule is like until the day before, I gave up on weekly planners LONG ago. So went my selection of films I wanted to watch at the London Film Festival. The combination of my rather eccentric work hours, my budget and  my incredibly eclectic tastes produced the combo of films that I will be writing to you about this week - and for several weeks to come. I hope you enjoy them - because I am LOVING every minute. 

Oh, oh and scroll down a bit... Look! Trailers! See, since both of these films aren't out on DVD yet to the best of my knowledge, I have hunted down the trailers for your delectation. This has the potential of becoming a "thing" on this blog... The only negative "thing" is, they are a tad bit lopsided. I have thrown up my hands in defeat on that one. If anyone knows how to fix it, please mention it in a comment. Oh and you're going to have  to squint a bit for the subtitles on Exhibits, especially if you're at a time of life where, shall we say, you need reading glasses (sorry Mom). I thought about taking it out all together, but I think it still gives you a good feel of the film, so it stayed. Stop the pounding heart does not have subtitles (thankfully), so you should be ok with that one. 

happy viewing folks and have a great week!

Essie

BECAUSE REAL LIFE IS STRANGER THAN THE DREAMS OF ANY ARTIST... "EXHIBITS OR STORIES FROM THE CASTLE"

Ok. So I just explained how totally random my selection of films look to the untrained eye. There is, however, a certain something that ties them together, although I couldn’t quite tell you what it was. My… What? Outlook? Personality? Spirit? I’m not sure. You’re going to have to fill in the blanks. But I think that this air of chaos that actually has a connecting thread is a very fitting connection to my first film. This film, to be precise. Exhibits seemingly is about a pretty random collection of people. We are talking real life here, so it actually doesn’t get stranger or more random than this. And yet… There is something… You might say I’m romanticising. You might say it’s largely the fact that for this or that reason (illness or old age) they are not quite “corpus mentis”. I’d say you’d need to watch this beautiful gem of a documentary and make your own decision on the matter – as it presents a LOT to think about…

The Castle is a home for the elderly in Stupova, Slovakia. But aside from the elderly, it also houses people with mental illnesses and those with nowhere else left to go. Director Paolo Korec takes a closer look at some of the amazing and touching life stories living together, higgledy piggledy under the same roof. There is a once celebrated doctor of law, an ex-thief, an old soldier and an old man who actually has nothing wrong with him – but his wife needs constant care you see, so he just moved in. What was he to do? Go on without her?

I am a little sensitive about the treatment of the aged. In life generally, but in cinema especially. I’m not quite sure why, but it probably has a lot to do with the fact that I was largely raised by my grandmother whose health is rather frail these days (she is 90 years old). This is why I was intrigued to see how this eccentric group of characters would be treated by this film. There is nothing like a babbling old dear for comic relief after all.  I think it is largely due to the fact that the director Korec is also an older gentleman that there is a great air of affection and respect to the film. Humour – especially absurd humour – is abundant but very well placed. And you can easily glide through Exhibits without thinking about much… Or can you?

Because the moment you start dissecting the film, you realise that there are many sombre lessons to actually take away from it. I was touched by all the stories in varying ways, but the one that hit me the hardest was Classic (he now calls himself that) the lawyer. He was an actual lawyer you understand; a scholar of some fame and author of three text books in various areas of law. We do not learn how he came to be a permanent resident in Stupova. But there are still echoes of his previous life in his actions there. He has a planner in which he makes his weekly schedule, although it must be said, it now looks pretty different from what it once must have looked like… A lot of his day is now taken up by music, he is a great fan of a Slovakian pop- star (whose name I forgot to make a note of) and sneaks into the common room after dark to watch her DVDs and likes to sing along to her songs on his cd player. In the q &a after the film, this story in particular came up in the discussions. Korec pointed out that this story had touched him as well and remarked how important it is to remember that the line between sanity and insanity is very thin indeed. I wonder if Classic himself remembers when and how he crossed it? Ages are not discussed that much in the Castle, but I put Classic in his late 40s or early 50s at the most. If ever there were a reminder that you never know what’s round the corner for you, this story is it…  

So the film takes us from one “exhibit” to the next, each told with clarity and honesty. No punches are pulled about life in the Castle. It is not the lap of luxury but it could be so much worse. The doctors and nurses are pleasant. There is good food and good company. And since a very large number of the residents have actually reverted to their childhoods (with the ironic exception of Classic who, is one of the younger residents but I saw as closer to a teenager),  “the rest”, does not really matter… I don’t know about you, but I found it spooky yet strangely comforting. They have lost pretty much everything, but much like children, they have stopped focusing on the bigger picture and are delighted or made distraught by the smaller things in life… I don’t know… Don’t you find the idea of people of all walks of life united “at the end of it all”, like happy children comforting in a way? And don’t you think it’s rather silly to wait right until the very end to start making the little things in life if not your main priority, one of your priorities?

Oh yes. Exhibits looks like a humble, unassuming little 80 minute number about an old people’s home. Trust me, there is a LOT more to it than that… 

TO LIVE OR TO "STOP THE POUNDING HEART" ?

Ok, as you may have guessed, my new “thing” is documentaries and all things even vaguely documentary. Not surprising is it really, considering my semi-obsession with “based on true life”. This is, to the best of my understanding, not quite a documentary. The characters in them play “different versions of themselves”. So basically we’re talking real characters in scripted situations, and that must have been quite a feat to accomplish but anyhow. This is, apparently, the last film in the “Texas trilogy” by director Roberto Minervini. All I’m saying to you is, I really need to find the other two films…

Filmed in a documentary style with quite minimal dialogue, much less anything in the way of guidance and explanation from the director, Stop the Pounding Heart paints a portrait of life in rural Huston, Texas. We see life from the point of view of two very different families. The Carlsons are goat farmers. They are deeply religious and all of the children are home-schooled. Sarah – or Sar – one of the older sisters is a dutiful daughter who takes care of her siblings and obeys her parents but burning deep in her is a rebellious side. This rebellious side that gets next to no “outings”, as it were but it definitely manifests itself. And one of the occasions this happens the clearest is after an encounter with her less puritan neighbour Colby Trichelle. The Trichelles are as religious as the average southern Texan, don’t get me wrong, but they are worlds apart from the Carlsons. Shooting, bull-riding and generally having a good time is what the boisterous Trichelle boys are all about. Now, the Carlson family is against “dating” as a general principal. But the fact that Sarah has been raised as a good Christian who is expected to marry a good Christian like her makes the union positively dangerous. Thus Sarah must do her best to conceal her feelings from everyone, including Colby… This may prove easier said than done…

Now this one definitely is for those of you who can actually sit through a minimalist film without fidgeting. Exhibits is a different kettle of fish all together, as the inhabitants are more than willing to share their stories and explain (and re-explain) every detail ad-nauseam. The Carlsons and the Trichelles, however, just get on with life. But if you can actually sit through it, the rewards are truly great. Our main protagonist is Sarah, Colby and his family are present but their role is largely that of contrasting their behaviour with that of the Carlsons. The one we really get to know is Sarah who is agonising, torn between her faith and the questions that keep bubbling up in her mind, the feelings that tug at her heart… It is a beautiful tale of faith in the modern world, the barriers it comes up against and the ways it copes – or tries to cope… Because the central question actually remains unanswered at the end of Stop the Pounding heart… Or does it? Much like real life, there are no clear cut answers. You are going to have to take the data and make what you will of it.

I thought Stop the Pounding Heart was one of the most touching depictions of angst and emotion that I have ever seen. Sarah is in her late teens at most (all we know is that she is over 14) but she is already struggling with so many questions in life… Faith… Love… Metaphysics… Well sure, metaphysics come into it even though Sarah doesn’t quite call it that as, although we do not know what she is exactly thinking, she is clearly and desperately trying to understand why her faith is telling her to do this or that and why, if this is indeed the “right” thing to do, it makes her so unhappy… Her sisters for the most part do not understand. They have vague plans of moving far away from home one day (not least, one supposes, because they do not even get to go to school so most of their lives is actually spent in the same house) but they all “hope to get married” but – strangely perhaps, but perhaps not so strangely – aren’t necessarily talking about “finding true love”. Thus we can well imagine Sarah is also struggling with love and its effects on her – as it is not really encouraged in her rather traditional family. That’s one heck of a lot of questions. Questions that some of the greatest minds have failed to answer… 

Stop the pounding heart can be hard work. I am not going to lie. But once you get used to the rather non-verbal style (and the southern Texan accent by the way) the rewards are truly great.  I say go get it. The film actually got an applause at the end at the showing I attented. Considering the room was half empty and there was no q & as (and thus no one to hear the applause except ourselves) this is saying something methinks…